Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 40

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 6:37pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "would a swing be available to cover the role of Fanny?"
 

Unlikely, but not totally out of the realm of possibility, especially these days. Plenty of outrageous cover situations have come up since Omicron first hit. But by that same token, we also know that producers are willing to cancel performances if they don't have sufficient coverage. So it could go either way, and would depend almost exclusively on whether the any of the swings would actually be capable of performing the role on short notice.

The default would be: no, none of them would know the role well enough, because it's not their job to know the role. But I guess you never know what seeps into an actor's subconscious when they hear/watch a role being performed 8 times a week.

Sometimes Dance Captains serve as emergency covers, since their responsibilities require them to be familiar with all the tracks. In this case the dance captain is male, but I noticed the assistant dance captain is Mariah Reives, in the ensemble. So in the worst-case scenario you're describing, maybe she would be a fallback option.

 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 6:47pm

Anyone who thinks they’re going to do anything beyond cosmetic changes is delusional. They’re putting in an actress with the hopes she can draw in crowds, they’re not going to overhaul the text or production for this. It would be extremely costly and time consuming. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 7:02pm

They should just Waitress this whole show and give us a new Fanny every 3 months. Give me Shoshana, etc.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 7:14pm

BJR said: "Midnight Radio said: "I wonder if between this debacle and the reception to Ben Platt in the Dear Evan Hansen move, there is any implication on the Merrily We Roll Along film."

It's literally coming out in 20 years. I imagine much more can and will happen to jeopardize the film than the two of them having some career lows. Every career, of course, has its lows, only a matter of how widely publicized."

 

At that point, maybe Beanie will come out of retirement and play Mrs. Brice in the next revival of Funny Girl a role she is more suited for?

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 7:28pm

Ripped Man wisely proclaims:

"They should just Waitress this whole show and give us a new Fanny every 3 months. Give me Shoshana, etc".

A new Fanny every three months is a good idea.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:02pm

This is the first time I"ve heard her voice.  Mimi Hines singing "I'm The Greatest Star".  (This video is from about 2010.)  https://youtu.be/id3LUlw_uDs   She's still going strong at 89.

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:09pm

According to SeatGeek, it seems that Ramin will be on vacation from August 9-14. Just a heads up in case anyone is planning on seeing Funny Girl next month and especially want to see him.

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:16pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "This is the first time I"ve heard her voice. Mimi Hines singing "I'm The Greatest Star". (This video is from about 2010.)https://youtu.be/id3LUlw_uDs She's still going strong at 89."

 

Recorded 1965 according to the notes - so at the time she was performing. Love her version of this song. I'm old enough to remember her on Variety shows when I was much, much younger - the slightly buck teeth and so cute.

Updated On: 7/17/22 at 08:16 PM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:47pm

TaffyDavenport said: "On Beanie, they're very unflattering, but I like this dress and wig on Julie:"

I don't mind the wig but even with for a drop waist silhouette like that, it's unflattering. It feels very mother of the bride. Or more like your aunt who craves attention. All it needs is shoulder pads and sequin appliques. 

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:48pm

This interview was done with Mimi on 6/22/22 - talks about how she got cast. 

 

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 8:58pm

Penna 2:

Thanks for these completely charming (and rare!) posts of the immortal Mimi Hines. I regret I never saw her live.

Wonderful.

Updated On: 7/17/22 at 08:58 PM

[David10086]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:01pm

I wonder if they will cast Beanie in the role should this revival tour in another season or two ? Maybe audiences will be more forgiving if she comes to their town (and they don't know the backstory) in a subscription package ?

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:05pm

shocktheatre said: "Penna 2:

Thanks for these completely charming (and rare!) posts of the immortal Mimi Hines. I regret I never saw her live.

Wonderful."

I did some more research because I was curious about Phil - he died in 2005 - and discovered today is her 89th birthday. So it's appropriate we are paying some small homage to her.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:09pm

Absolutely, Penna2.

She did 8 perfomances a week for two years.

It can be done.

Thanks, Mimi. 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:19pm

I wonder if Penna2 will do the ridiculous star charts for Lea and Ramin.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:27pm

Poison Ivy complains:

About something.

I enjoy Penna2's posts. Why not unbunch your panties, or is the poison ivy itching you too much.

Calm down.

Star charts are fun.

 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:29pm

poisonivy2 said: "I wonder if Penna2 will do the *************star charts for Lea and Ramin."

Hope so!  Would love to learn what she discovers.

 

Updated On: 7/17/22 at 09:29 PM

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:39pm

I am super-excited to see Lea play her dream role on September 6th! 

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 9:45pm

"I am super-excited to see Lea play her dream role on September 6th! 

Oh just yay. Be sure your phone is charged. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 10:41pm

David10086 said: "I wonder if they will cast Beanie in the role should this revival tour in another season or two ? Maybe audiences will be more forgiving if she comes to their town (and they don't know the backstory) in a subscription package ?"   You ARE joking?  

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 11:30pm

shocktheatre said: "Absolutely, Penna2.

She did 8 perfomances a week for two years.

It can be done.

