Funny Girl 2022 Revival- Page 8

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:21pm

@Luna

There was a full 5 years between Glee ending, and the Lea Michele controversy. If she was going to be the next Fanny Brice, it would've / could've happened any time in those 5 years. Obviously her controversial behavior HAPPENED before 2020, but it didn't become a public "scandal" until last year.

But you're right - doing a Lea Michele Funny Girl right after Glee would've been a no brainer. Many people genuinely expected it to happen. Maybe the industry rumors of her behavior behind the scenes are what prevented it from happening. Maybe it's less about the public controversy, and more that people just didn't want to work with her.

In any case, I don't think she would've been be the next Fanny Brice in 2021. Even before the 2020 scandal, I don't think she had the box office power today that she did 5 years ago. 

Who would they play in a future Spring Awakening revival? The Adult Man and Adult Woman? I doubt either of those actors would be up for that, unless Lea Michele's career was ruined so bad that she desperately needed the paycheck. 

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:27pm

Highland Guy said: "Lunalaaaaaaaa said: "Though I definitely wouldn't call it a once in a lifetime revival. Plays and musicals are revived all the time."

I am 74 years old. Just how many Broadway revivals of "Funny Girl" do you think are in my future? It's time."

Well I mean if you're genuinely looking forward to Funny Girl, no one is stopping you. I'm sure it's going to be wonderful either way. I was just saying, considering A Star Is Born has been revived four times. (for example)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:34pm

“Maybe the industry rumors of her behavior behind the scenes are what prevented it from happening.”

There’s no “maybe” about it. Nobody wants to work with her. “Ragtime” was 23 years ago. That’s 23 years of horror stories about her, even as a child and no, those stories are not “rumors”, they’re facts that cast/crew still talk about.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:40pm

Yes, "rumors" was the wrong word. What I meant was "word of mouth" about her reputation. Thanks! 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:46pm

Now that it has just been announced that the West Side Story revival won't be reopening, who thinks this will end up taking The Broadway Theatre?

Updated On: 8/9/21 at 12:46 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:50pm

The original production actually played at the Broadway for a portion of its run… wouldn’t be a bad choice depending on who’s in it.

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:50pm

JBroadway said: "@Luna

There was a full 5 years between Glee ending, and the Lea Michele controversy. If she was going to be the next Fanny Brice, it would've / could've happened any time in those 5 years. Obviously her controversial behavior HAPPENED before 2020, but it didn't become a public "scandal" until last year.

But you're right - doing a Lea Michele Funny Girl right after Glee would've been a no brainer. Many people genuinely expected it to happen. Maybe the industry rumors of her behavior behind the scenes are what prevented it from happening. Maybe it's less about the public controversy, and more that people just didn't want to work with her.

In any case, I don't think she would've been be the next Fanny Brice in 2021.Even before the 2020 scandal, I don't think shehadthe box office power today that she did 5 years ago.

Who would they play in a future Spring Awakening revival? The Adult Man and Adult Woman? I doubt either of those actors would be up for that, unless Lea Michele's career was ruined so bad that she desperately needed the paycheck."

Well after Glee, I believe Lea was in Scream Queens. And sometime after she released two studio albums, one in 2017, one in 2019 since leaving Glee. (This is from her Wikipedia) She also got married and had a baby so. So I'm sure she's had a lot of gigs and material on her plate, prior to the whole lot of industry rumors. You're right as well. Had the controversy not come out about her, I'm sure the Funny Girl casting would've been a no-brainer. But in my opinion, I feel like she's bummed to not be starring in this revival of Funny Girl though. A Barbara Streisand revival on Broadway, where she literally played a character that was enamoured with Streisand. 

And with the right casting, despite being five years later, I feel like Lea Michele might have been able to revive her reputation. I see her doing more Broadway in the future than acting to be honest. I mean I was speculating about a Spring Awakening revival, I didn't see it as a bad thing. And plus, who knows Jon Groff might want to return to Broadway one day? He was literally just starring in Little Shop of Horrors. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 12:53pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Now that it has just been announced that the West Side Story revival won't be reopening, who thinks this will end up taking The Broadway Theatre?"


