Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 23

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:29pm

You thought she was bad or the entire thing?

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:38pm

Interesting read from Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2022/07/broadway-box-office-july-10-into-the-woods-funny-girl-1235062490/

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:44pm

themick2 said: "I just can't wait until Lea takes the stage and everyone on the board goes, "Oh...well, actually this show still stinks no matter who plays the lead. Huh. Maybe Beanie wasn't the problem after all.""

Zero people will say that. Zero. 

 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:49pm

Sally Durant Plummer said: "It would probably be wise for Ramin to leave sooner, considering his material is the first I would cut. They should just get the original Funny Girl script and replace the "Parade" reprise with "My Man." Since Tovah doesn't appear to have the greatest voice, "Find Yourself a Man" can stay cut. Funny Girl is about Fanny. Really, most of the extraneous material (except what's needed to covering Fanny's costume changes) should be cut."

Not unless he's replaced with Jonathan Groff! That cast would definitely crash Seatgeek.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 3:53pm

Nothing can save the Funny Girl book. I saw it with Benko. Amazing pipes, but the Fanny/Nick story is totally lame and nothing can change that.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 4:20pm

I’m selling a few good Orch tickets (one pair for Julie’s first show after Beanie’s departure and two individual tickets -in the same row but not next to each other- for Lea) on the buy/sell board. PM me if interested!

[RippedMan]

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

Is the show totally different from the movie? I was enthralled by the movie. I was like I get why she's a star. I get why this show is famous. I loved it. 

But it does seem this revival was designed to give the spotlight to more people, when in actuality it might just work better as a star vehicle and not an ensemble type show.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 4:28pm

RippedMan said: "Is the show totally different from the movie? I was enthralled by the movie. I was like I get why she's a star. I get why this show is famous. I loved it.

But it does seem this revival was designed to give the spotlight to more people, when in actuality it might just work better as a star vehicle and not an ensemble type show."

 

Ask BrodyFosse123 he knows EVERYTHING! No, really he does! He'll fill you in!

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 5:36pm

They should cut this show down to a lean 90 minute one act.

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 5:53pm

Does anyone think Beanie will go on tonight? I don’t envy anyone working in that theater today.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 5:57pm

I don't think this has been posted yet. Jane has commented on the Lea casting, and alas, has confirmed her early departure has nothing to do with hating Lea.

Emmys: Jane Lynch Celebrates Lea Michele’s ‘Funny Girl’ Casting; Confirms Return To ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Season 2

"And while fans will be disappointed Lynch and Michele won’t work together in Funny Girl, there’s a reason for that.

“We have been in touch about it,” Lynch tells Deadline of Michele. “You know, it was just a really strong idea to have Feldshuh and Lea premiere together. That’s the only reason [we won’t appear together.] I adore her. She’s just going to take this show and make it her own. I’m so glad she’s getting the opportunity in real life to do the show and not just on Glee."

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 5:59pm

Lynch is a pro. She and Benko are the folks looking best this week. What a ride.

[soxboy22]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:04pm

Beanie has missed many performances in three months. Is there a ‘Dean Jones comparison’ here?  How would the Tony committee take an appeal if Lea is the smash I expect?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:07pm

Those of us who have seen this production learned: its stated conceit - “ We’re putting the funny back in Funny Girl with a conic actor” - was a fallacy in the staging’s DNA. One specialty number per act aside, it’s not overall a “comic” prism on Brice. It’s about ferocious ambition and a tragic romance with a criminal. The book isn’t terribly funny and pretending that the songs only amplify the narrative sidesteps the entire reason to revive it: a score that rides high emotion. By the end it’s larded with soapy scenes about loving a louse. So if the songs are better served in a recast at least the Jerome Robbins frame - a vehicle for a strong singing actor rather than an actor who sings - may begin to payoff again.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:09pm

soxboy22 said: "Beanie has missed many performances in three months. Is there a ‘Dean Jones comparison’ here? How would the Tony committee take an appeal if Lea is the smash I expect?"

No, Kert still debuted during the show's eligibility period. If FG had debuted early enough in the season that Beanie had bombed out and Lea had debuted before the Tony cutoff there may have been an argument, but there isn't one now. This production is no longer eligible for awards.

[bobby bubby]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:15pm

Yikes, what a mess:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-real-broadway-drama-over-lea-michele-replacing-beanie-feldstein-in-funny-girl

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:19pm

If the dailybeast article is accurate it all makes a bit more sense now at least.

“There was disagreement among producers after the negative reviews of the show appeared. The Daily Beast understands that a minority of the producers wanted to eject Feldstein from the role quickly; a majority, led by Friedman, wanted to stand by her, which is what happened.”

“A source close to the production insisted that there had been no contact between Funny Girl’s producers and Michele’s representatives until after the June 15 announcement that Feldstein intended to leave the show on Sept. 25. The deal to sign Michele was reportedly signed in the week of June 20.”
 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:20pm

bobby bubby said: "Yikes, what a mess:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-real-broadway-drama-over-lea-michele-replacing-beanie-feldstein-in-funny-girl

"
Whew this is juicy. In the words of Beyoncé, someone is gettin’ fired. Those post-opening ad meetings are kept small, they’re gonna know exactly who would have been in that room. Which leads me to believe this is is a planted “source” to put the production side of the story out there. Welp we got the article we were waiting for in the end lol

 

[WestEndGal]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:31pm

Kad said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "OhHiii said: "Lea Michele in Funny Girl pales"

PLEASE may she look more pale, less orange by the time she reaches the stage in Funny Girl

It is hard to overstate how little "controversy" like this matters at the box office, at the end of the day. TOOTSIE closed because audiences weren't connecting with it, not because of any online "backlash." The online chatter around COMET sent Patinkin running, but it did not hurt the box office more than the box office was already hurt. Etc..."

