Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 49

[Amos Hart2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 4:24pm

Sutton Ross said: "DrMonicaDeMoneco said: "I did laugh out loud during the curtain speech when what’s his name said they learned so much from Beanie. And why didn’t she say anything? Where was her speech?"

Hmmm.....

In other news, her face was scrubbed from all things Funny Girl at exactly midnight last night. Merch, website, etc.

"

She's probably still in the decks of playing cards...

[soxboy22]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:07pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "No one needs to go into a time machine to see how much better in the role Lea Michele will be. Why? She’s a seasoned musical theater actress. She’s a singer. Her roots are in musicals. Even as a child…..”

 

I’m actually expecting Lea to be as much a smash as possible given this production. Streisand before taking the stage opening night:

”It’s not that kind of a thing where I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.”

Lea?

It’s that kind of a thing where I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:12pm

shocktheatre said: "Hilarious poor ol Bean thread over at ATC, if you need a good laugh."

Not all of us enjoy stomping all over someone's dream. She's gone. You can let it go now.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:14pm

I agree. She's gone.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:21pm

I love bitchy theatre queens. Much better than sanctimonious theatre queens.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:27pm

I agree, Sally! I must be in a good mood with all this agreeing I'm doing! OK, it might be the vodka. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:34pm

Obviously they have to update the promotional art and remove Beanie’s likeness, but I won’t mind if they revamp the artwork entirely.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:46pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Hell, I also paid $200 plus for my 2nd preview ticket which now paid itself back as I can now tell my grandkids I saw Beanie Feldstein in FUNNY GIRL, which now is in the history books alongside Chris Kattan in the revival of THE FROGS, Madeline Kahn in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, and even Dean Jones in COMPANY."

 

AKA Beanie Flopstein

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:53pm

Sally Durant Plummer said: "I love bitchy theatre queens. Much better than sanctimonious theatre queens."

You love trashing people. Got it.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 5:59pm

I can't get excited about Ms. Michele based on the video clips I have seen.  I don't see her as the superpower coming in to make everything perfect.  I find her to be a rather pitchy screamer like so many singers today.  Her performance at the 2010 Tonys was pretty bad.  Maybe she has worked to make her voice better --- but I for one don't hear it. I also don't sense an inner warmth that is so important in this (or most roles really) in musical theater. 

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 6:07pm

Sally Durant Plummer said: "I love bitchy theatre queens. Much better than sanctimonious theatre queens."

Joevitus then screeches:

"You love trashing people. Got it"
Good for you, honey! Always good to get the point, no matter how late. 

Updated On: 8/1/22 at 06:07 PM

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 6:11pm

You know, Sally, I think SOME people never HAD their wig to begin with.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 6:19pm

Robbie goes there:

"AKA Beanie Flopstsein."

Why, I don't know what you mean, Robbie! Isn't she the star of the new Funny Girl? I have tickets for Christmas just to see her dream come true, revelatory performance in this musical. I've booked a hotel room and airline tickets. I've hired a dog-sitter. I'm using extra vacation days. Does Beanie have a problem with her voice or something? Gee I hope not.

Speaking of voices, I do hope I will be hearing the dulcet tones of the Glee actress who has been cast as Beanie's mother. She's such a great sanger. And I can't wait to see those lavish ZIegfeld Funny Girl sets and costumes!

Updated On: 8/1/22 at 06:19 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 6:45pm

FranklinDickson2018 said: "I can't get excited about Ms. Michele based on the video clips I have seen. I don't see her as the superpower coming in to make everything perfect. I find her to be a rather pitchy screamer like so many singers today. Her performance at the 2010 Tonys was pretty bad. Maybe she has worked to make her voice better --- but I for one don't hear it. I also don't sense an inner warmth that is so important in this (or most roles really) in musical theater."

It’s somewhat ridiculous to compare her 2010 Tony Awards performance as that was 12 years ago and sung out of context with zero acting nuances and being performed while walking and in a huge theatre.  Like all women (and performers) she’s matured and grown plus the voice is much more polished.  Heck, even Streisand’s voice was still quite raw and unpolished early in her career.  Doing FUNNY GIRL with zero warming up (self admitted), strengthened her vocal cords and you can notice the vast difference in her voice from pre-FUNNY GIRL to post-FUNNY GIRL.  The genuinely legitimate Streisand voice didn’t come to be until FUNNY GIRL.  
 

Streisand, 2 years before FUNNY GIRL:

 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 7:03pm

Thanks for the video, Brody. That's from the Bon Soir sessions that Columbia recorded anticipating a live album for Streisand's debut, correct?

I largely agree with your assessment that Streisand's voice matured before and during Funny Girl. Still, part of what makes Streisand's first three albums so brilliant is that layer of spontaneity; the raw talent that occasionally overtakes her training. I can't listen to any other version of "Happy Day Are Here Again" without thinking of the version on The Barbra Streisand Album that she hated with such a passion she immediately had re-arranged for all her live shows. The bombast of the high note... just perfection.

