FUNNY GIRL on Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 34

[pmensky]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 9:33pm

DAME said: "Auggie27 said: "She will not be recast. That's a 100%. But keep your eyes on Julie Benko, "the luckiest standby in the world," as she proclaims on Twitter. She goes on for at least three performances at the end of the next month. If the performance load proves vocally taxing for Feldstein (think of Lauren Ambrose -- ironic! -- who gave up one of the Fair Lady performance, even with a lovely sound), it's possible to imagine a Tuesday night or one of the matinees given over to the other actor. And then, well, audiences will have a choice. It happens -- and not that rarely."

If I were Julie Benko I would have my publicist work overtime for those performances and get it somehow reviewed. Didn't someone else do that? Was it Shirley Maclaine for Pajama Game?"

I’ve only watched a couple clips of Julie Benko, and my immediate impression was that she sounded very similar to Beanie in terms of vocal tone and power. I would guess they would not want her cover to be someone who might overshadow her.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 9:39pm

The fact that a group of theatre professionals got together and decided that Beanie Feldstein was the best fit to headline the first ever Broadway revival of Funny Girl (presumably after hearing her sing) is mind boggling to me."



 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 10:05pm

bwayphreak234 said: "All I want to know is what in god‘s name the producers and creatives were thinking with going her. When this was first announced, I had reservations, but part of me thought that just maybe she would surprise us and turn in an unexpectedly great performance for the ages (my reason for this thinking being why else would they cast her unless she’s really something special and unexpected?). Sadly, this is not the case.

The fact that a group of theatre professionals got together and decided that Beanie Feldstein was the best fit to headline the first ever Broadway revival of Funny Girl (presumably after hearing her sing) is mind boggling to me."

Great comment. 

[Theatrelover1975]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 10:33pm

According to dressers I know personally on Funny Girl, Beanie is being a complete diva backstage. She’s very unkind and demanding. This is not gossip. This is fact, as it’s from the mouth of people that are actually there. This does not help her case that she’s not doing well onstage.

Honestly I wish they’d just take Beanie out, and put Julie Benko on.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 10:34pm

Would a Father dump a daughter? Wonder what her bestie Evan Hanson is telling her?

[Theatrelover1975]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 10:39pm

DAME said: "Auggie27 said: "She will not be recast. That's a 100%. But keep your eyes on Julie Benko, "the luckiest standby in the world," as she proclaims on Twitter. She goes on for at least three performances at the end of the next month. If the performance load proves vocally taxing for Feldstein (think of Lauren Ambrose -- ironic! -- who gave up one of the Fair Lady performance, even with a lovely sound), it's possible to imagine a Tuesday night or one of the matinees given over to the other actor. And then, well, audiences will have a choice. It happens -- and not that rarely."

If I were Julie Benko I would have my publicist work overtime for those performances and get it somehow reviewed. Didn't someone else do that? Was it Shirley Maclaine for Pajama Game? "

It’s wild that you say this, because this is exactly what Lainie Kazan did. Lainie was Barbra’s standby. When Barbra called out one time, she had a reviewer come, because Lainie was great, and Barbra had her fired. Which is why there’s a fued between them. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 10:48pm

SweetLips22 said: "Would a Father dump a daughter? Wonder what her bestie Evan Hanson is telling her?"

I'm still confused about where this idea that her Father is producing came from. Are shadow producers a thing on Broadway that I didn't know about? I don't even think he is a producer at all! All I've been able to find that he does in entertainment is that he is/was an accountant for Guns N' Roses. 

[Navin Johnson]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 11:01pm

Google “Richard Feldstein” and “Hollywood Reporter.” He has been featured on their list of top Hollywood business managers multiple times; he is certainly more powerful than the “Guns’n’Roses tour accountant” descriptor on Beanie’s Wikipedia would suggest.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 3/30/22 at 11:16pm

Ok. You're totally right. Definitely a powerful guy with lots of connections (and I wouldn't be surprised if his kids use those connections).

That being said, he's not listed as a producer on this show according to the Playbill, so I'm still confused why there are all of these allegations that he's somehow a puppetmaster controlling this revival. 

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 12:04am

CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said:

"Not Loretta Swit?"

I vote for Loretta to replace Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice. We need more Loretta Swit in our lives."

Uh ... Loretta Swit is 84.   Fanny's great-grandmother?

[Skip23]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 12:17am

Saw this tonight.