Thanks, Mimi."

I saw MImi Hines as Fanny she I was about 16 years old. Saw at random when I was 15. Hines was very good in the role…great at the comedy and surprisingly really strong in the singing department.

I always found it interesting that she really made the role her own…as someone else stated, she played Fanny for a very long time, I.e., the show ran as long after BS left as it did during her run…not the same crowds, but a huge number of performances. Had she not gotten terrific reviews and word of mouth, that would not have happened.

I always found it fascinating that she never performed on Broadway again, unless I was forgetting some flop she was in.

[KMKJ]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 11:51pm

“I always found it fascinating that she never performed on Broadway again, unless I was forgetting some flop she was in. "
 

Hines?  She did numerous stints as Miss Lynch in the Weissler revival of Grease!  She was excellent. 

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 11:51pm

poisonivy2 said: "shocktheatre said: "Poison Ivy complains:

About something.

I enjoy Penna2's posts. Why not unbunch your panties, or is the poison ivy itching you too much.

Calm down.

Star charts are fun.

"

Bc Penna2 is a fraud. After all that twaddle she didn't even watch Julie Benko. It's like she did star charts to act like she'd actually seen Julie.

And star charts are dumb. ANyone who believes in astrology is dumb."

For starters - It takes high level math to construct an astrological chart - the same methods astronomers use BTW, I use a program now, but learned from scratch 50 years ago and have been a professional astrologer since that time. I have used mathematics to be the controller of 3 hospitals in So. CA, so, yeah, I'm really dumb.

FYI all one needs for a chart is the date, time, place of birth. You don't have to know someone to do their chart. Your first attack came about over my doing the charts for dead people, i.e., Fanny and Nicky. For them I actually had their times of birth. In the instance of Ramin, Julie and Beanie, I only have the dates and places, so just pulled that up so I could see where the planets were on those dates in those places.

Be that as it may. All I have said about Ramin and Julie was they have a physical connection - he has the same connection with Leah. His Venus/Uranus (Love/unique creativitity) conjunction in Scorpio is conjunct their Pluto placements in Scorpio. Pluto rules sexuality, among other things. I asked someone if there was chemistry between Julie and Ramin and they said absolutely.

Believe in it, don't believe in it, I really don't care. I thought I could add something to the discussion, but many here decided to mock me, so I stopped posting about it. Then it came up again a week or so ago in with a snarky comment. When I asked some of the others who think it's fun to go after me because they don't share a belief, the reply to that was I didn't post on any other threads and did I see the show?  I don't care about any other show. The only other show I've seen is Phantom. I'm not a theater person. I like this show. I like Ramin. I got hooked on the whole business just like the rest of you still caught up in the insanity. There are any number of posts I could have gone after someone for being "dumb" in my mind, but choose to show restraint. I have never attacked or made fun of anyone here, ever. Your continuing these attacks is rather juvenile.

For the record, I never said I saw Julie...in fact I have commented a number of times how I wish I could afford to go to NYC to see her in the show, but I am a senior on a fixed budget both financially and time wise. Experiencing Beanie was it for me. I did look up her birth information. I did hear boots of her singing FG before they were removed. I do follow her IG. I think she's a lovely and talented young woman. 

I did make ONE prediction. I posted here during Beanie's covid business that I expected her to leave shortly after her birthday, which was at the end of June, speculating that it would be mid-July, maybe the 15th. If she leaves at the end of July, 2 off weeks isn't bad. If she doesn't return at all, I nailed it.

I want to thank The Highland Guy and shocktheater for coming to my defense. 

 

Updated On: 7/18/22 at 11:51 PM

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/17/22 at 11:57pm

Jarethan said: "shocktheatre said: "Absolutely, Penna2.

She did 8 perfomances a week for two years.

It can be done.

Thanks, Mimi."

I saw MImi Hines as Fanny she I was about 16 years old. Saw at random when I was 15. Hines was very good in the role…great at the comedy and surprisingly really strong in the singing department.

I always found it interesting that she really made the role her own…as someone else stated, she played Fanny for a very long time, I.e., the show ran as long after BS left as it did during her run…not the same crowds, but a huge number of performances. Had she not gotten terrific reviews and word of mouth, that would not have happened.

I always found it fascinating that she never performed on Broadway again, unless I was forgetting some flop she was in."

If you watch at least the beginning of the video from 6/22/22, she tells how she was told not to watch Barbra. They wanted her to be herself - Jule Styne hired her, BTW. She laughed and said there were always girls outside the theater waiting to see Barbra wanting to be Barbra. She was hired based on the fact they knew her work and with one audition.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 7/18/22 at 12:00am

One thing I am wondering about . Julie Benko is the Thursday alternate.  Just like Bette had Donna Murphy for one show a week.  I recall when Bette was sick --- that the understudy (not Donna Murphy) went on.  Would the same apply to Funny Girl?  Does the understudy typically perform if the show already has an alternate for a particular performance?  I wonder how that works.  Or is there a third category.   Understudy, Standby, and Alternate for specific performance?  Curious if the understudy will now become the standby.