Defying Gravity': White Man Sues Wicked Over Apprenticeship Reserved for Minorities, 'Nonbinary Musicians'

White male composer Kevin Lynch sues Wicked, alleging the Broadway musical's apprenticeship program discriminates against white men. Lynch contends the program restricted applicants to minoritized directories—MUSE for minorities and Maestra for women and nonbinary musicians—and he applied despite being rejected. The lawsuit names Wicked LLC, MUSE, and Maestra as defendants and cites that the winning applicant, PJ Ju, an Asian American woman using they/them pronouns, did not meet Wicked's stated criteria. Lynch says he has faced professional blowback for speaking out against such initiatives, arguing the policies violate fundamental fairness. The case follows a prior settlement with Playwrights Horizons, which offered discounted tickets to minority patrons.