Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 51

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 6:29pm

Lea was on "tour"?

Where?

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 6:54pm

StylishCynic said: 

The Daily Beast article outlined the original transition timeline, which would have allowed Lea to complete her City Winery tour commitment before going into rehearsal for Funny Girl.

Beanie moved up the timeline –seems like it's a mixed bag whether or not the producers actually knew about the Instagram notes app post was coming before it was posted– and forced Lea into an earlier start date to save the show.

Seems to me like it's Beanie's apology to make to City Winery audiences, not Lea's.

Interesting, though, Beanie's leaving early gave Julie her month of being the leading lady. Whether that was considered or not, she had to know Lea would not be ready and Julie was a natural to fill in the gap. 

Lovely article in the New York Times about Julie which should draw people to see her.

New York Times - Julie Benko Was the Funny Girl No One Heard of Until Now

[Robbie2]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 11:09pm

Lea in rehearsal 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 8/3/22 at 11:13pm

Lea Michele ready to steal ‘Funny Girl’ spotlight in show rehearsal

https://nypost.com/2022/08/01/lea-michele-ready-to-steal-funny-girl-spotlight-in-show-rehearsal/

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 12:15am

Steal the spotlight from whom? What a strange title. She's being paid to be in the spotlight and own it.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 12:55am

I mean. She quite literally stole the spotlight. Kind of the most clear cut case of anyone stealing the spotlight.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 11:25am

A Funny Girl spotlight hasn't been stolen this blatantly since Santana's Fanny Brice understudy audition!

 

GLEE - Don't Rain On My Parade (Season 5) (Full Performance) HD

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 11:43am

Sally Durant Plummer said: "A Funny Girl spotlight hasn't been stolen this blatantly since Santana's Fanny Brice understudy audition!

GLEE - Don't Rain On My Parade (Season 5) (Full Performance) HD"

God bless Miss Naya Rivera. So beautiful and talented - - - what a loss.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 11:53am

Does any know ho long Lea will stay with the show?  On another Board I thought I read that tickets weren't being sold past march 2023.   Maybe that would make sense?  A 6 month contract, or getting the show close to running one year.

I found this quote of Lea's in the NYT article to be a little offputting.  A savior to the show until Lea can get there and really rescue it? Is that what she is really saying? 

SNIP FROM NY

 In an email praising Benko, Michele called her commitment to the production “a savior” to the show amid Covid and the casting transition.

 

 

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 11:59am

FranklinDickson2018 said: "Does any know ho long Lea will stay with the show? On another Board I thought I read that tickets weren't being sold past march 2023. Maybe that would make sense? A 6 month contract, or getting the show close to running one year.

I found this quote of Lea's in the NYT article to be a little offputting. A savior to the show until Lea can get there and really rescue it? Is that what she is really saying?

SNIP FROM NY

In an email praising Benko, Michele called her commitment to the production “a savior” to the show amid Covid and the casting transition."

 

I believe you are reading too much into that quote. She's crediting Benko as being a savior to the show in the midst of everything that is going on.

At this point it's best Lea Michele not say anything - it seems some people are committed to misinterpreting/misconstruing anything she says or does. 

That's off-putting, to say the least. 



 

 

Updated On: 8/4/22 at 11:59 AM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 12:00pm

I found that comment very gracious. Giving Benko credit for keeping the show running when Beanie decided to quit. And there's also the implication that Benko has been a savior to the production prior to Beanie's departure...

Updated On: 8/4/22 at 12:00 PM

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 8/4/22 at 12:12pm

I definitely read it in the same vein of other understudies/swings being praised to help keep shows running. 

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/5/22 at 2:00am

Great "in person" review of Julie's performance 8/4/22 on this thread.

Julie Benko as Fanny - Funny Girl

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/5/22 at 8:39pm

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/6/22 at 9:10am

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgo5xCxjR2m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link     This is too funny.  The late great Robin Williams.  