Not a disaster.  Glossy, efficient production.  Some interesting stage pictures, lighting: totally professional.

Libretto is still a problem.  Sections just aren't very interesting and the romance/relationship in the second act is sketchy and baffling (especially with this casting).

Choreography is sometimes fine, sometimes head-scratching.  "Sadie, Sadie"???  Nick's "Bullets Over Broadway" rant-dance.  

Casting is a sh*t show.  Only believable performer paired with her role is Toni DuBuono as Mrs Strakosh.  Jane Lynch may be off-handedly (that word!) humorous, but she seems to skit around the role of the ultimate Jewish Mother (!!!!!) rather than landing on obvious mannerisms.  Which, in this case, would have been refreshing to revisit.  Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan (???) doesn't work.  Nice tapping, but the racial switch adds nothing to the character.  There's really no reason for it other than filling a quota.

The big head-scratcher is, of course, Beanie as Fanny.  She's loud, physically domineering, lacking minimal subtlety.  She delivers her comedy in an off-handed, modern sit-com-y way, totally forgetting Fanny was steeped in Vaudeville.  The romance with Nick is barely there.  Again, she treats it very off-handedly (may be the fault of the Director).  We never buy it.  Ramin comes across as a bit ratty and Herbie-ish.  Hen-pecked rather than a rake. 

And then there's Beanie's voice.  3 levels: loud, REAL loud for the finish of many songs, and a soft tone with a fluttery "vibrato".  No color, nuance or thrill.

Would I go back?  Probably not, even for a better understudy.  And those prices kill the thrill.

 

 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 1:58am

Again I say. Wrong director. Hence the wrong casting. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 2:13am

RippedMan said: "Again I say. Wrong director. Hence the wrong casting."

This coming after Michael Mayer’s production of Little Shop has me thinking he no longer thinks it necessary for leading ladies to be able to sing their scores. I’m going to be skeptical about every musical he does for awhile.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 2:22am

Would Daddy dump a daughter? Wonder what her bestie Evan Hanson is telling her?

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 7:24am

Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said:

"Not Loretta Swit?"

I vote for Loretta to replace Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice. We need more Loretta Swit in our lives."

Uh ... Loretta Swit is 84. Fanny's great-grandmother?"

UH...IT. WAS. A. JOKE. 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 7:59am

Skip23 said: 



Casting is a sh*t show. Only believable performer paired with her role is Toni DuBuono as Mrs Strakosh. Jane Lynch may be off-handedly (that word!) humorous, but she seems to skit around the role of the ultimate Jewish Mother (!!!!!) rather than landing on obvious mannerisms. Which, in this case, would have been refreshing to revisit.Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan (???) doesn't work. Nice tapping, but the racial switch adds nothing to the character. There's really no reason for it other than filling a quota.


Ummm... something tells me that casting a POC in a leading role is not one of this production's faults. 

 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 8:01am

CarlosAlberto said: "Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said:

"Not Loretta Swit?"

I vote for Loretta to replace Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice. We need more Loretta Swit in our lives."

Uh ... Loretta Swit is 84. Fanny's great-grandmother?"

UH...IT. WAS. A. JOKE."

But like all of dollypops tired "jokes" it isn't funny. Hence the confusion.

[bryan2]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 8:44am

 "  Beanie is not a five star name, but she's also not an unknown. If they had cast say, a Micheala Diamond, and had issues, sure they'd probably dump her in a heartbeat. She has no buzz outside the theatre. They're not going to dump Beanie, because they believe her to be enough of a star that combined with the show title, they'll have a critic proof show. Not sure I believe it. Time will tell. "  

She is not a 2 star name. I saw her in Dolly she was fine , nothing special as far as i could see, I saw her replacement who was equally as good. Beanie is not known outside of  Dolly and one tv miniseries about Monica Lewinsky. I do not think they picked her for ticket sales. Most people have never heard of her other than she is Jonah Hills little sister. The Show is what is selling tickets , outside of maybe 1000  people no one even knows who she is, so if she was replaced most would not even notice other than the theater people.

I wish her luck but from the audio I have heard it will be tough for her because it is a part that does require a very strong voice. I feel bad she was actually put in this position knowing she was all wrong in every way for this part.  And to think Shoshana Bean is right down the street and she would have sung the crap out of this !!

 

 

 

 

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:04am

This coming after Michael Mayer’s production of Little Shop has me thinking he no longer thinks it necessary for leading ladies to be able to sing their scores. I’m going to be skeptical about every musical he does for awhile.

