‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Star Kecia Lewis Requests Apology From Patti LuPone for Calling Musical ‘Too Loud’: It’s ‘Bullying’ and ‘Racially Microaggressive’

variety.com:

Michaela Zee “Hell’s Kitchen” star Kecia Lewis requested an apology from Patti LuPone on Saturday after the Broadway legend and “Agatha All Along” star called the jukebox musical “too loud.” In a six-minute video posted to Instagram on Saturday, Lewis — who won a Tony this year for her performance as Miss Liza Jane in “Hell’s Kitchen” — began her open letter to LuPone by specifying that the message is “not from the cast or crew or producers of ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’ I am speaking for Kecia Lewis only.” Lewis went on to note “a couple of situations that have gone on in the last few weeks” involving LuPone. “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,” she said. “You also, after our sound design was adjusted, sent flowers to our sound and stage management team thanking them.” LuPone currently stars alongside Mia Farrow in the Broadway play “The Roommate” at the Booth Theatre, which shares a back wall with “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Shubert Theatre.

Lewis’ video message cut to a clip of LuPone refusing to sign a fan’s “Hell’s Kitchen” playbill because the musical is “too loud.” “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.

And these actions also lack a sense of community and leadership for someone as yourself, who has been in the business as long as you have.” Lewis continued, “I want to explain what a microaggression is.