A lot of people are really full of themselves. Mostly actors. Actors are consistently taking credit when, in reality, they read lines written for them, wear costumes sewn to fit them, and need direction until they say their lines right. Actors love themselves a lot. A lot more than any other profession.
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You’d be hard-pressed to find a more intolerable lot than Hollywood thespians, but I would bet New York stage actors would say, “Hold my champagne.” Yeah, I bet New York tops Hollywood in self-puffery. When you combine that haughtiness with an ability to find racism where none exists, you have a combustible massive jerk in the works. I found that jerk. Her name is Kecia Lewis.
Kecia Lewis is a Broadway actress. She apparently won a Tony for her current gig as a music teacher in “Hell’s Kitchen.” Kecia Lewis is a black woman who posted a nastygram video on Instagram, ripping on another actress named Patti LuPone. LuPone’s offense, her mortal sin? She sent a note to the “Hell’s Kitchen” producers, asking that the production reduce the volume for two musical cues. LuPone is performing in a theater that shares a wall with “Hell’s Kitchen” and her play is apparently a two-person affair. “Hell’s Kitchen” adjusted the cues, and LuPone sent a nice “thank you” note to the sound engineers and staff. Reasonable and rational people would think that would be the end of it. Adults being adults.
Nah. Lewis posted a four-minute nastygram saying:
“After our sound design was adjusted, [you] sent flowers to our sound and stage management team thanking them”…
“I want to explain what a microaggression is – 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.”
“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.”
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Wait… what? A thank you is “dismissive.” Does Lewis know what dismissive means? LuPone asked that two cues, as in two, be adjusted. They were adjusted. LuPone thanked “Hell’s Kitchen” sound peeps with flowers. And, LuPone is a micro-agressing racist “bad gal?”
What…the…what?
If you watch the video, Lewis drips with obvious contempt; this isn’t “asking” for an apology — she is demanding LuPone grovel and “acknowledge” her mystery racism.
A person on Instagram posted a “too good not to read” response to Lewis’ rant.
Could you be more condescending??? Maybe you ought to come see The Roommate. It is a quiet 2 person play. The music from the theater next door has music so loud, that it disrupts our show. This has nothing to do with race. It has to do with volume!! Some of us who have been working on Broadway for over 30 years have never experienced sound and you can actually feel the volume during our show. The spirit of this community means we all respect each other!!! Our little show deserves that as well. As for signing a Hell’s Kitchen Playbill. Why would she? She’s not in it. Are you signing The Roommate playbills? Why would you? You’re not in it!
The play, “Hell’s Kitchen,” is apparently based on Alicia Keys’ life growing up in – Hell’s Kitchen. Keys’ real name is Alicia Augello Cook. Her dad is black. Her mom is white. Guess who didn’t raise her? Keys has zero regard for her dad and has had zero contact with him. Her mom raised her – working three jobs to help her daughter get where she wanted to go. About growing up without her father, Keys said:
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But it helped show me what a strong woman my mother was, and made me want to be strong like her. Probably, it was better for me this way.
Gosh, that sounds like Alicia Keys and her mom’s struggles would make an interesting play. Yeah, a Broadway musical about strong, resourceful women. But I’m not catching the “black show” vibe.
The area of Hell’s Kitchen is not “Manhattan rich,” but neither is it poor. The most recent racial demographics place the black population of Hell’s Kitchen at about six percent.
I hope that LuPone doesn’t bend the knee. If LuPone ignores Lewis’ rant, that silent dismissal would be an acceptable rebuke. No doubt Lewis would take that as another microaggression with another demand for an apology. Maybe LuPone should send flowers to Lewis, with a photo of LuPone holding her three Tonys. “I have three, dear.”
Shhhh. Don’t remind Lewis that Broadway is also known as The Great White Way. She might be so triggered her head would explode.
