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

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:37pm

The only reason I'm happy about this is because the cast, including Beanie, did not deserve the continual dragging through the mud that was the message boards. It went far beyond criticism into something ugly, and I can only hope that a new chapter with the show will lighten things up here, and in the theatre.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:39pm

Back Row said: "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?"

The show itself, in this production, will never be more than a collection of good songs and a book & staging that doesn't really work, regardless of who is playing Fanny. Julie Benko is night and day better than Beanie and act 2 is STILL a disjointed mess when she's on. So if they do invite the critics to re-review it with Lea Michele or whoever is the replacement, the reviews probably won't be stellar, even if they like the Fanny.

As for the specifics of her performance, we are not going to know until she goes on in front of an audience.

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:40pm

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

I'm assuming this is for me. I'll be as brief as possible.

...and Phantom. Senior citizen on tight time and financial budget, live on the West Coast.

TBH, I only started coming here because I am a fan of Ramin's. Was very excited he was doing Nicky, so began following everything about it. The clip of Beanie's "Hello, Gorgeous" was cute. I thought physically she was wrong - Follies girl, but that wasn't a big issue. Checked out videos of her singing and there weren't many. 2, I think and neither one suggested she could carry a show. Saw the preview clip and wondered WTH. Got through the show and really wondered WTH. Checked out her family. Bingo. Have a friend and had a chat. Got very annoyed. By that time I was totally obsessed with the whole thing. What can I say?

So, no, I don't post on other threads. This is my entertainment when I'm not writing and working. Good place to blow off steam. 

 

Updated On: 7/14/22 at 10:40 PM

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:42pm

I remember when this production was in London and everyone hated it and dragged the star for missing performances and for her performance. History repeats itself. 

[White_Lotus]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:46pm

Laurapattifan said: "I remember when this production was in London and everyone hated it and dragged the star for missing performances and for her performance. History repeats itself."

Correct me if I am wrong but I do believe this is not the same production that starred Sheridan Smith in London. 

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:47pm

Laurapattifan said: "I remember when this production was in London and everyone hated it and dragged the star for missing performances and for her performance. History repeats itself."

i don't  think  it's the same production. Is it?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

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

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."

The book is the problem, and Michael Mayer did not make it better. As an experiment, it could be interesting to see it done by a musical comedy director and a dynamite star that simply pares down the book instead of adding new material, perhaps in a concert staging. Thinking of Encores shows like SUPERMAN that have problems but worked well with just enough book to string the songs together.

I've said this before, but I think we will be having the same conversations if a revival of MAME ever happens. It's a great star vehicle and a fun score, but the book is not great.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

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

White_Lotus said: "Correct me if I am wrong but I do believe this is not the same production that starred Sheridan Smith in London."

It is the same director, producers, book reviser, and musical arranger/orchestrator. The cast, choreographer, and designers are different. So I don't know if that's enough to call it the "same" production, but it's a very very close cousin.

[White_Lotus]

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

 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:55pm

White_Lotus said: "Laurapattifan said: "I remember when this production was in London and everyone hated it and dragged the star for missing performances and for her performance. History repeats itself."

Correct me if I am wrong but I do believe this is not the same production that starred Sheridan Smith in London."

Same director and producers but otherwise different. I blame the director. He churned out two terrible misguided productions. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:57pm

White_Lotus said: "Laurapattifan said: "I remember when this production was in London and everyone hated it and dragged the star for missing performances and for her performance. History repeats itself."

Correct me if I am wrong but I do believe this is not the same production that starred Sheridan Smith in London."

It was a different production, but it was directed by MIchael Mayer, with a book revised by Feirstein... it was pretty similar. I have NO Idea what you mean by "everyone hated it"-- i know Sheridan Smith missed a bunch of performances (but was never dragged the way Beanie has been here), but she was nominated for an Olivier Award, and the production was a hit at the Menier Chocolate Factory before transferring to the West End for a healthy run. My understanding is that its success under Mayer is what compelled producers to go along with his selecting Beanie for the role in New York. (I know, I know, here we pretend she was handed the role by a cabal of rich, ever-powerful parents and family friends, but Mayer approached her and built the revival around her). 

Anyway unless I am missing something, I dont quite see how this is in any way history repeating itself re the London revival.

[dan94]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:57pm

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.

"

I'll admit I saw Benko first and then saw Beanie later. With Benko it seemed like the show was about a narcissistic kid who inwardly has no self-confidence. That's a paradox and hard to pull off. The production and Harvey's rewrite try but don't completely work. I do think they work as well as any production of the show could. 

And I think the show is worth reviving. Not regularly, but occasionally. There was more entertaining on that stage than not. 

It's a different show in every way when Beanie is on stage. That's all I will say. I wish Beanie well in future endeavors.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 10:58pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "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."

