A viral video has unraveled the moment the star of Stephen Sondheim musical 'Company' shouting at audience member mid-performance to 'get the f**k out' for breaking COVID-19 rules.
- May 12, 2022
AceShowbiz - Patti LuPone has told a maskless audience member of "Company" to "get the f**k out." Currently starring in the Stephen Sondheim musical, the Broadway legend forced a COVID-19 ruler breaker to vacate the premises after she rudely refused to properly wear a face covering although Broadway shows still required them months after the rest of New York City dropped the mandate.
In a viral video surfacing in early May, 73-year-old Patti can be heard shouting mid-performance, "That is the rule. If you don't want to follow the rules, get the f**k out!" She added, "Who do you think you are, that you do not respect the people that are sitting around you? Put your mask over your nose, that's why you're in the theater."
In response, the victim of the tirade said, "I pay your salary," before Patti, who originated the role of Eva Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita" in the 70s, clapped back, "You pay my salary? Bulls**t. [Producer] Chris Harper pays my salary."
Patti, who tested positive for COVID-19 in February and March, continued, "Who do you think you are? Just put your mask over your nose, we have worked really hard."
According to PEOPLE, the audience members were eventually asked to leave after Patti said "f**k this" and left the stage. The sources claimed that Patti was at first polite and that the offending patrons "were so rude."
They told the magazine, "They just kept shaking their heads at her. That's when she hit a breaking point, taking the mic, stopping the panel, and demanding they follow the rules. These people were so rude."
A spokesperson for the production, which is based on the 2018 London version starring Rosalie Craig, "Bridgerton" star Jonathan Bailey and Patti herself, issued a statement about how they "support her efforts" to keep theater safe. "Over the course of her storied career, Patti has always had an unshakable bond with the audience, and she takes their role as seriously as her own," the rep said.
"She is also a fierce advocate for the entire theatrical workforce," the spokesperson went on to defend Patti as saying. "We stand with Patti and support her efforts to keep our entire community, from patrons to ushers, cast to stage crew, safe and healthy so we can keep Broadway open."
The statement, which came from Chris Harper's office, was signed off by the producer, who labeled himself as "the man who pays Patti LuPone's salary."