A big revival in one of Broadways biggest houses - they’d better make damn sure they have that A+ star to sell those seats, then. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:44pm

I hope it’s redesigned and is actually a “big” show and not that cheap touring London production.

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:44pm

A revival of Funny Girl with no stars wouldn't last an afternoon at the Broadway.

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:46pm

blaxx said: "A revival of Funny Girl with no stars wouldn't last an afternoon at the Broadway."

But I guess that depends who you consider to be stars?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:49pm

Lunalaaaaaaaa said: "blaxx said: "A revival of Funny Girl with no stars wouldn't last an afternoon at the Broadway."

But I guess that depends who you consider to be stars?"

 

It depends on who tourists consider to be stars. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:52pm

And no tourists consider them stars. Because they aren't. The general public under the age of 50 knows nothing about this musical and anyone who wants to support Beanie definitely won't know what the hell this musical is unless they are theater majors. 

If they put this at the Broadway, it will close in less time than Bonnie and Clyde did. 

Updated On: 8/9/21 at 01:52 PM

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:56pm

JBroadway said: "Lunalaaaaaaaa said: "blaxx said: "A revival of Funny Girl with no stars wouldn't last an afternoon at the Broadway."

But I guess that depends who you consider to be stars?"



It depends on who tourists consider to be stars."

I was going to say New Yorkers by far. And theatre majors and university students who might have access to affordable tickets. I doubt tourists are totally familiar with the potential casting of Beanie and Ramin (no offense to them) unless they are obsessed with theatre.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 1:57pm

Correct. And just New Yorkers cannot keep a show open. 

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:02pm

Sutton Ross said: "And no tourists consider them stars. Because they aren't. The general public under the age of50 knows nothingabout this musical and anyone who wants to support Beanie definitely won't know what the hell this musical is unless they are theater majors.

If they put this at the Broadway, it will close in less time than Bonnie and Clyde did."

I was thinking the same. It sounds good in retrospect but it'd close pretty fast without a well-known star onstage. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:08pm

If it’s just a remounting of an old production with someone who - albeit is very charming and funny on screen but who isn’t a “name” - then I can’t see this getting the attention they’d want. Especially in a season with The Music Man.

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:10pm

Sutton Ross said: "Correct. And just New Yorkers cannot keep a show open."

Absolutely. As much as I hate to say, but female driven shows (besides Wicked) never last too long on Broadway. Amelie and Gigi, for example, so I wonder about Funny Girl's longevity. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:16pm

And Gigi had an actual name and it closed in 3 months. Perhaps the general public isn't interested in extremely old, female driven musicals unless they have huge stars attached. Who knows?

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:23pm

Let's add one more variable to a FG revival- COVID. Will people buy tickets and then venture out in an unpredictable environment to see a mediocre musical- with some great music- and a basically unknown star? I doubt it. Bette carried the Dolly revival- but Bernadette- a big star though not a superstar- could not do the same. You need a superstar to carry a very successful FG revival.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:29pm

Lunalaaaaaaaa said: "Sutton Ross said: "Correct. And just New Yorkers cannot keep a show open."

Absolutely. As much as I hate to say, but female driven shows (besides Wicked) never last too long on Broadway. Amelie and Gigi, for example, so I wonder about Funny Girl's longevity."

Huh? We have hadquite a few female-centered shows with quite healthy runs in the last couple decades alone. You picking 2 example (or even 10) does not represent a box-office trend. Of the top of my head The Color Purple, Waitress, Next To Normal, and Fun Home had some of the longest runs in new musicals. There were ~15 other shows which also debuted and closed the same year Amelie & Gigi came out. At the end of the day, good material is what survives (not always, obviously).

I came to this thread mostly to remind y'all that you are really not personally getting anything by being horrible on this online chatboard. Not exactly sure why you have to endlessly discuss things you know very little, or nothing about, based on god knows what with the level of confidence which would embarass even the actual creative teams on these shows. And it is so mean spirited towards people you don't know at all. Did Ben Platt dump you? Did Beanie bully you in high school? Why can't you just be respectful. Give your thoughts and reasons for not liking someone's work, but just try to stop short of personal attacks. It is NOT that hard.

