Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 5

[rg7759]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:26pm

Escalated from an embarrassing disappointment to an all out okie level great comet disaster. (To be clear I liked okie too, but the cast were literally shaking in their boots I'm assuming about cast shakeups.) Maybe Marc Platt will think twice about giving prince Ben's right hand man an automatic pass (in this case beany)

[Popular]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:28pm

So sad this got messier than it should’ve. Social media and the online gossip certainly haven’t helped. None of us really know exactly what happened and, at the end of the day, we are not owed any in depth, personal explanation. I wish Beanie the best and hope she’s in good health. 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:29pm

Hehe

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:32pm

ElephantLoveMedley said: "Mr. Wormwood said: "Wow. Her phrasing is very interesting too about the show going in a "different direction." Obviously some bad blood."

A shockingly unprofessional and unclassy look to blame it on the production. Even though I didn't love Beanie's performance, I have been one of her staunchest defenders on here. I've felt like the criticisms of her have gone significantly overboard since previews began in March. However, choosing this tune of the "blame game" on your way out of the show is defenseless to me. I'm disappointed in her."

I half-agree with this; i still think the response to her not being awesome has been deranged and ugly, and says alot more about her critics around here than about her. i also agree that this statement/early departure does her no favors. but also feels possible to me that the production is about to announce something splashy/exciting in a way that undermines her. theres a background story here that we don't know.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:34pm

Everyone’s entitled to their wrong opinion.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:35pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "Did not see that coming. Could this be the last time we see Beanie on Broadway? Also, people need to stop bashing Beanie. People can have their opinions about her performance, but they don't need to be rude about it. I still thought she was a great Fanny Brice and she is very talented overall! I Hope Beanie is well and I wish her the best in the future."

i'd go further-- i thought she was incredibly funny/charming in the role, and would love to see her do something better suited in the future, on stage. definitely a bright future, even with this apparently colossal misstep. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:49pm

From a tweet by David Gordon:

"Ok, hear me out: Julia Lester is available for Funny Girl beginning August 22."

[btales]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:49pm

Word is Rosie is replacing Jane. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:51pm

TaffyDavenport said: "From a tweet by David Gordon:

"Ok, hear me out: Julia Lester is available for Funny Girl beginning August 22.""


I actually don’t think she is…

[bwwLA86]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:52pm

TheatreFan4 said: You gassed the woman up and let her be eaten alive. She's already embarrassed and the producers should be JUST as (if not more) embarrassed."

 

So well stated. What ever you might think or assume about Beanie's entitlement, blame falls with producers for pushing and enabling this failure to happen. And, of course, the woman takes the fall. I agree with what others have said, Beanie will return to Broadway in a few years and perhaps even some secret, intense vocal training, and it'll be her little redemption arc. 

Beyond that, do I have to be the one to say it about Lea Michele? In her last starring vehicle, she was credibly accused of being racist and outright nasty to her cast members. She's done little to restitute any of this, heartwarming Spring Awakening reunion recently be damned. You wanna talk entitlement--why does she get to be Fanny just because it was apparently written in the stars?

I wish it were Belko's.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:53pm

Where is Reidel when we need him?  I'm sure he's preparing a column right now.

 

[bwwLA86]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:54pm

Jordan Catalano said: "TaffyDavenport said: "From a tweet by David Gordon:

"Ok, hear me out: Julia Lester is available for Funny Girl beginning August 22.""


I actually don’t think she is…"

 

Are you implying an extension for ITW, or does she have something lined up after---possibly her High School Musical series (which she is terrific in btw, it's a cute series).

[pollster2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:54pm

I still haven't seen anything to suggest Lea Michele is racist. It sounds like she's just an awful person -- regardless of race.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:56pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "What a mess. I am guessing there are multiple parties to blame here, and hopefully someday soon we’ll get the full story."

LOL This reads like you think we’re entitled to know all the backstage gossip. We’re not. Things happen. Productions make decisions. They do not owe us anything except great replacements. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 9:59pm

Beanie will return to Broadway in a few years and perhaps even some secret, intense vocal training, and it'll be her little redemption arc. 

Ah yes, the "her voice will improve!' crap argument. Nope. She will be in movies with her buddies from now on. And maybe she will be in some off broadway PLAY in a decade. Other than that? Nah. 

I wish it were Belko's.

Her name is Julie Benko and she isn't a name. They want to make money so they need a woman with actual singing talent who is a name. Guess who that is?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:02pm

hearthemsing22 said: "LOL This reads like you think we’re entitled to know all the backstage gossip. We’re not. Things happen. Productions make decisions. They do not owe us anything except great replacements."

Then that's an incorrect read on your part. I can hope for something –– to satisfy my personal, admittedly nosy curiosity –– without feeling I'm entitled to such information. (And that story would surely not come from the production, it would come from a journalist)

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:03pm

darquegk said: "Mandy Patinkin begins his limited run shortly."

Ms. Cynthia Erivo will see you in her office.

