Julie Benko plays FB tonight in Funny Girl- Page 4

[76Trombones 2]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 7:37pm

I just saw Julie Benko perform in today's matinee. Her performance was thrilling! In my opinion, she has a charisma on stage that is truly exceptional! It was so much fun to watch an understudy perform who is obviously going to be a big star one day! I would love to see her again.

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 10:03pm

Auggie27 said: "Safe to say that Benko has grown in the role, too, at performance number eleven. Again, good for the audience, good for her, ultimately good for the show.


Someone elsewhere blamed Feldstein’s 4 performance contractual out in April for this opportunity to compare takes on the role. Not really fair or accurate. If last weekend’s apparent vocal rest was inevitable - perhaps even sooner with 4 more completed performances - the April out is irrelevant. But in the glass half full sense; if she can successfully negotiate the role’s demands 6 times a week, no two show days, maybe Feldstein can relax, settle in, and enjoy the run. And continue to grow. This seeming bump in the road may end up a happy (enough) ending for everyone."

I would just say this comparing both women in continuing to grow - to quote the song "It's not where you start, it's where you finish." To my mind, Beanie had a pre-rehearsal period, rehearsals and previews, as well as several weeks of the "actual" show and is still struggling. I commented on another blog early on about an alternate being introduced, like in Phantom. Even though the shows are vastly different - there is still pressure on the female lead in FG because of all the individual songs.

Julie has had, what 10...11, performances under her belt and, from what I've seen here, is pretty sensational. I would suspect because of her voice training, she could handle 8 shows, but I don't think it's a crime for Beanie to want/need some help. I've also seen comments that Julie is "generic" and better, but not a star. I don't know about that. Sometimes one just needs the opportunity to shine.

Will Julie's comedy timing get better - this seems to be a sticking point - and, tbh, expected. Likely, although she may not be gifted in that area to the extent Beanie is. I did see a video of a comedy sketch she wrote and produced and starred in that won some prizes. It was "gently" funny. A young Orthodox Jewish couple on their wedding night. Her comedy may not be as overt as Beanie's who does have great timing but it is there - just different.

Will Beanie ever be able to sing like a Broadway leading lady - doubtful. This is not mean, but the truth. She has a nice sound with some songs, but this score overall is beyond her singing abilities.

While I didn't expect Streisand - and, frankly, that criticism is getting old. I just expected Much More (Julie did a production of the Fantasticks). I, for one, did not want to see Beanie's path in FG - I wanted to see Fanny's path. This included acting and a connection with her leading man.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see Julie and I really am sorry about that. I don't know if she will be a star, I sure do know she's worked her butt off to be one. Time will tell. 

I don't see Beanie leaving, especially if she only does the six nights. As someone said, the logo is a picture of her. Not a lot of long-term thought seemed to go into this production. What if the show was a real hit (I'm sure they believed it would be) and Beanie got a movie (or some other unforeseen event - I won't even go into the idiocy of filming a movie over a period of 20 years) and someone else had to step in? 

I wish both ladies well and hope each audience gets their money's worth.

One more thing, anyone can have an LLC - more than one, for that matter, under any name you want. Just do the paperwork and pay the fees. 

Updated On: 5/28/22 at 10:03 PM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 10:21pm

I'm curious about something.  To what extent, if any, do people associated with the show monitor what is being said about Funny Girl on social media (BWW, IG, FB, etc)? 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 10:49pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "I'm curious about something. To what extent, if any, do people associated with the show monitor what is being said about Funny Girl on social media (BWW, IG, FB, etc)?"

I was wondering the same because by now they MUST know the raves Julie is getting. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 11:51pm

hearthemsing22 said: "Patti LuPone FANatic said: "I'm curious about something. To what extent, if any, do people associated with the show monitor what is being said about Funny Girl on social media (BWW, IG, FB, etc)?" I was wondering the same because by now they MUST know the raves Julie is getting."

OF COURSE they know. They're not idiots. The creative team & lead producers have obviously watched Julie's performances and given notes. Situation (the social media agency) likely gives a report at every ad meeting that includes internet buzz; this is part of the buzz. The actors can tell from the audience reactions (and from any family/friends who have attended); their scenes with Fanny are going to be different when it's Beanie vs Julie.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/28/22 at 11:58pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "hearthemsing22 said: "Patti LuPone FANatic said: "I'm curious about something. To what extent, if any, do people associated with the show monitor what is being said about Funny Girl on social media (BWW, IG, FB, etc)?"I was wondering the same because by now they MUST know the raves Julie is getting."

OF COURSE they know. They're not idiots. The creative team & lead producers have obviously watched Julie's performances and given notes. Situation (the social media agency) likely gives a report at every ad meeting that includes internet buzz; this is part of the buzz.The actors can tell from the audience reactions (and from any family/friends who have attended); their scenes with Fanny are going to be different when it's Beanie vs Julie."

I’m on this website, so I’m clearly a theater fan. You don’t have to dumb it down as if we don’t know anything 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 12:05am

There are plenty of theatre fans on here who clearly know very little about the inner workings of the business, so sometimes dumbing down is appropriate and necessary. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 12:06am

Caught a recent performance by Julie.

