Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 20

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 11:40pm

Scandals and drama aside, will Lea Michele boost ticket sales? I don't see her appeal lasting beyond the first couple of weeks. 

[Dizzyfromtheheight2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 11:49pm

Ok, wow...I do not post here almost ever, but I'm just chiming in as a professional who has worked in/around Broadway for decades - There are quite a few people who seem to know nothing about how Broadway and/or theatre work. 

It is quite simple why Jane would leave earlier than expected and it has absolutely nothing to do with Lea. She most certainly has gigs booked soon after the original scheduled departure, and the producers are paying her remaining weeks out and she's gonna take it. As others have pointed out, for Jane to learn a new track with Lea (which it will MOST DEFINITELY be) for a two-week performance period is ludicrous, and I am certain that, because of previously mentioned bookings, she simply cannot extend to ride some sort of Glee reunion press wave. Her feelings toward Lea probably don't factor in whatsoever. Even if she LOVED and adored Lea, she is probably simply just already committed. And yes, before anyone argues the point, Julie B will ABSOLUTELY have to learn the new Lea track for Thursdays. 

This entire mess lies at the feet of Michael Mayer and the original producers who hired him.  I also put a HUGE amount of blame on the music director/supervisor for leading Mr. Mayer and co to believe they could make it work with Beanie, something I'm certain they were consulted on. 

This is an awful experience for any perfomer. I'm reminded of the monologue from The Seagull about having to perform when you know you are awful. I've been there and it is life alteringly gutting to face 8 shows a week...

Why any sort of blame would fall on Beanie is baffling - She is a professional actress who auditioned for her dream role, got the role, and then even brought on producers. There is no one on earth that would have done anything differently in her situation. 

It's Mayer and the Producers who should've known better and done better. They saw and interesting opportunity in Beanie, and they took the risk. And here we are. And that's showbusiness. 

 

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 11:49pm

HenryT: "Scandals and drama aside, will Lea Michele boost ticket sales? I don't see her appeal lasting beyond the first couple of weeks."

Agreed. Most people don't who she is. Glee is a forgotten TV show. But you never know. The ones who DO know who and what she is will not be going near the August Wilson.

[WinstonSalem]

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

joevitus said: ""We don't know anything much...except she was mean to some of the background people...and the new people...and people who were on the show from the beginning..." Yeah, there's...not much you can infer from all of that. LOL"

 

Good god, how did I end up in a position where I feel like I'm defending a woman I have no intention of defending? Lea was terrible to her understudy on Ragtime. If you think you can infer from that known behavior that she was also terrible to Audra McDonald or Marin Mazzie, then go ahead. I personally do not think that you can infer from the stories that are publicly known that Lea bullied or was terrible to Jane such that Jane would automatically hate her. THAT is all I'm saying!! Maybe Jane does hate her. NONE OF US KNOW. 

 

[EbonyEyez]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:02am

WinstonSalem said: "joevitus said: ""We don't know anything much...except she was mean to some of the background people...and the new people...and people who were on the show from the beginning..." Yeah, there's...not much you can infer from all of that. LOL"



Good god, how did I end up in a position where I feel like I'm defending a woman I have no intention of defending? Lea was terrible to her understudy on Ragtime. If you think you can infer from that known behavior that she was also terrible to Audra McDonald or Marin Mazzie, then go ahead. I personally do not think that you can infer from the stories that are publicly known that Lea bullied or was terrible to Jane such that Jane would automatically hate her. THAT is all I'm saying!! Maybe Jane does hate her. NONE OF US KNOW.

"

I don't think anyone is saying that you're saying she treated Jane poorly. I doubt she did. Why would she? The point that is being made is we know enough to know she bullied people on the Glee set and a good amount of people that worked with her did not have a pleasant experience. 

I don't know how the behind-the-scenes work and it probably makes sense for Jane to leave for other reasons than not liking Lea. BUT I'm also sure Jane doesn't want that heat and doesn't want to be associated with a racist. So, she's dodging a bullet.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:07am

BUT I'm also sure Jane doesn't want that heat and doesn't want to be associated with a racist.

Comment getting removed in 3... 2… 1…

[Idinamenzel18]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:10am

Those who think the show won’t sell with Lea are sorely mistaken… 

[blaxx]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:14am

EbonyEyez said: "WinstonSalem said: "I've seen no evidence Jane hates Lea. It's entirely possible she does, of course. But I doubt Lea ever directed any of her bullying at Jane or any of the other actors playing adults on Glee. In classic bully fashion, she seems to have bullied people "smaller" than her. But we really know very little about what went on. At any rate, it absolutely makes sense for them to bring both replacements on at the same time and not to wait the extra 3 weeks til Jane's original departure date for Lea to take over the role, IMO."