I disagree, again, it's worth noting that Blanchard had been nominated for 2 Tonys before Little Shop and they were both for musicals. She had the experience and skill to get her through- she was also magnificent in the Judy Garland bio pic that was on ABC in the 90's. Her performance in Little Shop, though divisive, I found refreshing, she's the first actor I've seen humanize Audrey and go beyond a character voice, a push up bra, and vocal pyrotechnics. She's a more grounded Audrey and not the cookie cutter Audrey we've seen 1,000 times. There's not really a need to bring other performers into this discussion to compare. As others have said, I think this was a production built around the choice of "star"- I highly doubt Mayer and Company had any say in who would lead the production. I also think there is 0 chance of replacing her at this point- have you seen the marquee, marketing, and merch? Her face is literally all over it- yes, stranger things have happened, but at this point this is where we are. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:11am

Oh that’s interesting, I hadn’t even made that connection. Arguably, I’d say the two female roles in musical theater  MOST associated with one specific person are Audrey and Fanny so that is interesting Mayer directed revivals of both.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:28am

Ke3 said: "This is her voice after months of extra training. Whatever they heard was even worse, and they gleefully pulled the trigger. "

Fair point and a sobering perspective. They also approved that terrible art so I don't know about their judgment. 

I don't know why there's an assumption that Julie Benko will be the Fanny Brice people want for this revival when she was cast by the same folks. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:31am

Even if producers were going in the direction of looking for an actress who sings, Fanny still has to have that "je ne sais quoi." So if you are changing the score to accommodate vocals, you really need to have a firecracker in the lead. Someone you can't take your eyes off of.

For instance, maybe Kathryn Hahn can't sing, but you can sure bet she's gonna deliver the comedy and the pathos. Even when Michaela Diamond rode out on the tricycle in the Cher show, she got laughs. She hit all her marks with the little she was given to do. She had charisma. She pulled focus. 

In my opinion, Beanie is a major talent, but she needs more time. In the Monica Lewinsky thing, she was eclipsed by every veteran in the show. She didn't stand a chance. She was good, not great.

That's what happens on Broadway. You can't put someone in the lead when they are eclipsed by the chops of the chorus. 

And singing that score 8 shows a week with limited training. It's gonna get real ugly real quick. 

I'm sure Patti LuPone is having none of this. 

[DCS]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:40am

Julie Benko just posted the following on her Twitter account

Uh oh. The "they added another Fanny scene and didn't tell me, then informed me I was going on" panic dreams have begun. #nightmares

 

I guess she's going on for Fanny tonight???

[inception]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:41am

I think they are banking on Millenials, & buzz from entertainment publications & social media aimed at Millenials, who know her from the hit film Booksmart.  She already had the cover of W last fall based, I would say, more on her celebrity stemming from that film than anything else she's done.

 

bryan2 said: "" Beanie is not a five star name, but she's also not an unknown. If they had cast say, a Micheala Diamond, and had issues, sure they'd probably dump her in a heartbeat. She has no buzz outside the theatre. They're not going to dump Beanie, because they believe her to be enough of a star that combined with the show title, they'll have a critic proof show. Not sure I believe it. Time will tell. "

She is not a 2 star name. I saw her in Dolly she was fine , nothing special as far as i could see, I saw her replacement who was equally as good. Beanie is not known outside of Dolly and one tv miniseries about Monica Lewinsky. I do not think they picked her for ticket sales. Most people have never heard of her other than she is Jonah Hills little sister. The Show is what is selling tickets , outside of maybe 1000 people no one even knows who she is, so if she was replaced most would not even notice other than the theater people.

I wish her luck but from the audio I have heard it will be tough for her because it is a part that does require a very strong voice. I feel bad she was actually put in this position knowing she was all wrong in every way for this part. And to think Shoshana Bean is right down the street and she would have sung the crap out of this !!







"

 

[bwwLA86]

Posted: 3/31/22 at 9:56am

Was anyone there last night? I went, and having no real familiarity with the Streisand version of this character, I thought Beanie was very winning but yes--of course--the vocals were never going to hit those towering highs. That said, I thought she sounded really strong...at first. The strain and tiredness was evident in act 2. Her comedic chops, unparalleled. She makes Fanny an incredibly winning underdog through her sheer gumption, but because her singing isn't otherworldly, it makes Fanny's meteoric rise feel that much more disjointed, rushed, and confusing.