Two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy publicly support LuPone-bashed Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis

I’m a tremendous Patti LuPone fan as readers of this blog well know. I was on her side when she got dumped from Sunset Boulevard, saw her on Broadway in Master Class, read her memoir more than once and whenever she is performing in Los Angeles I buy a ticket to see her perform. She’s fabulous.

But the latest profile of LuPone in The New Yorker goes beyond the usual fun stuff like her calling Madonna a “movie killer” who is “dead behind the eyes.”

I don’t mind that in the article that she called Glenn Close a “bitch” for taking Norma Desmond to Broadway instead of Patti who was already contracted to do so. But Patti went off the rails when asked about her beef with Tony winners Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald. I don’t have a strong opinion of LuPone complaining about the noise levels of neighboring Hell’s Kitchen when she was in the play The Roommate with Mia Farrow. Her reaction to Lewis’ social media post criticizing her and demanding an apology was over the top and there has been deserved backlash. McDonald publicly supported Lewis’ post with positive emojis.

People are taking sides. Famous people. Here is what two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy, currently appearing in TV’s The Gilded Age, has written on Instagram:

I’ve had the privilege of knowing, working with and being awed by these two veteran artists since the 1990s. They each were stars from my very first encounter with them. Those 1st encounters for me were as an audience member, being blown away by their astounding gifts (@audramcdonald in #Carousel @lctheater ; @therealkecialewis in the Original Broadway Company of #OnceonthisIsland .) I then had the honor of workshopping shows w/each of them. I witnessed, up close, not only their immeasurable artistry, but their dedication, discipline, kindness, humor, grace under pressure, strength, support of the communities we were a part of, & their luminous humanity. Since then, I’ve watched Audra and Kecia’s stars’ continue to rise and shine brighter over the years. Their lives & careers have grown, the children they have raised/are raising thrive with their hard working & loving mothers’ support, and they have never been anything less than warm, kind & supportive anytime we have encountered each other.
I do not understand why we cannot use our moments on this earth to lift and support one another. Especially when, as fellow artists, we know the vulnerability & challenges of day to day survival. We live lives of uncertainty. Add to that being women of color who have historically been undervalued, mistreated, and worse. Praise them, raise them up, honor them. And in my case: love them. Sending my love & deepest respect to these two superstars.