Having now seen both Beanie (who I didn’t dislike) and Julie, Julie is by far the better performance. But both Beanie and Julie still feel like solid regional theatre performances of Fanny, and there are problems in the book and direction that few performers could overcome.

The show almost works with Julie –– at least until the second act, which is and will always be a mess and her relationship with Nick is so toxic. Julie sings it very professionally, she has wonderful chemistry with Ramin (their voices together are like buttah), and you can see her age throughout the show in a way that I never got from Beanie. Where Beanie really excels is at the two big musical comedy numbers (His Love Makes Me Beautiful and Rat A Tat Tat), and the numbers are staged to her strengths, not Julie's; Beanie's naturally hilarious (especially with physical comedy and her elastic face), whereas Julie can do a very skilled impression of a funny person.

Do see both if you can, because they’re interesting comparison points.

Also, shoutout to Daniel Beeman who effortlessly and charmingly sings the Ziegfeld Tenor part!

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 12:41am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Caught a recent performance by Julie.

Having now seen both Beanie (who I didn’t dislike) and Julie, Julie is by far the better performance. But both Beanie and Julie still feel like solid regional theatre performances of Fanny, and there are problems in the book and direction that few performers could overcome.

The show almost works with Julie ––at least until the second act, which is and will always be a mess and her relationship with Nick is so toxic. Julie sings it very professionally, she has wonderful chemistry with Ramin (their voices together are like buttah), and you can see her age throughout the show in a way that I never got from Beanie. Where Beanie reallyexcels is at the two big musical comedy numbers (His Love Makes Me Beautiful and Rat A Tat Tat), and the numbers are staged to her strengths, not Julie's; Beanie's naturally hilarious (especially with physical comedy and her elastic face), whereas Julie can do a very skilled impression of a funny person.

Do see both if you can, because they’re interesting comparison points.

Also, shoutout toDaniel Beemanwho effortlessly and charmingly sings the Ziegfeld Tenor part!"

 

Thanks for the comments about Julie and Ramin's chemistry - something I felt was lacking with Beanie and something I believe is really important to the show. In "real" life, Fanny was actually quite soft spoken, not a clown at all - at least according to Frances. She was, however, obsessed with Nicky and, in my research (because I become obsessed with everything about a show I'm following), he was in love with her as well, but did take advantage of that obsession. They were abusive to one another in different ways. Bottom line - they were hot for one another and that is absolutely necessary to see in this show. That element is sadly missing with Beanie and Ramin. If that was there with Julie and Ramin, it would make the show 100% better in my eyes - to heck with production numbers. JMO.

Sadly, unless someone makes a boot and I can get access to it, I won't be seeing Julie and that makes me sad. Would love to see the differences.

I think one thing that is assured - this show has garnered a lot of chat and interest without Streisand, so maybe it does have legs for the future.

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:29am

hearthemsing22 said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "hearthemsing22 said: "Patti LuPone FANatic said: "I'm curious about something. To what extent, if any, do people associated with the show monitor what is being said about Funny Girl on social media (BWW, IG, FB, etc)?"I was wondering the same because by now they MUST know the raves Julie is getting."

OF COURSE they know. They're not idiots. The creative team & lead producers have obviously watched Julie's performances and given notes. Situation (the social media agency) likely gives a report at every ad meeting that includes internet buzz; this is part of the buzz.The actors can tell from the audience reactions (and from any family/friends who have attended); their scenes with Fanny are going to be different when it's Beanie vs Julie."

I’m on this website, so I’m clearly a theater fan. You don’t have to dumb it down as if we don’t know anything."

 

Well, your question was pretty basic.

[Grief]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 8:15am

Will Julie's comedy timing get better - this seems to be a sticking point - and, tbh, expected. Likely, although she may not be gifted in that area to the extent Beanie is.

I've seen Beanie once, Julie twice, and Julie is very funny. I'm curious who sees her performance and feels she isn't funny. Beanie's comedic acting is obvious and one-note, while Julie's is more mature and subtle. Her Fanny is a multidimensional human being, not just a face mugging for laughs.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 11:43am

Julie’s performance is like Rachel Brosnahan as Mrs. Maisel — a serious actor who has crafted specific comedic moments. Beanie is probably more spontaneous, and had the benefit of the show being staged to her strengths. (Which is why a lot of standups/actual comedic actors do not like Maisel.)

Beanie might bring something more along the lines of Zero Mostel as Tevye, whereas Julie is more like Herschel Bernardi as Tevye. Or Lin Hamilton vs Javier/replacement Hamilton.

It doesn’t do us much good to compare these two ladies because they’re doing wildly different interpretations, albeit with the same staging, costumes, and keys. Like I said above, both have merits, both feel like solid regional theatre performances, and the show ultimately worked better for me with Julie. The revival would have been much different if crafted around Julie — and the truth is it probably wouldn’t exist, not at this high budget level.

Updated On: 5/29/22 at 11:43 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 1:05pm

Got into a convo on this last night with someone who saw the show Tuesday. And was mostly indifferent. He said, you can’t make a case for South Pacific touting a stellar “Honey Bun,” and you can’t make a case for FG around “Rat-tat-tat” and “His Love Makes Me Beautiful.” You can say you’re putting the funny back in Funny Girl, yet with no revival in half a century, no one is arguing that the comedy was ever lacking.

