Posted: 8/7/23 at 11:07am
BoringBoredBoard40 said: "It is so weird that people say Lea saved this show, it is still going to close at a considerable loss."
This aged well.
Posted: 8/7/23 at 11:17am
BoringBoredBoard40 said: "It is so weird that people say Lea saved this show, it is still going to close at a considerable loss."
TOTALLY
Let this be a lesson to producers: People want to see talented people who can actually sing. In a musical. On Broadway. Seemed like a no-brainer for me but sometimes exactly what happened needs to happen. Congratulations to all involved!
Updated On: 8/7/23 at 11:17 AM
Posted: 8/7/23 at 3:10pm
muscle23ftl said: "LEA literally saved this show. Turned a flop into a hit."
Indeed, Thank You Lea Michele!!!
Posted: 8/8/23 at 7:54am
Lifted by Lea Michele, ‘Funny Girl’ Recoups on Broadway - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Guess she did save the show -lol.
Posted: 8/8/23 at 8:57am
Zeppie2022 said: "Lifted by Lea Michele, ‘Funny Girl’ Recoups on Broadway - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Guess she did save the show -lol."
Well that settles it, there really wasnt,although there probably was (scenic design), anything wrong with this production that a stunning lead performance and a more appropriate casting of Mrs. Bruce, couldn't fix.
Posted: 8/8/23 at 2:54pm
Well Dang! Color me surprised!
Setting aside my personal feeling about this show and Ms Michele, this is Fantastic news!! Big shows like this recoup less and less often these days, so any show that fully recoups in this day and age deserves to be celebrated.
Congrats FG!
Posted: 8/8/23 at 4:21pm
DJD4 said: "Well Dang! Color me surprised!
Setting aside my personal feeling about this show and Ms Michele, this is Fantastic news!! Big shows like this recoup less and less often these days, so any show that fully recoups in this day and age deserves to be celebrated.
Congrats FG!"
If the Producers hadn't gone in a different direction, one shudders at the thought of what the investment loss would have been.
Posted: 8/8/23 at 5:19pm
I never heard of this award before, but I know who Dorothy Loudon was. Ms Loudon was excellent!
Happy for Julie Benko
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/funny-girl-532545#Awards
Posted: 8/8/23 at 5:56pm
ManOfLaMuncha said: "I never heard of this award before, but I know who Dorothy Loudon was. Ms Loudon was excellent!
Happy for Julie Benko
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/funny-girl-532545#Awards"
👍. Bravo Julie. I had the privilege of seeing Ms. Loudon in "Annie" and "Ballroom". I had tickets to see her in "Dinner at 8" at LCT. But she withdrew from the production.
Posted: 8/8/23 at 6:52pm
Thrilled by the recoup. I wish that the otherwise informative NYT had mentioned the transfer as Beanie to Julie to Lea. Julie did keep the show open until Lea could so triumphantly take over. And Julie established her own fan base as well for the Thursday crowd. Glad for such a happy ending.
Posted: 8/8/23 at 9:35pm
Dom P said: "ManOfLaMuncha said: "I never heard of this award before, but I know who Dorothy Loudon was. Ms Loudon was excellent!
Happy for Julie Benko
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/funny-girl-532545#Awards"
👍. Bravo Julie. I had the privilege of seeing Ms. Loudon in "Annie" and "Ballroom". I had tickets to see her in "Dinner at 8" at LCT. But she withdrew from the production."
I've only seen Dorothy Loudon sing at a Sondheim celebration on Youtube. She put two of his great songs together and was hilarious! You were lucky to see her in person!
Posted: 8/8/23 at 10:07pm
ManOfLaMuncha said: "Dom P said: "ManOfLaMuncha said: "I never heard of this award before, but I know who Dorothy Loudon was. Ms Loudon was excellent!
Happy for Julie Benko
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/funny-girl-532545#Awards"
👍. Bravo Julie. I had the privilege of seeing Ms. Loudon in "Annie" and "Ballroom". I had tickets to see her in "Dinner at 8" at LCT. But she withdrew from the production."
I've only seen Dorothy Loudon sing at a Sondheim celebration on Youtube. She put two of his great songs together and was hilarious! You were lucky to see her in person!"
Yes not once but twice. Her rendition of "50 percent" in Ballroom was heart breaking. That performance was also included in Broadways Leading Ladies hosted by Julie Andrews at Carnegie Hall. It used to be available on DVD,not sure if it's still in print. And her performance as Ms . Hannigan wonderful. I can't still hear her and Robert Fotch belting out "Easy Street".
Posted: 8/11/23 at 12:42am
For those looking for tickets at the end: There appear to have been additional seats released for the last week. Side orchestra seats are $256 or $289 on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (the latter are either new or the price went up). SeatGeek also says more tickets were released for the Friday and Saturday performances on Labor Day weekend. Prices are not cheap, but they’re available. Nothing new on Sunday.
ETA, Aug. 15 update: Prices have headed north, although the Wednesday matinee of the last week has the best options in terms of price. There have been more expensive, premium seats released as well.
Updated On: 8/15/23 at 12:42 AM
Posted: 8/18/23 at 3:13pm
They've now released most of the mezzanine and much of the rear and far side orchestra for the last show, almost entirely $389 or less, while the originally released furthest rear mezzanine are still $445.