The book is the problem, and Michael Mayer did not make it better. As an experiment, it could be interesting to see it done by a musical comedy director and a dynamite star that simply pares down the book instead of adding new material, perhaps in a concert staging. Thinking of Encores shows like SUPERMAN that have problems but worked well with just enough book to string the songs together.

I've said this before, but I think we will be having the same conversations if a revival of MAME ever happens. It's a great star vehicle and a fun score, but the book is not great."

 

The book is not great but even more importantly the story itself is fundamentally bad an unfixable. My jaw dropped when I realized the context of “Don’t Rain On My Parade”. It’s just an abysmal and off putting story that is very hard to go along with, especially in the 21st century. 

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:06pm

FYI, to follow up on a concert tour someone mentioned earlier, Lea is performing at City Winery locations across the country through 8/17.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:09pm

FYI, to follow up on a concert tour someone mentioned earlier, Lea is performing at City Winery locations across the country through 8/17.

[Robbie2]

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

I noticed that the home page for the FG site has been updated and no longer showing reviews and the raves for Beanie.  https://funnygirlonbroadway.com/

***There are now 3 weeks left to see Beanie in Funny Girl (through July 31st)!

We can confirm that all of our principals remain scheduled to perform all eight ( performances a week barring an unforeseen absence.

You can find more information about our entire cast and creative team here.

Stay tuned for additional casting news dropping Monday July 11th to learn who will join Ramin Karimloo, Jared Grimes and the company of Funny Girl.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

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

PipingHotPiccolo said: "….Mayer approached her and built the revival around her"

I’m curious, was Beanie the first person Mayer approached? I wouldn’t be shocked at all, considering they’ve worked together in the past, if Lea Michele was approached first, but for some reason declined. 

[troynow]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:19pm

SAME PRODUCTION as LONDON with Sheridan. Sheridan did all she could but the set was awful, the book was awful and the costumes were alos awful. All the things the critics said here, they said in London. 

While, Beanie is misscast, the way these producers have allowed word to leak of Lea Michelle and Rosie is awful and cruel. NO social media ban on the understudies. Its not right. 

Beanie is the wrong person for the role...don't drag it out like this. Be the adult producer and fire her out right. Or sit her down and make her take a leave. The handling of this has lacked humanity and care. I know it is a buisness but this could have been handled with care.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:23pm

I don't pretend to know exactly what went on in Mayer's head, or who else he contacted/auditioned, but I had heard that he identified Beanie as a potential lead, approached her directly, and she auditioned for him to get him on board before the idea was then presented to production teams. At least some of this was confirmed in the NYT.

VERY possible that Mayer had others in mind in addition to Beanie. I'm pretty sure Beanie came on board in 2021, ie after Lea Michele was dragged across the woke coals in summer 2020, so totally plausible he backed away from her a non-option (which she certainly was at that point).

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:23pm

NEW TOPIC. 

Ramin has two posts on his IG - one saying good-bye NYC driving to the airport? and his passport - the next he's on a plane.

Since I'm not a mind-reader (LOL), was he on tonight? I'm guessing not. Any word on him taking a few days off to go home to London?

 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:24pm

I don't pay too much attention to the grosses, but have sales plummeted on this? I was there on Thursday and the mezzanine was pretty empty. I think you probably could have fit everyone into the center section and closed off the sides. They better get a name that will bring in ticket sales. Because of that, I was doubting it even making it until September.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:26pm

troynow said: "SAME PRODUCTION as LONDON with Sheridan. Sheridan did all she could but the set was awful, the book was awful and the costumes were alos awful. All the things the critics said here, they said in London.

While, Beanie is misscast, the way these producers have allowed word to leak of Lea Michelle and Rosie is awful and cruel. NO social media ban on the understudies. Its not right.

Beanie is the wrong person for the role...don't drag it out like this. Be the adult producer and fire her out right. Or sit her down and make her take a leave. The handling of this has lacked humanity and care. I know it is a buisness but this could have been handled with care."

It is not the same physical production as London. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:28pm

Did it occur to anyone that Sheridan Smith might be replacing Bean-o?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:33pm

Dollypop said: "Did it occur to anyone that Sheridan Smith might be replacing Bean-o?"

No because I cannot imagine she would want to go anywhere near this production as a replacement after being passed over for the transfer.

Sheila Smith, on the other hand...

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:37pm

And in the end its all about the money. It feels like the producers, who once stood beside their choice of Beanie as Fanny, saw the financial hit last week and probably the declining ticket sales for the coming months and cut Beanie loose in hopes of bringing in a name of sorts who could, get better reviews, sell more tickets, and keep the show afloat. Pretty gross but very predictable.