FUNNY GIRL on Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 80

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 9:07pm

Charting the FG board debate: we’ve moved past the “you’re with Beanie or you’re against inclusivity in casting” binary construct and moved into, “it’s a bigger conversation than the star’s shortcomings.”  The show is selling, and using TKTS, finding itself a momentary smaller scale success story. Will the rapturous fans drown out tepid reviews and award season shutout in the long run? Other shows have. This production feels unlike anything in recent memory.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 2:34am

I certainly would NOT precipitate on THAT celebration! It def. sounds like it was highly coached to play to her vocal "strengths", esp. the long held notes where flourishes would usually be. The long pause after "BAM" is long enough for her to drink a glass of water - I imagine she is taking a long breath there.

Updated On: 5/14/22 at 02:34 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 6:23am

I cannot roll my eyes further. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:23am

It just occurred to me what this sounds like. It sounds like Vanessa Bayer doing Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy character on SNL.

Its been confirmed Beanie is actually channeling Vanessa Bayer’s SNL character Laura Parsons:

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:49am

I just got an email that informed me that Funny Girl was nominated for TEN.....Broadway.com awards. 

Dead. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 12:47pm

That clip won't be up long, so take a listen. It does reveal the underlying issue, which isn't about held notes or occasional pitch variance. It's not an embarrassing vocal performance, aside from sounding eerily like an adolescent at times, particularly in that oddly petulant and teenage dialog prior to the song proper. But the needed synergy of character-reaching-an-act curtain and actor hitting one of the evening's musical highs just doesn't happen. We can talk for days about whether the singing is pretty or acceptably in character. The thrill -- the tear the place apart raise the roof aspect -- is just lacking. I can understand why it's a challenge to articulate the disappointment.  You can feel the house rooting for her, awaiting the final push. But it's a contrived finish, not an organic one, whether aided by the sound board or not. 

Updated On: 5/14/22 at 12:47 PM

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 1:04pm

Sutton Ross said: "I just got an email that informed me that Funny Girl was nominated for TEN.....Broadway.com awards.

Dead."

Same here - How embarassing and sad having to promote the show with that and they now have it on their website: https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/ 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 1:21pm

This stills holds up as a Master Class in marketing and cleverly pulling quotes.  This person who did this is a genius.  This makes David Merrick’s legendary pull quotes ads look like pre-school material.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 3:30pm

Not to mention that Beanies acting has a dear in headlights aspect to it.  She looks demented instead of in love.  There is no Tyne Daly salvation in this.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 3:42pm

She performing at the Tonys?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 3:54pm

Sutton Ross said: "She performing at the Tonys?"

I heard that they are indeed going to be performing at the Tony Awards and that they will be doing a medley so all 4 leads will be included, most notably Jared Grimes’ tap dancing.  

[RuthLipschitz]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 6:12pm

I am not a Beanie hater or invested emotionally in this show in any way to promote it. But there is a good reason this revival received only one Tony nomination: the lead is miscast. 

Beanie is not a terrific singer and audiences love this because of the memory of the songs. It has nostalgic appeal. 

I feel bad for Ramin. He deserved better. Sounds like most of you agree. 

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 6:23pm

RuthLipschitz said: "I am not a Beanie hater or invested emotionally in this show in any way to promote it. But there is a good reason this revival received only one Tony nomination: the lead is miscast.

Beanie is not a terrific singer and audiences love this because of the memory of the songs. It has nostalgic appeal.

I feel bad for Ramin. He deserved better. Sounds like most of you agree."

To Ramin's credit, he is doing his own thing and using this show to develop his talents (never danced before) and seems to be having fun with it. The comic bit with the couch was his invention and introduced into the show over the initial objections of the director - they wanted him to be sophisticated. His wife even asked him how he did the trick (she was a dancer). The refreshing thing about Ramin is his humility and willingness to learn...and, even after 20 years or so in the business, still being surprised that people want to hire him!  

 

 

[KFC1991]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 7:26pm

Listening to the bootleg above, I was surprised at how much better she sounded than I was expecting. I don't think the producers were crazy to hire her. She's not embarrassing. 

But doing an A to B comparison with Benko, and it's obvious what a night and day improvement Benko is. Even the preceding dialogue is so much more authentic. She provides genuine pleasure, rather than mere respectability. Benko would be the toast of the town had she gotten to open on this. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 7:55pm

Updated On: 5/27/22 at 07:55 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 9:07pm

That leaked audio is not a Broadway caliber delivery. I truly like Beanie but the song has no build, no momentum, no agency and no urgency. She’s trying hard  and pushing all the way through. She’s having a hard time delivering emotion because she’s clearly thinking about how to deliver the song. She’s not able to act at the same time.  It’s very sad and embarrassing for all involved. 

[RuthLipschitz]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 9:12pm

I listened to Julie Benko and Jessie Mueller in the links above and honestly I thought both of them singing songs from FUNNY GIRL were not very good. Maybe with some other material they are great, but in those links they are awful. 

I saw Jessie Mueller in BEAUTIFUL and in CAROUSEL and she was phenomenal. I conclude it is the FUNNY GIRL songs that just do not cut it for either of them because there is nothing distinctive or remarkable about Julie Benko's voice.

Updated On: 5/14/22 at 09:12 PM

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 10:04pm

 

Updated On: 5/27/22 at 10:04 PM

[RuthLipschitz]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 10:36pm

Robbie2 said: "RuthLipschitz said: "I listened to Julie Benko and Jessie Mueller in the links above and honestly I thought both of them singing songs from FUNNY GIRL were not very good. Maybe with some other material they are great, but in those links they are awful.

I saw Jessie Mueller in BEAUTIFUL and in CAROUSEL and she was phenomenal. I conclude it is the FUNNY GIRL songs that just do not cut it for either of them because there is nothing distinctive or remarkable about Julie Benko's voice."



If you don't like Julie or Jessie then don't listen to Beanie as she's terrible!!!"

 

I agree: Beanie is terrible. 

 

 

 

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 10:42pm

Don't want to judge a whole performance just based on audio, but yeah, that was rough. I've liked Beanie in other stuff, but she's way out of her element here. Hopefully this production is a learning experience for her to know her limitations.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 10:58pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "ts been confirmed Beanie is actually channeling Vanessa Bayer’s SNL character Laura Parsons:"

Yes! That's who I was thinking of actually!

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:03pm

ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure said: "Don't want to judge a whole performance just based on audio, but yeah, that was rough. I've liked Beanie in other stuff, but she's way out of her element here. Hopefully this production is a learning experience for her to know her limitations."

I doubt she has the internal wisdom to realize how bad she is in this role and no one is telling her besides the critics. If she has read any of the critiques, they have certainly had no effect on her performance or her seeming belief that she is the right person for the role...because, well, her mom dressed her up as Fanny/Barbra when she was 3. If she had any amount of humility and grace, she would have bowed out before the show opened. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:16pm

I would think the lack of a nomination in a major revival would be an indicator. But who knows. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:34pm

Beanie IS primarily known for her handful of film roles.  Her only notable TV work was playing Monica Lewinsky in Ryan Murphy’s AMERICAN CRIME STORY: IMPEACHMENT prior to FUNNY GIRL.  And being Ben Platt’s bff, which first brought attention to her from the DEAR EVAN HANSEN phreaks.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 5/14/22 at 11:41pm

Was at the show tonight. The programs are stuffed promoting their nominations for the "Broadway.com 2022 Audience Choice Awards" and encouraging audience members to scan a QR code in their seat and vote for them. Never seen those awards taken seriously by a Broadway show before in my life.