The show’s a showcase for the score, and having watched the film again last weekend, it’s hard to make a case for the piece as a successful biography of a great American artist. Much is stripped away, too much is fabricated or airbrushed. from Fanny’s virginity thru Nick’s criminal impulses to serve a story that only finds its power in (thrilling) vocals. Even so, the film leans on an interpolated song to land an ending. So the production had a bigger problem out of the gate, often discussed here in previews: it’s too thin dramatically under the music to hold us. It’s a vehicle and vehicles serve stars. This one tries valiantly and may yet prove the casting was worth the risk, once the actor is not challenged by the 8 shows. But as my friend noted - and someone recently said the same above - the show remains what it is. And isn’t.

Updated On: 5/29/22 at 01:05 PM

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 3:19pm

Broadway: “Funny Girl” Star Beanie Feldstein Keeps Missing Shows, Giving Understudy Julie Benko a Surprise Showcase

 

https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/05/28/broadway-funny-girl-star-beanie-feldstein-keeps-missing-shows-giving-understudy-julie-benko-a-surprise-showcase

 

[Papi2013]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:07pm

Robbie2 said: "Broadway: “Funny Girl” Star Beanie Feldstein Keeps Missing Shows, Giving Understudy Julie Benko a Surprise Showcase



https://www.showbiz411.com/2022/05/28/broadway-funny-girl-star-beanie-feldstein-keeps-missing-shows-giving-understudy-julie-benko-a-surprise-showcase

"

How may more threads will you post this on?

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:22pm

This came up on Julie Benko's IG page.  I don't know the date of the video, but it's cool. It shows Julie getting ready to go on as Fanny....with a 2.5 hr. heads up.   https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeJCVEhuBtv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Updated On: 5/29/22 at 04:22 PM

[willep]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:40pm

Whatever was the date of her first unscheduled performance, judging by the fact that the video says “first time you get the call”

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:46pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "This came up on Julie Benko's IG page. I don't know the date of the video, but it's cool. It shows Julie getting ready to go on as Fanny....with a 2.5 hr. heads up. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeJCVEhuBtv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link"

This was Friday May 20 when she was at the gym and got word she was on that night.  She ended up doing all of the performances that weekend.  

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 4:53pm

Thanks for sharing your information....not the snark. (This was in reference to Ermengarde's comment about my question.)

Updated On: 5/29/22 at 04:53 PM

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 6:10pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Patti LuPone FANatic said: "This came up on Julie Benko's IG page. I don't know the date of the video, but it's cool. It shows Julie getting ready to go on as Fanny....with a 2.5 hr. heads up. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeJCVEhuBtv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link"

This was Friday May 20 when she was at the gym and got word she was on that night. She ended up doing all of the performances that weekend."

I admire her good nature through these last minute calls. Hopefully, the powers that be will give her a regular schedule to lower both ladies' stress levels. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 6:22pm

Kind of the nature of being a stand-by

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 7:26pm

RippedMan said: "Kind of the nature of being a stand-by"

Exactly.  Nancy Hess was the original Roxie and Velma standby when the current Broadway revival of CHICAGO first opened.  One afternoon she was cleared for the matinee (didn’t have to go on), so she went on with her day.  About an hour later she received a call saying she had to rush to the theatre to do Act 2 as Ann Reinking hurt herself.  She literally went straight from the grocery store to the theatre.  When you’re a standby, you’re on call and have to be ready for anything.  Standbys are not understudies so they’re not at the theatre ready to go.  

[soxboy22]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 7:54pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "This came up on Julie Benko's IG page. I don't know the date of the video, but it's cool. It shows Julie getting ready to go on as Fanny....with a 2.5 hr. heads up. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeJCVEhuBtv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link"

 

What fun! Thanks.  
 

Are matinees selling better?

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 8:05pm

I understand the nature of standbys - going back to when I worked in a very small hospital and surgical nurses were paid for standby in the event an emergency surgery came up. Neither rain nor snow or dark of night sort of thing.

My point was - it would seem Beanie may be having stress/voice/whatever issues and the powers-that-be are likely considering that Julie be an alternate with a fixed schedule rather than a standby. Julie doesn't appear to mind - for her, she is thrilled to be going on at all and I'm sure that's how all standbys feel - likely praying they will be going on (but, not, of course, that the lead will be injured/damaged permanently in any way - bad karma. 

Everything I've seen about Julie so far suggests she is just thrilled to be involved in the show in whatever way and would swim the Hudson if necessary.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 5/29/22 at 8:09pm

BrodyFosse123 said: ""

Incorrect. Standbys ARE understudies -- it's just a matter of billing preference. "Standby" tends to be used for actors with more seniority who just cover one role --- there is no reference to the term "standby" in the Actors Equity Production Contract. As to whether or not they are required to be at the theatre -- that's determined on a show by show basis -- usually by the Production Stage Manager. Most are required to be present in the theatre until the start of the show's second act.