It's the on-stage outburst that has Broadway buzzing, from a stage legend known for not holding back her feelings about theater etiquette.
Tony- and Grammy-award-winner Patti Lupone, starring in the revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Company," was part of a cast talkback with the audience following Monday night's performance.
Witnesses and producers said it was during that time when Lupone politely and repeatedly asked two people in the theater to pull their masks above their noses.
"And that's when she said, 'Put your mask on' nicely," said Addison Clover, who was in the audience with a friend. She captured what happened next on her phone, as LuPone got right to the point.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
More Tony Awards Coverage
"That is the rule. If you don’t want to follow the rule, get the f— out!” the Broadway icon yelled at the theatergoer, to cheers from the audience. "Who do you think you are that you do not respect the people that are sitting around you?"
Clover fully supported LuPone's message.
"Patti is just a queen. She was doing what we all needed to say," she said.
LuPone also famously yelled at an audience member in 2009 for taking a picture during a performance of "Gypsy," and took a cellphone from a different theatergoer during a 2015 performance of "Shows for Days."
The show's lead producer said that they "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."
It's also the rule — masks are mandatory in theaters until at least the end of May.
The message is personal for LuPone as well: She had COVID and missed several performances early on in the run.
For now, the star is taking home rave reviews for an unscripted moment on stage.
