Lewis, 59, shared a five-minute video on her Instagram account, describing it as an open letter to LuPone, 75, regarding her comment to a fan about the show, which Lewis called “bullying,” “offensive,” “rude,” “racially microaggressive” and “rooted in privilege.”

 

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A post shared by Kecia Lewis (@therealkecialewis)

Lewis shares details about LuPone’s complaints with the show

“Miss LuPone, I want to make sure that you know that this letter is from me, not from the cast or crew or producers of Hell’s Kitchen. I am speaking for Kecia Lewis only,” Lewis said at the beginning of the clip.

Lewis, who won a Tony for the musical earlier this year, shared that LuPone contacted the owner of the Shubert Theatre about changing the sound cues for Hell’s Kitchen because “you found them to be too loud.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, LuPone stars in the play The Roommate, which plays next door to Hell’s Kitchen at the Booth Theatre.

Lewis continued, stating that LuPone, “after our sound design was adjusted, sent flowers to our sound and stage management team thanking them. Another thing that I’m aware of is that you dismissed publicly signing a fan’s Hell’s Kitchen playbill because — ‘I’m not signing a Hell’s Kitchen, they’re too loud,'” LuPone said in the post.

“I wanted to address this because this, Ms. LuPone, these actions in my opinion are bullying,” Lewis continued. “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.”

Understanding microaggressions and their impact on Black individuals

The Broadway actor then explained the definition of microaggression and how microaggressions affect Black people.

“I want to explain what a microaggression is,” Lewis said. “These are subtle, unintentional comments or actions that convey stereotypes, biases or negative assumptions about someone based on their race. Microaggressions can seem harmless or minor, but can accumulate and cause significant stress or discomfort for the recipient. Examples include calling a Black show loud in a way that dismisses it.”

She continued, “In our industry, language holds power and shapes perception, often in ways that we may not immediately realize. Referring to a predominantly Black Broadway show as loud can unintentionally reinforce harmful stereotypes, and it also feels dismissive of the artistry and the voices that are being celebrated on stage.”

“Comments like these can be seen as racial microaggressions, which have a real impact on both artists and audiences. While gestures like sending thank-you flowers may appear courteous, it was dismissive and out of touch, especially following a formal complaint that you made that resulted in the changes that impacted our entire production, primarily the people who have to go out on stage and perform.”

The importance of community in the arts

According to People, Hell’s Kitchen was written by Alicia Keys, is performed by a majority Black cast and tells the story of Keys and her upbringing in New York City.

Lewis further explained her concerns about microaggressions and bullying, and she discussed LuPone’s decision to send flowers to the production team after making the complaint.

“Sending thank you flowers after impacting the production, can be perceived as disingenuous, particularly if it sidesteps meaningful dialogue or resolution,” Lewis said. “If your actions come across as undermining or attempting to assert control over a neighboring production, rather than collaborating respectfully, they can certainly be seen as crossing into bullying behavior, even if it’s unintentional.”

She ended her video by stating that Broadway actors are community members and should respect one another’s “artistry and challenges.”

“On Broadway, we are not just neighbors, Ms. LuPone. We are a community that shares in each other’s artistry and challenges. Respect and collaboration are what keep us thriving and inspire the next generation. It’s important that we support each other’s hard work on and off the stage,” Lewis said. “Ms. LuPone, I respectfully submit to you that you owe us an apology, not flowers.”