Patti LuPone says she’s done with Broadway—and maybe everything else too

Broadway icon Patti LuPone has made headlines once again after she announced her departure from Broadway while hinting at a possible exit from performing altogether. The revelation came in her recent sit-down with the New Yorker, where she gave fans insight into the experiences that helped shape her career, while also touching upon the various controversies she somehow wound up in over the course of her career.

She declared in the interview:

"Thank you for including me, honest to God. And just, you know, think of me. Because I don’t want to be onstage anymore. Period."

What led to Patti LuPone's exit from the stage?

Patti LuPone's career reflects her greatness on Broadway musicals, made famous by her appearances in Evita and Gypsy. She has also earned acclaim for dramatic parts in The Three Sisters and Master Class, demonstrating her ability to adapt.

Patti’s decision to quit the theater grew out of many years of becoming frustrated with her work in the industry. About a year ago, she resigned from the Actors' Equity Association, a union she joined 50 years earlier, and in an interview, she provided several motivations for her actions.

"I've been offered something and there's something I'm interested in doing, but I said to the producer, 'Don't do this on Broadway. I want to work on East Fourth Street. I don't want to work on Broadway anymore.' Broadway's now turning into a combination of Disney, Las Vegas and the circus. Plays are closing. The education of an audience is in grave danger."

She then went on to add:

"Plus, Times Square is a nightmare. It's like the lowest common denominator of humanity hanging out in Times Square. They're not going to the theater. They make it difficult for people who are trying to get to the theater. And then when you go to the theater, it's way too expensive and it's compromised. So I'll never do eight shows a week again, ever. It's just over. I mean, I have had that [Actors Equity] card for 50 years, 1973 to 2023. And that's enough. I don't want to be on stage. I want to end my career on film"

Patti LuPone also touched upon the topic in her recent interview with The New Yorker, in which she criticized the commercialization of Broadway and longed for a return to the olden days. In the interview, she also shed light on her relationship with Kevin Kline and Kecia Lewis, with whom she had a public falling out last year.

Everyone was stunned by Patti LuPone’s announcement, but many fans continue to hope she’ll come back to Broadway before long. While Patti LuPone has pulled back from the theater, she continues to entertain fans by performing on television shows such as And Just Like That…, and American Horror Story. Though there had been speculation that Patti would also be featuring in Season 2 of Agatha All Along, the show seems to have been cancelled as of now.

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