Happy Days Are Here Again

This is all speculation, but I bet Funny Girl taught Streisand a lot about sustainability. Knowing the edges of her voice and what she could do night after night, instead of what she could do once during three weekly concerts. Of course, even by the time she recorded her fourth album People, Streisand's voice had slightly shifted from her first record, but that electricity... that magic and abandon, was still very much there. Her concert segment at the end of Color Me Barbra is among the best she's ever sounded, yet still slightly untrained. There's a tension that seems like she is just on the edge of her voice, yet she always sounds flawless. It's that thrill that makes her early work so immeasurably immaculate.

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 7:15pm

FranklinDickson2018 said: "I can't get excited about Ms. Michele based on the video clips I have seen. I don't see her as the superpower coming in to make everything perfect. I find her to be a rather pitchy screamer like so many singers today. Her performance at the 2010 Tonys was pretty bad. Maybe she has worked to make her voice better --- but I for one don't hear it. I also don't sense an inner warmth that is so important in this (or most roles really) in musical theater."

The videos I've seen of her found me making the usual comparisons, however, I was watching a video last night of one of those voice critics on YT and she pointed out Lea was singing as Rachel, not herself. The other thing, and I pointed this out earlier on the comparison video that she was singing in concert, not in character within the context of the show. Overall she has a wonderful, big Broadway voice - trained and professional. Not having seen her act, I can't comment, but someone here said she can do comedy within the context of a show - like Julie. 

As for warmth, here is an article a ran across today that was in the Daily Mail of Lea doing some self promotion. I found her choice of photos interesting. The one with her son is very sweet - so I think she will have the ability to show warmth in her performance as well. Then we have rehearsal, sexy, and good friend Lea.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11066045/Lea-Michele-shares-snap-rehearsing-choreography-Funny-Girl-replacing-Beanie-Feldstein.html


 

[OldTheatreLover]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:20pm

Penna2 said: "Barbra did the show for a year. Mimi Hines did it for 18 months after that on Broadway. The National Tour ran for a year with Marilyn Michaels during 1965-66. The show doesn't need Barbra, just a strong lead. I think they will be happy with a year tbh, but who knows?"

Barbra did the show for about 19 months before opening the London show. I remember this period vividly as the buzz about Streisand and therefore Funny Girl was blue-white hot. Many people couldn’t remember the name Streisand or pronounce it properly but the word-of-mouth was you MUST see that show Funny Girl, though she already had a Grammy Award winning recording career. Then several of the songs became major hits, Streisand had a wildly successful special on CBS and everything was about Funny Girl (and at the time, Hello Dolly but that’s for a different thread). The advance sales were phenomenal so when Streisand moved on, theatre-goers were still buying tickets for what everyone said was a super hit — Funny Girl. The success was ALWAYS about Barbra and not the actual show.  

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:42pm

poisonivy2 said: "This thread is exactly why people kill themselves. The online bullying (and glee at being bullies) is disgusting."

For the record, my post was meant with the utmost sarcasm -- I agree with you, this should have been over yesterday. Hell, the Women on the Verge... thread, of epic infamy, let itself naturally expire. 

[James Kerrigan2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:46pm

This is the new playbill cover 

 

[nativenewyorker2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:53pm

So what’s the name of the show? It isn’t quite clear on the playbill 

[ManOfLaMuncha]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 9:57pm

https://www.barbra-archives.info/funny-girl-london-1966

 

I found myself wondering how was Funny Girl with Barbra in England.  Where else to find this info, but on her website! 

There's so much Funny Girl information on there.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 10:59pm

Re: the new FG playbill.

Smartest thing they've done so far.

[Sonia&Vernon]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:06pm

Beanie told the story of surprising her parents with her Funny Girl casting on Seth Meyers last October. 

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:14pm

Someone already answered what I was going to post. 

Updated On: 8/1/22 at 11:14 PM

[veronicamae]

Posted: 8/1/22 at 11:18pm

shocktheatre said: "For those wondering why there is still so much vitriol:

Over on THE OTHER BOARD, someone is still trying to sell the story that BF had a traditional audition for FG and "did not tell her family" until she had "landed the part". Apparently, in this version, BF told a talk show host this "story", but the poster "can't remember" which host.

Does ANYONE believe this? I sure don't. But I am not familiar with anyone of the opinion that BF "landed the part." If she had, she'd be going on stage tomorrow.

If BF had "traditionally auditioned" for FG, she would have never been cast and all these threads that have everyone clutching their pearls would not exist.

I'm all for sympathy if it is deserved. It isn't here."

aren't you tired lol - we get it, you hate her. thank goodness she's gone! aren't you happy? because that's exactly what you wanted!

p.s. the posting of the very interview you felt the "need" to "disqualify" two posts after yours was poetic.