This is correct.

The vast majority of ticketbuyers have no clue about controversies like these, which are largely contained to a very insular, and very online, Broadway community, which skews younger and/or toward people already in the industry."

I listened to the most recent Sarah and Erin Foster podcast, and it was with a Harvard prof called Todd Rose talking about ‘collective illusions’ - VERY interesting, I’d definitely recommend it - and so relevant to what has happened with the Lea Michele situation. Basically saying that social media and it’s constant ‘cancelling’ of people is fracturing society, mainly because it usually doesn’t represent the majority view. So you have a situation like with Lea Michele where her past toxic behavior causes a twitter pile on led by a vocal minority. The pile on trends on twitter which then makes its way into the media, and so what was a minority voice seems like it’s a majority voice because it’s become mainstream. And so the majority of people who don’t actually agree with the pile on or cancelling, because of collective illusion believe that their opinion is a minority and so either are too scared to say anything in defense of the person being ‘cancelled’, for fear of themselves being attacked, or just lie and take the side they think is the majority view, even though they don’t actually believe it. So the only voice you hear is the one that in reality represents a minority view. So with Lea, whilst no one is denying her past bad behavior (she clearly has not been easy), the majority of people don’t actually think she needs to be cancelled or have her career destroyed, or that she is beyond redemption as a result. This Todd Rose guy said things are made worse because companies are guilty of collective illusions too and so make decisions that pander to a minority for fear of being called out for being toxic themselves. However, he said that there are signs of pushback, mainly because the current economic uncertainty, and so companies literally can’t afford to pander to a minority anymore - which again fits with the Lea situation - there’s no way Lea would have been chosen as the next Fanny if the show was still raking in the cash. 
 

Sorry that was v long-winded!

 

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:32pm

I can't even count the number of times I groaned aloud while reading that Daily Beast article. If what's written is true, this production has been even more shambolic behind the scenes than (the already insane amount) we'd all assumed. I don't even know where to begin. I need to pour myself a glass of wine and reread this three or four more times before forming an opinion other than "ugh." 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 6:44pm

looking at all of this it really does seem like Michael Mayer definitely wanted her to star originally and the only reason it didn’t happen was because of the 2020 stuff. wish they could have just delayed then had the spring awakening documentary and lea could have opened in spring 2023

[WestEndGal]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:00pm

That DB article is def juicy! I can understand why Beanie was upset when the Gawker article was released, but it doesn’t seem particularly professional to spitefully cut short your already shortened run as a result, and then torpedo the shows marketing plans for Lea - especially as it seems (if the source is to be believed) that the majority, and especially Friedman, stood by Beanie after the negative reviews.

I haven’t been following Julie Benko’s social media - why were her posts upsetting to Beanie? Was it simply that she was highlighting that she’d be on in her place? In which case, most understudies do that right when they get to go on?! 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:04pm

There's a significant backlash from several Broadway people about Michele's past. I'm sure she'll sell tickets, but in this age of social media, how soon before an anonymous cast member mentions the uncomfortable issues backstage?

[BJR]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:11pm

Dirty Rotten Scoundrel said: "I can't even count the number of times I groaned aloud while reading that Daily Beast article. If what's written is true, this production has been even more shambolic behind the scenes than (the already insane amount) we'd all assumed. I don't even know where to begin. I need to pour myself a glass of wine and reread this three or four more times before forming an opinion other than "ugh.""

At the VERY least I found it refreshing this producer (it's obvious, with all the "we" when referring to the production and producers) acknowledges the repeated mistake made by the producers:

-Not replacing Beanie right away (which I think wasn't necessarily warranted and would've been messyyyy)

-Not telling Benko to quiet down a bit, to help Beanie feel more supported

-Kept the Lea negotiations airtight.

In the end, it is on them and I was pleased this source acknowledges that.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 7:11pm

WestEndGal said: "That DB article is def juicy! I can understand why Beanie was upset when the Gawker article was released, but it doesn’t seem particularly professional to spitefully cut short your already shortened run as a result, and then torpedo the shows marketing plans for Lea - especially as it seems (if the source is to be believed) that the majority, and especially Friedman, stood by Beanie after the negative reviews.

I haven’t been following Julie Benko’s social media - why were her posts upsetting to Beanie? Was it simply that she was highlighting that she’d be on in her place? In which case, most understudies do that right when they get to go on?!"

It's bizarre that the source goes back and forth between accepting blame for certain things and then also trying to place it on other people for those same things later on.The Julie one especially made me laugh out loud - how dare an understudy post that she'll be going on - the nerve, the absolute cheek! It wasn't that she posted about going on, it's that their egos (and Beanie's, I'm sure), couldn't take everyone RAVING about Julie - especially in comparison to Beanie. 

And unrelated, we all agree that Lea would NEVER have stepped into this part as a replacement had Beanie gotten good reviews, right?