Actually, we know A LOT about what happened on the Glee set. A cast member came out to recount her racist bullying, which prompted Lea to make an apology and her to lose her Hello Fresh sponsorship. On top of that, the rest of the cast has been liking plenty of tweets pointing to how horrible of a person Lea is and she should not be given a pass and starring role on Broadway. But we know who people value in this industry and who they don't. It's honestly disgusting for them to hire her."

Hope the cast gets paid more for doing Funny Girl and The Taming of the Shrew simultaneously!

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:21am

Wow, this thread is going off the rails. I love spending time on these boards, but the level of obsessing and hyperfixating that some of you people do is just beyond. It happened on the Beanie thread(s) and it's happening here now. Denouncing Lea for bad behavior at Ragtime, which was (1) nearly a quarter of a century ago, and (2) when she was literally like 11 or 12 years old... really?!?

The bottom line is that show business is just that—a business. Whether you like it or not, Lea is one of the most talented voices of this generation and she is going to be a hot sell. Her first performance is already completely sold out. This is why the producers cast her. It's a brilliant producing move at this stage in the production's life. 

People grow, evolve, and change, and Lea herself has publicly apologized for her past actions. What more do you people want her to do? Sit back and let people call her a racist and a meanie pants on the Internet while she lets dream roles pass her by? Get real. I'm fully willing to give Lea the benefit of the doubt that she's learned from her past experiences and will be a lovely, gracious addition to the company of Funny Girl. I cannot wait to see her as Fanny.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 12:54am

When did Lea actually apologize? She basically said “I’m sorry you took it that way.” Her “apology” was embarrassing.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 1:06am

"While I don’t remember ever making this specific statement and I have never judged others by their background or color of their skin, that’s not really the point. What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people...  I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused. We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect my own shortcomings... listened to these criticisms and I am learning and while I am very sorry, I will be better in the future from this experience.”

Feels like an apology. Could she have gone further? Yea absolutely. Is she still probably not a nice lady, yea probably. But she did apologize. You do have to allow space for people to grow. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 1:22am

Jordan Catalano said: "So I guess we’re not getting a cast recording?"

i for one would not mind a replacement cast recording a la Brooke Shields or Vanessa Williams

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 1:23am

Just some thoughts. 

I wondered initially why Beanie wasn't given an alternate. I guess since my most recent theater experience was Phantom, I assumed  a female lead with such a demanding role would only work 6 or 7 performances a week. Someone here informed me that Phantom was like a repertory, i.e., no stars. People expected to see Beanie. I'm not sure it would have made a difference overall, but might have helped her deal with the schedule.

Lea, as with Beanie, is a total unknown to me - never heard of either of them before FG. Did my research on Beanie and have done some on Lea. Her singing - she has a great voice, very Streisand-esque, whether intended or not. The clips I've seen seem to be Lea playing Barbra playing Fanny. That might change. I don't know about her comic acting ability, so: no comment.

I do think, however, an actress who can do comedy is more important than someone who is funny - great if she is both (Carol Burnett comes to mind, who turned it down). This was, I felt a problem with Beanie - there was no cohesion between schtick and playing the role. After Julie's and, co-incidentally, Ephie's validation of actresses who could do comedy bringing the show together, may be the change in direction they decided to take.

Emotional connection to the Nicky character - most people said there was none between Beanie as Fanny (although apparently they loved working together) and Ramin, however, the comments I read said Julie had great chemistry with him. This was a big issue that they may be trying to rectify. Since that relationship is a really big element of the show and is the counterpoint to her success as an actress/comedienne and problems as a wife/lover. Otherwise, it just becomes an album/concert, which is basically what I have on a CD of the original show. Some may want that. I happen to like the back story.

Lea's past. As I said, never heard of her. Obviously, she has a past. One hopes she has grown, and grown up from that period of time. There's a saying that people don't change, they just get worse as they get older. I can attest to that somewhat as a senior citizen. However, most people don't know about her past and aren't going to look at SM to find out about her before buying tickets. If she can sell the show, more power to her. 

Jane and Lea - Jane may not like her - doesn't matter. 

Love Tovah and she just feels right for the role of Mrs. Brice.