Updated On: 8/9/21 at 02:29 PM

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:30pm

Sutton Ross said: "And Gigi had an actual name and it closed in 3 months. Perhaps the general public isn't interested in extremely old, female driven musicals unless they have huge stars attached.Who knows?"

Yeah you're right. You would've thought with stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Pippa Soo (who are pretty well known stars in their own right would've been able to keep a show going) 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:36pm

Oh Valentina. You know what's also "not that hard"? You skipping our posts all together. Just scroll right by. Trying to control people on the internet is the most adorable thing ever, though. 

Now, let's proceed, shall we?

Yeah you're right. You would've thought with stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Pippa Soo (who are pretty well known stars in their own right would've been able to keep a show going)

Vanessa is a star in film and television. She is very well known. Now, I love ALL of Steven Pasquale's choices in terms of people he marries (haha). But, Pippa had done very little before Hamilton, and just because she was in it doesn't mean that she can leave the show and suddenly be a huge star in a musical. She is lovely and talented so I don't think she was the problem with that show, apparently it just sucked over here, while the UK version was so much better. 

[binau]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:37pm

I just don’t know the relevance of ‘female driven’ with box office success really - I’m not convinced that you could pick up any old show (or new show for that matter) and expect it to be a success unless you have a star or there are other factors at play. You could easily pick a whole host of recent ‘male driven’ shows that were also flops when there was no star: Tootsie, Spongebob, Beetlejuice, Carousel, Groundhog Day, Natasha, Fiddler revival (maybe?), On the Town, Something Rotten, Rocky, Chaplin etc. I just don’t see much correlation, especially because Broadway is an art form with a majority of female ticket buyers. Not to mention females often doing the best work and in the best roles :).

Funny Girl will likely flop unless they are lucky because like any revival without a star it’s going to be an uphill battle. And unlike the success of most revivals without stars I don’t think this show truly resonates well with wide audiences outside the performance and recordings of Barbara Streisand.

Maybe the show can take this unknown and make it an unmissable event If they can deliver the goods (I found her very very funny in Dolly). I’m skeptical they can though unless she is hiding one of the greatest voices ever heard on a stage. Otherwise is it really that special? Being funny won’t be good enough.

[Lunalaaaaaaaa]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 2:40pm

Valentina3 said: "Lunalaaaaaaaa said: "Sutton Ross said: "Correct. And just New Yorkers cannot keep a show open."

Absolutely. As much as I hate to say, but female driven shows (besides Wicked) never last too long on Broadway. Amelie and Gigi, for example, so I wonder about Funny Girl's longevity."

Huh? We have hadquite a fewfemale-centered shows with quite healthy runs in the last couple decades alone. You picking 2 example (or even 10) does not represent a box-office trend. Of the top of my head The Color Purple, Waitress, Next To Normal, and Fun Home had some of the longest runs in new musicals. There were ~15other shows which also debuted and closed the same year Amelie & Gigi came out. At the end of the day, good material is what survives (not always, obviously).

I came to this thread mostly to remindy'allthat you are really not personally getting anything by being horrible on this online chatboard. Not exactly sure why you have to endlessly discuss things you know very little, or nothing about, based on god knows what with the level of confidence which would embarass even the actual creative teams on these shows.And it is somean spirited towards people you don't know at all. Did Ben Platt dump you? Did Beanie bully you in high school? Whycan't you just be respectful. Give your thoughts and reasons for not liking someone's work, but just try to stop short of personal attacks. It is NOT that hard."

I also mentioned Wicked, which I said was a long-running female-driven show. I simply mentioned shows from the top of my head. Two of whom are my favorite shows as I am a fan of female driven shows undoubtedly as many others are. 

LOL in no way are we mean spirited. We are simply sharing our opinions about the casting/other Broadway shows/where Funny Girl might plan to land in the near future. Clearly without arguing. It is a thread to share our opinions about Funny Girl, the potential casting, and we are doing so honestly and respectfully. And  we did give our thoughts and opinions about who we preferred to be casted. It's also in the thread. :)