[Dionysus3]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 11:57am

I haven’t been able to find a satisfactory answer to this through searching online: is Lea doing 8 shows a week when she takes over? I recall there were rumors she would do fewer. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 12:11pm

Dionysus3 said: "I haven’t been able to find a satisfactory answer to this through searching online: is Lea doing 8 shows a week when she takes over? I recall there were rumors she would do fewer."

Lea will do 7 shows a week. Julie Benko will be performing at Thursday evening performances.

[shocktheatre]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 2:57pm

Oh, isn't she just charming.

I hope she can be funny.

There's only a finite cult that wants to hear someone scream FG songs like La Babs.

 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 4:01pm

shocktheatre said: "Oh, isn't she just charming.

I hope she can be funny.

There's only a finite cult that wants to hear someone scream FG songs like La Babs.

"

you're a h.a.m.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 4:29pm

I spoke to the press rep who said they hadn't decided yet what to do with critics.

Even if Lea is brilliant, it's still the same production and show. Not sure they want rot open themselves up to those reviews again. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 4:36pm

I think they'd be smart to skip the critics and just get Lea on all the morning talk shows. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 5:03pm

Dionysus3 said: "I haven’t been able to find a satisfactory answer to this through searching online: is Lea doing 8 shows a week when she takes over? I recall there were rumors she would do fewer."

All on the site: https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/cast-creative/

[smallvillefan16]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 6:01pm

I am so over all the people complaining about the situation.  You have ZERO money riding on the show, so your opinion and ideas are absolutely pointless [if not hilarious to read.]  I absolutely understand the producers with their situation -- this revival was made a big deal and ended up being a show the community and Broadway audiences laughed at.  Beanie is an entertaining actor but there is nothing about her or her 'talent' that is extraordinary or beyond that of every girl in her age range.  I get that one producer was adamant about her when 'Booksmart' was released and hype surrounding 'American Crime Story.'  Unfortunately, ACS proved that Beanie is great as supporting or ensemble but could never be a stand out.  EVERYONE including the bad acting of Clive Owen upstaged her. While I am far from a Lea fanatic, I am so glad they were able to get someone that can actually handle the score.  Does she remind people of Barbra?  Absolutely.  But, that's exactly what people want when they see Funny Girl.  No one is going for the amazing book -- they go with the hopes that their is a recreation of Barbra which Lea will give. Hiring Lea is the producers last chance to recoup ANY type of money that was invested.   The situation is familiar of Andrea McArdle and Kristin Vigard.  Granted the recast happened prior to Broadway but the producers realized their mistake and a star and tony winning show was born.  Funny Girl was always destined to be **** on without someone replicating Streisand.  Lea will and I guarantee reviews and box office will prove it.  Too many people on here do not realize that Broadway is first and foremost a business.  This is not the first show to hire a "name" only to realize that some shows actually require vocal and stage presence in another actor.  Do I think Beanie was hilariously miscast? Absolutely but I also feel the recent London show also cast a terrible person in the role.   I think it's cute that people want to defend Beanie, but they have no stake in the game.  If someone can't bring in audiences or bring in people via reviews then they need to get rid of the issue and get someone that will bring positive reviews from the press.  And before all you Lea haters become  ludicious, just wait for her reviews and you will be eating crow x2.

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:27pm

Count me in as someone else missing Naya. She had her problematic moments (who of the cast of Glee did not?), but she was talented, versatile, often very funny, and just as often very kind.

And speaking as a heterosexual, if Glee is musical theatre then Naya Rivera is in the top ten, if not top five, sexiest women in musical theatre history. She was like the second coming of Jennifer Lopez.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 9:23pm

I was searching a bit to find videos of how Lea Michele sounds "live" as opposed to shows like "Glee" which could easily be auto-tuned.  I found this recent clip from Broadway Miscast 22.   Nothing very overwhelming here -- and a very bad (off-key unsteady) high note, which makes me wonder why she couldn't have adjusted the pitch during the performance.  Maybe she didn't hear it. I also don't feel a communicative warmth that other singers have.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm0khOcGGU

 

I hope she is getting intensive vocal coaching leading up to September, also working in the stamina to do 7 shows a week.