[BroadwayGirl107]

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

Oh man. This whole situation is kind of sad to me. I saw the show recently, and Beanie was both at times better than I thought she’d be and at times so much worse. But it wasn’t her voice…it was her acting. She seemed absolutely miserable and like she wasn’t having an ounce of fun.

 

I have to blame the producers and everyone else involved in this who even let her play the role. I do wish Beanie knew her limitations but I can’t  help but feel she’s got a bad support system and people on her team for letting her believe she could do this. She needed a reality check long before this went into rehearsals and I do feel for her, having this all happen so publicly. 

[Penna2]

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

BrodyFosse123 said: "Do an astrology reading on them. I’m surprised you didn’t already to get ALL your answers to your questions.

I thought she was going to leave after her birthday - which was at the end of June, and suggested July 15. Pretty damned good call I'd say for a flake.

I don't understand why you feel it necessary to come after me for a practice I've done for a very long time. Lots of people have other interests, it's one of mine and I've been doing it for over 50 years, so I'm not a sun sign reader. I've also worked in the entertainment industry for a long time and have some of my own connections and know a little bit about how things work - mainly Hollywood, but they overlap.

Other than the comments about compatibility, I haven't introduced astrology here because of the mockery. Does that mean I don't have an opinion on this chat? 

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:16pm

We just find it funny that the only threads you have commented on are Funny Girl threads. Did you even see it? 

[White_Lotus]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:20pm

This long-awaited revival is one for the history books. It was misguided on (almost) every conceivable level beginning with the casting of the show's leading lady. 

What were they thinking? Whose bright idea was it to cast someone whose singing voice is completely wrong for the role in the hopes that their voice would improve over the course of the show's run? 

Funny Girl isn't the greatest of shows, but it's a classic show nonetheless and much consideration should have been given in casting the leading lady with someone who was going to do this role justice.

An embarrassment for all involved. 

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:24pm

White_Lotus said: "Funny Girl isn't the greatest of shows, but it's a classic show nonetheless and much consideration should have been given in casting the leading lady with someone who was going to do this role justice.

An embarrassment for all involved."

 

I actually think there is a legitimate discussion to be had about how bad of a show Funny Girl is and that we probably don’t ever need to revive it again, but I’d love to hear folks continue to sing it’s best songs in concerts. 

 

[Back Row]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:31pm

Could the early departure have something to do with demands being made by the replacement? (cast recording, sharing the stage with Jane Lynch, etc.)

And for what it's worth, is it enough that Lea Michele can sing the score? Are people that confident that she can channel the humor of Fanny Brice on stage? I've never seen anything she's done that indicates that zany, often physical humor is in her bag of tricks. I guess it doesn't matter as long as she sells tickets, but is her ego going to be able to stand the beating she will get if simply doesn't have the chops to be a "funny" Funny Girl?

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:32pm

BroadwayGirl107 said: "
I actually think there is a legitimate discussion to be had about how bad of a show Funny Girl is and that we probably don’t ever need to revive it again, but I’d love to hear folks continue to sing it’s best songs in concerts.

"

Yup. I saw it in previews, thought Beanie was charming and adorable (but not the vocal powerhouse I knew the vipers would demand), but walked away thinking what a weak, at times off-putting, story it is! With some nice songs that have nothing to do with the plot... I maintain this production (i) would have flopped with critics even with a Lea Michele voice in place at the start, (ii) would have delighted audiences no more or no less, it has sold well with adoring audiences, a fact that this board simply can't comprehend so they just ignore, but (iii) would have pleased the theater nerds on the boards who wanted Barbra Funny Girl 2.0, and would have thereby forgiven the weak book and nonsensical storyline if they go the vocal fireworks they've convinced themselves are the secret sauce here.

i don't understand the producers firing Beanie because the sales are at 75% capacity- because i can't fathom she'd have a contract that would allow for her to be fired if sales dip? but i CAN see the nastiness and hypercriticism seeping into that theater and poisoning everything- making Beanie miserable, making producers nervous about their investment, etc. etc. And it seems no one handled any of it well. 

 

[White_Lotus]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:35pm

BroadwayGirl107 said: "White_Lotus said: "Funny Girl isn't the greatest of shows, but it's a classic show nonetheless and much consideration should have been given in casting the leading lady with someone who was going to do this role justice.

An embarrassment for all involved."



I actually think there is a legitimate discussion to be had about how bad of a show Funny Girl is and that we probably don’t ever need to revive it again, but I’d love to hear folks continue to sing it’s best songs in concerts."

I agree. Isobel Lennart's book is the show's weakest component. It was originally conceived as a film before it was decided to make it a stage musical. Jerome Robbins' eventual involvement re-shaped the show to fit around the talents of Barbra Streisand at the expense of everything else. 

Streisand's sheer talent more than made up for the book's deficiencies because not only is she a great singer but a damn fine actress as well who was able to play to the humor and the sadness (in the show's second act) that the part required.

That is why this particular show needs a powerhouse performer to play the part.  

Something this production sorely needed.