Broadway actress Kecia Lewis took to Instagram on Sunday, Nov. 3, to address recent actions by actress Patti LuPone, which she called “bullying” and “racially microaggressive.”
In a six-minute video, Lewis, a Tony Award winner for her role as Miss Liza Jane in Hell’s Kitchen, expressed her frustration over LuPone’s alleged complaints about the sound level of the show.
According to Lewis, LuPone had reached out to the theater owner, requesting adjustments to Hell’s Kitchen’s sound cues, which she found “too loud.”
After the sound design was altered, LuPone reportedly sent flowers to the sound and stage management team, thanking them for the changes.
However, Lewis saw these actions as dismissive, explaining that they contributed to a lack of respect and understanding in the Broadway community.
“The first one is that you contacted our theater owner about changing a couple of our sound cues because you found them to be too loud,” Lewis said. “I wanted to address this because, Ms. LuPone, these actions, in my opinion, are bullying. They’re offensive, they are racially microaggressive, they’re rude, they’re rooted in privilege.”
In her open letter, Lewis went on to discuss the importance of inclusivity and respect on Broadway, urging veterans like LuPone to consider how their words and actions impact diverse teams.
She explained that characterizing a predominantly Black show as “loud” could be perceived as reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
Lewis further emphasized that real collaboration requires direct and constructive communication, not performative gestures like sending flowers.
Lewis concluded her message with a direct appeal to LuPone, asking her to reflect on her influence within the Broadway community and issue an apology: “Ms. LuPone, I respectfully submit to you that you owe us an apology — not flowers.”
As of now, LuPone has not issued a public response to Lewis’s video, but the statement has sparked conversations within the theater community about privilege, respect, and inclusivity on Broadway.