Beanie dreamed of playing Fanny, and she did. Lea dreamed of playing Fanny, and she will. I'm guessing both Julie and Ephie had these dreams as well. I hope the show succeeds so all those other young actress/singers who dream of playing Fanny can do so, too.

[hamiltonboys]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 1:30am

Jane retweeted the announcement of Lea. Not that that confirms that they're besties or anything, but if she truly hated Lea's guts she wouldn't be promoting her on social media.

[A Director]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 2:37am

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "from Queerty. This column is about (at least) 5 celebrities who you will not see at Lea Michele's Opening Night. There are details.https://www.queerty.com/5-celebrities-totally-wont-lea-micheles-funny-girl-premiere-20220711?utm_content=buffera3f9c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwAR3v8uFxz1cK0E-LPlpiBqXeqguBByM-sBXFs_kvBpBR56M1RWsh_eZd_tM"

With these 5 so-called celebrities not attending Opening Night, the show will close the next day.

 

[A Director]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 2:41am

shocktheatre said:
Break a leg, Lea. I sincerely mean that.

Well, ain't you a little ray of sunshine!

 

 

[ManOfLaMuncha]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:40am

https://www.vulture.com/2022/07/lea-michele-funny-girl-casting-samantha-ware-allegations.html

 

this is something else from 7/11/22 doesn't seem like Ware was sure Lea was a real racist?  This is all confusing and meant to disrupt this thread. Is it to get some attention?  I never watched Glee, but didn't that end like 7 years ago?  I heard Lea bullied people on the set long ago, but what does that have to do with her being in this show?  I'm confused.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 4:25am

pmensky said: "If this is true, I forgive her of all past transgressions for being such a baller. She is my spirit animal.”

the fact that she willed this replacement into existence by sheer force of will from the moment she was born should put the fear of god in all of us. this has been predestined. even when they told her it wouldn’t happen… it has happened.

Lea Michele is a force to be reckoned with, I fear. She must not be underestimated.

[UWS10023]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 4:50am

The tickets in September are selling like hotcakes. 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:12am

shocktheatre said: "She ain't done any movies, she is far from a household name.”

Glee was a pop culture phenomenon. Do you really think people don’t know who she is?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:41am

shocktheatre said: "She ain't done any movies, she is far from a household name.”

Far from it.  I may not have watched GLEE but I, along with millions, are aware of Lea Michele.  She’s FAR more known than Beanie Feldstein.  If Beanie didn’t do IMPEACHMENT, there wouldn’t have been any recognizable place point to identify her to others.  Even then, millions still have zero idea who she is.  As mentioned previously, this revival was mounted for Beanie based on the huge industry buzz IMPEACHMENT was generating.  The media coverage of her alongside the real Monica Lewinsky.  It was going to be HUGE.  Explosive even.  Then it aired and no one watched.  I did and loved it, but I was one of the few that watched.  Not even an Emmy Award nod for Beanie or even the series.  Lea Michele has an Emmy Award nomination for GLEE.  The television Academy recognized her and her work on GLEE.  That can never be taken away from her.  She’s also been nominated for the Golden Globe as well as Grammy Awards and the Screen Actor’s Guild.  Yes, Virginia.  People know who Lea Michele is.  

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:55am

preach plus anyone who actually watched glee would know that she was fantastic basically every episode and people downplaying her comedy talents i think are so wrong, she was frequently hilarious on the show

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:13am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Not even an Emmy Award nod for Beanie or even the series. "

I guess we can add being passed over for an Emmy Award to the list of fictitious failings assigned to Beanie Feldstein on these boards. (the nominations havent even happened yet). 

 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:16am

Jordan Catalano said: "There’s a LOT of discussions like this going on today and they’re not going to just stop."

but they will be ignored. The number of people in a huff over accusations of racism (which are totally unsubstantiated beyond "she was mean to everyone, including but definitely not exclusively to people of color) will not impact the box office one iota.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:22am

Jordan Catalano said: "There’s a LOT of discussions like this going on today and they’re not going to just stop."

There's a lot of people who remain angry at Lea Michele even after apologizing: I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused - which the lady in that tiktok video that Jordan linked claims she never did. 

People are going to hear what they want to hear and feel what they want to feel and I guarantee you that if Lea Michele went to the top of the highest mountain right now and gave a heartfelt apology for all that she has allegedly done it still would not be enough for these people. 

Lea will go on, play this role and she may even surprise some people, make a comeback and get all her flowers and guess what? These people will still stay mad. That is too bad for them because holding on to that much hate and vitriol is not healthy. 

At this point they are not hurting Lea Michele - they're hurting themselves.