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

[ManOfLaMuncha]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:38pm

This article states that the show's most recent box office was only 75%

 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/now/beanie-feldstein-leaving-broadway-funny-231502743.html

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:43pm

Bill Snibson said: "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."

which strikes me as impossible given the existence of a contract. i cant believe that Beanie signed onto a scenario where if the grosses dip, she can be pushed out. i wouldnt put it past these producers, who built a show around this girl and then hung her out to dry, but cant imagine the contract would allow for it?

[MCfan2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:44pm

troynow said: "NO social media ban on the understudies. Its not right."

Should there be a social media ban on the understudies? Why wouldn't they want to let people know when they go on and how excited they are about it? There's nothing wrong with that. And they haven't been out there dragging Beanie or anything. 

[Penna2]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:51pm

ManOfLaMuncha said: "This article states that the show's most recent box office was only 75%





https://www.yahoo.com/now/beanie-feldstein-leaving-broadway-funny-231502743.html"

The house was only 75% - the grosses were down $380K+ last week. They have been bringing in $1.1 million with a house 85-88% or so. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 7/10/22 at 11:55pm

They must’ve come to a financial agreement of sorts and paid her out to leave, thinking, that from their end, it will hopefully pay off. All producers are just gamblers at the end of the day really. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:04am

I agree. They probably bought her out of her contract just to get rid of her and possibly keep the show going through the Fall. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:07am

[inception]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:33am

troynow said: "
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."

If troynow is correct, I find it most interesting that Jane Lynch would not be interested in continuing with Lea Michelle.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:39am

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

Dollypop, you are 75+ years old is it possible for you to act like it and less like I did when I posted here at 16?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:42am

If troynow is correct, I find it most interesting that Jane Lynch would not be interested in continuing with Lea Michelle."

Jane signed on for this last Fall with a six month contract, I don't think Lea was a factor in any of it. 

[UWS10023]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 12:43am

What was she referencing when talking about taking the show in another direction? Isn’t it pretty much set in stone by now? Is she talking about some sort of deception that happened early on?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:16am

I’ve mostly been staying out of this dumpster fire, after I spent some time defending Feldstein’s prospects prior to the beginning of previews. I was excited by the casting, and I argued against the predictions that she’d be bad. But I was "proven" wrong, and since then I’ve been staying out of it. In that same spirit, I’m gonna try not to get sucked into this thread too much, because it just feels like a stressful rabbit hole. But I feel compelled to chime in and say: 

I don’t resent people for disliking her, or for expressing that dislike honestly. But the way people have derived such a savage joy in turning her into a punching bag….it honestly just makes me sad.

On the flip side - the toxic POSITIVITY that led to this situation also makes me sad. I agree with those blaming the producers for this. Yes, Feldstein is an adult who COULD have walked away, but that isn’t and shouldn’t be her responsibility. I’m taking these words from a friend of mine when we had a conversation on this topic - she said: it’s an actor’s responsibility to seek employment for themself. It’s the producer/director’s responsibility to decide if they should be employed at that particular job.

If I woke up tomorrow to an offer to play my dream role on Broadway, I can’t honestly say I’d turn it down. Even though I surely wouldn’t have the stamina for it, and probably wouldn’t be the best person for the role. But for those very reasons (and others), I’m obviously NOT going to get offered my dream role on Broadway tomorrow.

[BroadwayJeffrey]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:46am

Bring in Sheridan! 

[David10086]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 1:51am

Bill Snibson said: "Wow! Anyone wanna weigh-in on what exactly “the production has decided to take the show in a different direction” means? Odd to me. I can’t imagine the producers or creatives suddenly wanted her to change her performance for some new vision."

It means she’s been fired. They worked out a deal to get rid of her sooner than later. That’s the different direction. 
 

Or it means the show is closing July 31. Now THAT’S a different direction! 

[bobby bubby]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:18am

Just wanted to add to the theory about the "new direction" being the proposal for Julie and Beanie to split shows until end of September (which I suspect is what happened):

 

• Earlier this year, there were discussions about Julie taking all the matinees and having her contract adjusted for this. Confirmed by someone who worked in the theater, so this arrangement must have fell through somehow. So this proposal has been discussed in some form before.

 

• Beanie and Julie seem to have something brewing behind the scenes. They don't have the typical social media exchange that most leads do with understudies whenever they have to go on. Beanie posted on Instagram rooting for Ephie when she was covering for Fanny, and I don't believe she's ever done something like this for Julie despite the multitude of times she's covered for her. That perhaps explains why Beanie was upset about this proposal.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:38am

This whole "new replacement is announced, controversy ensues for some random  reason, everybody quits the show" situation reminds me of The Great Comet of 1812 in summer of 2018... At first this show was of interested but if the reviews were so bad, the role of Fanny is held by a random movie actress who can't sing or a popular diva broadway actress, then why even see the show at all? Just shut this place down, we don't need another Great Comet or Spiderman taking the "drama club" this seriously

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 2:48am

bobby bubby said: "Just wanted to add to the theory about the "new direction" being the proposal for Julie and Beanie to split shows until end of September (which I suspect is what happened):
 

• Earlier this year, there were discussions about Julie taking all the matinees and having her contract adjusted for this. Confirmed by someone who worked in the theater, so this arrangement must have fell through somehow. So this proposal has been discussed in some form before.

• Beanie and Julie seem to have something brewing behind the scenes. They don't have the typical social media exchange that most leads do with understudies whenever they have to go on. Beanie posted on Instagram rooting for Ephie when she was covering for Fanny, and I don't believe she's ever done something like this for Julie despite the multitude of times she's covered for her. That perhaps explains why Beanie was upset about this proposal.

"

Beanie and Julie seemed to have a really great relationship, at least at first. When Julie made her Fanny debut she posted on instagram that Beanie left her a gift and called her a mensch. 

However today, Ephie posted on her instagram story praising Beanie calling her an exceptional human being, while Julie hasn't posted anything about it. Several cast members have shared absolutely glowing and kind comments and that's not to say the people who haven't don't like Beanie, but its certainly something to note. 

 

 

[fbueller]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 3:13am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Never going to work on Broadway again, what a mess"

Harvey should meet her at the stage door on Tuesday with all her dressing room contents packed up in boxes for immediate termination.

[fbueller]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 3:17am

If troynow is correct, I find it most interesting that Jane Lynch would not be interested in continuing with Lea Michelle."

Jane was also part of the problem with the current show.  Horribly miscast.

 

[binau]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 4:48am

Probably already been mentioned but maybe it is a 'Great Comet' situation - Beanie = Oak. Sales are about to tank and they can't make it through September, so they are asking Beanie to 'step aside' while Lea can come in and stimulate box office demand? 

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 5:19am

I know people are probably kidding around, but it should be noted that Sheridan Smith had a terrible time with this show in London. Even if it were offered, which I seriously doubt it was, she wouldn't have transfered.

 

Link: https://twitter.com/Sheridansmith1/status/1120405315533582336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1120405315533582336%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheatreboard.co.uk%2Fthread%2F6687%2Fsheridan-smith%3Fpage%3D23

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 5:24am

Enough with the links.  Geez.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 5:29am

It's pretty simple. "If she's going south, we're going North..."  You know the rest.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 5:37am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Enough with the links. Geez.

"

Forgive me, Brody, I'll learn how to avoid links. I'd never posted one so I didn't know how to do it right.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 5:49am

Pretty sure its been stated that Lynch was always scheduled to leave in Sept.