Not sure why they were treating the final performance like it was a show that had been running 20 years and would be filled to the rafters with invited guests, and on Labor Day weekend, no less. The majority of seats should have been put on sale when the closing was announced.
If I had spent $445 for row Q of the mezzanine when I now could spend $389 for row A or $289-389 for a far side front orchestra seat, I would be pissed.
Updated On: 8/18/23 at 03:13 PM
Posted: 8/22/23 at 8:36pm
TaffyDavenport said: "They've now released most of the mezzanine and much of the rear and far side orchestra for the last show, almost entirely $389 or less, while the originally released furthest rear mezzanine are still $445.
Not sure why they were treating the final performance like it was a show that had been running 20 years and would be filled to the rafters with invited guests, and on Labor Day weekend, no less. The majority of seats should have been put on sale when the closing was announced.
If I had spent $445 for row Q of the mezzanine when I now could spend $389 for row A or $289-389 for a far side front orchestra seat, I would be pissed.
"
Looks like they overshot their wad. Wondering if her last week will even come close to her record breaking holiday weeks.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 12:28pm
I don't know how these things work.. so forgive my ignorance. But it is interesting to me that just as the show is about to close there are so many actors in it taking scheduled vacations. Is it on purpose to give swings and understudies a chance to go on one more time? That is very sweet if it is. Weird that Tovah would be off now when the show is about to close.. and by the last I saw of her social media.. she is just in the city taking in other shows.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 3:17pm
alovingfan said: "I don't know how these things work.. so forgive my ignorance. But it is interesting to me that just as the show is about to close there are so many actors in it taking scheduled vacations. Is it on purpose to give swings and understudies a chance to go on one more time? That is very sweet if it is. Weird that Tovah would be off now when the show is about to close.. and by the last I saw of her social media.. she is just in the city taking in other shows."
I was thinking this too! Perhaps vacations are like a "use it or lose it" type of deal. I don't know if equity actors get paid vacation hours, but perhaps they are utilizing their paid vacation hours before the show closes.
Posted: 8/23/23 at 3:23pm
I think it’s as simple as the producers gave Lea and Tovah more incentive to have stayed through the summer. Neither one had been contracted to stay until September. This way it allowed them to feel good about extending their runs, while also giving them time to spend with their family and still somewhat enjoy the summer.
I’m sure the producers would rather not have given all this vacation time, but it’s more than a fair trade to have kept the show open at near sell-out crowds for the entire summer.
Posted: 8/24/23 at 8:43pm
Has Lea performed more than a few times in the last week or so? She should take as much time off as she wants/needs but the cest la vie attitude to her multitude of absences here is hilarious given the pandemonium that ensued when Beanie took off a weekend to attend a friends wedding.
hypocrite away
Posted: 8/24/23 at 8:59pm
PipingHotPiccolo said: "Has Lea performed more than a few times in the last week or so? She should take as much time off as she wants/needs but the cest la vie attitude to her multitude of absences here is hilarious given the pandemonium that ensued when Beanie took off a weekend to attend a friends wedding.
hypocrite away"
She took some scheduled vacation days for her son's birthday a week or so ago and another week in July, I believe. Also, scheduled, probably negotiated with the extension to September 3. She's had some health breaks for herself and when her son was ill. Not sure how c'est la vie that is, but whatever rocks your boat. Point is, the show is going out with a profit because of her, so there's that and why Beanie was given a permanent vacation.
Posted: 8/24/23 at 10:33pm
Yeah, I'm sorry, this doesnt make any sense. You think Lea is better than Beanie, i get it, and Im not arguing with you. She has clearly sold out the theater and turned a profit. I am strongly of the belief that Lea Michele being an insufferable person should be irrelevant to judging her skills/talent. I'm glad she turned the show around.
But Benko has been on well more than half the time these past weeks. Whether its time off (odd to take when youre the bankable star and the show closes in 10 days) or shes sick (in which case, she must do whatever she needs to do, no judgment here), its WILD that her stans who were so infuriated when Beanie missed *far fewer* shows are now all... well whatever youre doing here. Its unseemly. Cringeworthy.
Posted: 8/24/23 at 10:52pm
Aside from last weekend, which was scheduled long in advance, has Lea Michele missed any other performances lately?
Posted: 8/24/23 at 10:52pm
The past seven times Benko has gone on (outside of her weekly Thursday performance) have been documented scheduled absences that were broadcast via ticketing agencies as well as Benko herself, you self righteous prick.
Posted: 8/24/23 at 10:54pm
bear88 said: "Aside from last weekend, which was scheduled long in advance, has Lea Michele missed any other performances lately?"
Not one.
Posted: 8/25/23 at 7:43am
PipingHotPiccolo said: "Has Lea performed more than a few times in the last week or so? She should take as much time off as she wants/needs but the cest la vie attitude to her multitude of absences here is hilarious given the pandemonium that ensued when Beanie took off a weekend to attend a friends wedding.
hypocrite away"
The "pandemonium" that ensued during Beanie's run had very little to do with her attendance and more to do with the fact that she could not perform the role well. At all. Her performance was an abysmal embarrassment.
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