Patti LuPone is weighing in on her alleged rift with Audra McDonald.
LuPone, 76, revealed in a recent New Yorker profile that she does not consider Audra McDonald, 54, as a friend. Although details about the feud were not extensively elaborated upon, LuPone conveyed that it took place a long time ago.
When prompted for her thoughts on McDonald’s current portrayal of Rose in Broadway’s Gypsy, LuPone reportedly fell silent for 15 seconds before gazing out the window and commenting on the beautiful day.
In a previous production of Gypsy in 2008, LuPone won a Tony award for her depiction of Rose, while McDonald received her 11th Tony nomination for the same role.
LuPone and McDonald’s history dates back more than two decades, with the pair costarring in the 2000 New York Philharmonic’s concert version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. (LuPone starred as Mrs. Lovett while McDonald portrayed the Beggar Woman.)
Seven years later, the twosome were involved in a L.A. Opera production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
LuPone and McDonald’s friendship — or lack thereof — was mentioned during the Monday interview when the reporter asked LuPone about her conflict with Kecia Lewis. Last year, LuPone starred in the play The Roommate and complained about hearing Hell’s Kitchen’s sound cues through a wall.
She was then criticized by Hell’s Kitchen star Lewis, 59, for calling the musical “too loud.” Lewis went on to allege that the remarks were “bullying,” “offensive,” “racially microaggressive” and “rooted in privilege” because she called “a Black show loud.”
“Oh, my God,” LuPone said in her Monday profile regarding the incident. “Here’s the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn’t know what the f*** she’s talking about.”
Lupone continued, “She’s done seven. I’ve done 31. Don’t call yourself a vet, bitch.” (The profile noted that Lewis has 10 Broadway credits while LuPone holds 28.)
LuPone explained that the noise problem is “not unusual on Broadway,” adding, “This happens all the time when walls are shared.” When the reporter noted that McDonald gave the video “supportive emojis,” LuPone replied, “Exactly. And I thought, ‘You should know better.’ That’s typical of Audra.”
Us Weekly reached out to McDonald’s rep for comment.
