Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 13

[SomeOtherMe]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:42pm

CATSNYrevival said: "We'll be getting a cast album with Lea and Tovahnow, right?"

Do we really think so, though? Lea has already recorded all the big numbers for GLEE and they're out there so who knows if they'll even feel the need.

[mulligan3]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:44pm

my guess, as soon as it was confirmed - Beanie put in the two weeks ASAP to avoid having to even be in the building with LM.   

I also agree it's telling as to why Jane Lynch didn't stay a bit.  No doubt that producers must have tried, bc there is so much marketing that could have been done around a Glee Reunion.  So she must have absolutely not wanted to be there either.

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:44pm

A lovely message from Julie:

https://www.tiktok.com/@jujujuliebee/video/7119166955881352490

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:47pm

TaffyDavenport said: "A lovely message from Julie:

https://www.tiktok.com/@jujujuliebee/video/7119166955881352490"

I feel like no matter how Lea Michelle does or anything else, Julie Benko might be the only one who comes out of this entire mess a winner. She'll be the most sympathetic character in the Ryan Murphy miniseries in 2035 :)

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:47pm

DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "Tovah needs an updated headshot. She’s been using that old one now for 15+ years"

For a second I thought they were announcing MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle as Fanny's Mom.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:48pm

Dames’s notes are all spot on. I’d also ask that “Music That Makes Me Dance” be restored as a simple Follies number. It’s a ravishing song for a skilled singer and currently handled like something in Ken Russell’s Boyfriend movie. 

[David10086]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:50pm

I heard Patti Lupone visited Beanie in her dressing room on Saturday night, offering her condolences on being fired. She advised Beanie to 'pick up that floor lamp and swing it around like a baseball bat' - which Beanie did. She ended up destroying her dressing room, under Patti's watchful eye and approval. 

 

Patti then slipped her a business card with her lawyer's name on it. "Go for the Harvey Fierstein swimming pool in your backyard", she whispered.

[WinstonSalem]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:51pm

I took this to mean that the producers intended to announce on Monday that Lea and Tovah would be joining in September, but then Beanie announced on Sunday that she would be leaving on July 31. That's the blindsiding: they expected Beanie to be there until September. At least that's how I read it.

[themick2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:53pm

See now, how is it that you can post something like this but when I do it, it's a "personal attack" and gets deleted?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:54pm

mulligan3 said: "my guess, as soon as it was confirmed - Beanie put in the two weeks ASAP to avoid having to even be in the building with LM.”

That seems to me to the case as well: the producers told Beanie they wanted her to leave September 4 instead of 25 to get Lea Michelle in ASAP, Beanie was upset by this and put in her two weeks notice. I wouldn’t be surprised if the producers had been somewhat hoping she would do this - they clearly wanted her gone and this also saves them some money on buying her out of the rest of her contract. What a sad, embarrassing situation.

 

[themick2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:57pm

The response to Michele on BWW should be interesting as any criticism of her is considered a "Personal attack" by the mods.

[Schmergo2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:01pm

This is going to sound way overly nitpicky, but the one thing that always made me skeptical about Lea in the role, ever since the GLEE days, is that Fanny's is supposed to kind of be an underdog story. Lea is pretty conventionally gorgeous. Barbra Streisand is super glamorous, of course, but in kind of an unconventional way. Beanie in the role fits with current body positivity movements and has a cute 'girl next door' vibe without necessarily looking like a traditional 'star.'

On the show GLEE, I felt like Rachel was never really portrayed as an underdog-- she was someone who you often rooted against because she felt so entitled to every role, solo, etc. We're supposed to root for Fanny and see her confidence in her talent as endearing and empowering. That confidence can seem cringy if the talent there, but it can also seem obnoxious if the 'underdog' element isn't there. An underdog says, "I have to hype myself up because nobody else will." 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:06pm

I haven't seen Lea in anything besides Glee and Scream Queens, so I'll just say it will be interesting to see her acting skills in this role. I personally found her comedic chops on Glee top be perfection, but thios is a different style of comedy.

As for not being sufficiently an underdog... She was playing the character of Rachel the way she was written. Fanny is written differently. If she's a good actress, her Fanny will be different than Rachel.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:09pm

And Ramin will soldier on with those big biceps, thick thighs, and firm abs.

[Azúcar!]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:10pm

DAME said: "If by any chance they go the way of making any other changes to the production.. to put new wind in its sails... these are changes I would like to see. Put a real darn curtain in there. New wardrobe from top to bottom for Fanny. At least give that ugly brick wall thing another color. Have Harvey give it another go to that awful second act scene between Fanny and her mother. And for goodness sake ; RE-STAGE THAT AWFUL CURTAIN CALL!"

Yes to all of this.  I imagine a new curtain is expensive.. can't they borrow Dollys?  I am sure it is in storage somewhere.  And that curtain call never worked. 

[pmensky]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:14pm

I hope Babs makes it to see Lea.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:15pm

I do wonder if they'll change anything. Not like any of those elements were nominated. So def. room for improvement. 

[taragel2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:17pm

Wonder if they'll add My Man for Lea? She sang it on Glee and in a tribute event to Barbra. I'm surprised by the number of people doubting her humor capabilities who said they watched Glee honestly. And heck, they should've got Idina in for Mrs. Brice. Why not? 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:20pm

pmensky said: "I hope Babs makes it to see Lea."

I think we can expect that now.  Along with the cast recording.  Lea is with Columbia Records (as is Streisand) so I’m sure Columbia Records will foot the bill.  Producers of the revival won’t need to factor this into their budget.  Columbia’s got this covered. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:23pm

taragel2 said: "Wonder if they'll add My Man for Lea? She sang it on Glee and in a tribute event to Barbra. I'm surprised by the number of people doubting her humor capabilities who said they watched Glee honestly. And heck, they should've got Idina in for Mrs. Brice. Why not?"

Sweet Christ, I hope not. The amount of time that’ll be added already to what will surely be Tovah’s Shakespearean take on Mrs. Brice will already be adding 20 minutes to an already long show. 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:30pm

This is gonna be a money making BIG FAT hit with the star quality to really back it up. This is what it should've been like when the production was announced. Julie Benko is a star and I am thrilled she gets to be THE STAR for 5 weeks and has guaranteed performances every week. Lea has a one in a lifetime voice. This is history in the making. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:31pm

Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see y’all. Yes, I care. Yes, im affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again.

https://twitter.com/sammie_ware/status/1546561221716893696

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:33pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see y’all. Yes, I care. Yes, im affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again.

https://twitter.com/sammie_ware/status/1546561221716893696"

Who is this?

 

[themick2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:34pm

Wut?

Are these the new "Rain On My Parade" lyrics?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:34pm

It truly is interesting who and doesn’t get “un-canceled” nowadays.