binau said: "Well I for one am sad that the revival is closing, even though I never got to see it for better or worse because Lea Michele was of course out for the entire time of my trip (look she doesn't have awful attendance by any means but it was not a spotless record). The drama from the very beginning - questions on whether this would be a straight transfer from the Menier production, questioning the casting before (from the Sitzprobe clips), during and after performances had started - watching the sales tank and wondering what they were going to do, Beanie kind of quitting (and feeling both sorry for her because she didn't cast herself but then recognising objectively there of course was a problem and this is Broadway and this show and this part it is hard not to be so exposed unfortunately), the 'rising star' Julie Benko narrative and watching her have her chance to actually be the first replacement for Beanie over the summer, bringing in Lea after she kind of nearly felt cancelled and all the pressure behind that then smashing it out of the park, wondering if the'd be a Jane Lynch Glee reunion with Lea that didn't end up to be, being annoyed at audience members who won't let Lea Michele actually sing her damn songs without screaming over her (are they actually wanting to listen? You're giving Lea a free pass to not even hit those notes!), getting a cast recording, the minor tour casting drama etc. This has been an absolute roller coaster and I suspect all of this offstage antics is probably more interesting than the show itself, which I would agree with any sentiment that it's a poorly written show with a few great songs. We need a 'tell all' book or a documentary or something because it is rare for this kind of thing to happen.
None of this saga could probably perhaps better be personified than Lea Michele singing "Don't Rain On My Parade". I can't think of many better stories than this one, except maybe the whole drama and saga of the two Gypsy revivals with Bernadette/Mendes and Patti/Laurents."
It’s been a big, messy Broadway story and, despite or perhaps because of all the ugliness it has inspired, is undoubtedly compelling. There’s been nothing like it on Broadway in years. In football terms, it’s like a team with a nasty quarterback controversy, and all the personal and professional drama that goes with it. And then you toss in highly questionable decisions by the producers along with a whole host of hot-button cultural issues and you get this. For a decades-old revival, the show has generated a never-ending list of very current controversies.
And for me, there is still drama over this show. After cancelling when Lea Michele called out during our March trip, we are supposed to travel across the country and see it Wednesday night. Am I going? For reasons I won’t bore anyone with, I don’t know. I hope so, as I’m very invested in seeing it at this point.
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