Lea Michele to Star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL Starting 9/6; Beanie Feldstein Departing 7/31- Page 8

[White_Lotus]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 6:27am

UWS10023 said: "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?"

I am fairly convinced that the "other direction" Beanie was referring to in her Insta post is that the producers opted not let her continue through September and brought her out of her contract so that they could get someone else in to save the show. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 7:00am

Penna2 said: "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?

"

I don't remember the specifics, but I think one of his IG stories recently was about some sort of commitment for The Last Match concept album today?  I could have that wrong though.
 

Funny Girl is a Twitter trending topic (at least in my feed) and whoo boy are there some sassy Tweets.

[BJR]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 8:39am

binau said: "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?"

I know speculating is silly, but with the grosses falling by 300k, implying the strong advance has dried up, then this could be possible.

We'll see at 1pm, though! If it's Julie until Sept, then we'll know it wasn't. But if a new star starts Aug 1, then it was this.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 8:58am

JBroadway said: "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."

This! 

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:02am

The mods sure are working overtime with this thread.

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:07am

Prediction: it won't be the stand-in, as talented as she may be.  

[mamaleh2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:12am

Michael Riedel, here’s your next book. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:21am

The fact that anyone thinks they’re going to announce Julie is taking over the role full-time is blowing my mind. Maybe for a brief stint while they rehearse the new Fanny, but y’all. Come. On. Use a little common sense.

[ColorAndLight3]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:26am

I've been a long time lurker. I figured this revival would just be average and short lived. Now I expect a tell-all book--in about 15 years--with as much drama as Valley of the Dolls.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:27am

I'm not at all saying Feldstein feels this way, but if you've ever been in a job that ultimately turned out to not be the best fit, it can be horribly demoralizing, particularly if you feel somewhat trapped.  Early in my career I experienced that and it was all I could do to get out of bed and show up at work some days.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:40am

JasonC3 said: "I'm not at all saying Feldstein feels this way, but if you've ever been in a job that ultimately turned out to not be the best fit, it can be horribly demoralizing, particularly if you feel somewhat trapped. Early in my career I experienced that and it was all I could do to get out of bed and show up at work some days."

I saw the show last week and that was every bit the energy I got for her, though she managed to pull it together and deliver on some scenes. I really felt for her. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 9:42am

JasonC3 said: "I'm not at all saying Feldstein feels this way, but if you've ever been in a job that ultimately turned out to not be the best fit, it can be horribly demoralizing, particularly if you feel somewhat trapped. Early in my career I experienced that and it was all I could do to get out of bed and show up at work some days."

 

I posted about this in another post at another time but I was cast as Gaetano Proclo in a local production of THE RITZ many years ago. I was absolutely wrong for the part  and after a few rehearsals I asked to be let go. Management asked to stay with the show until they found a replacement but that never happened. The result was a miserable experience where laughs weren't landing, the character wasn't fully developed and the applause at curtain calls dropped when I came out for my bow. It was a depressing experience.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:02am

Maybe they’re just going to shock us all and announce Shoshana Bean and Fran Drescher. 

[bryan2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:05am

It amazes me that basically Beanie missed approx. a month of performances out of 4 months of shows and they still make excuses for her. She does deserve the criticism because she proved that she cannot sustain what it takes to be a Broadway performer. Her lack of vocal talent is not the only problem. It seems her dedication to her fellow cast members and the ticket paying audiences is sorely lacking, not to mention the people who invested money into this project. There are certain actors who are not meant to be stars of LIVE theater, they can excel in small secondary parts, they can excel on film/tv when they can do ten takes of each line, She has proven to be one of those to me. 

[David10086]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:14am

binau said: "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?"

Great - now Cynthia Ervivo will start Tweeting about the show and it will close for good. And then Ervivo will step away and say 'I didn't do anything'. 

[Idinamenzel18]

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

I’m genuinely curious how she was cast. To my understanding, she never auditioned, she was offered the role and had a work session with the music. How is it possible that none of the creative team, at least those in charge of casting, didn’t realize this would be the result? I’m sure Beanie is a nice person, and she’s proven to be a good performer in past projects, so her being a good performer isn’t the question. The question is who allowed this to happen, after hearing rehearsals and such. You think someone would’ve pulled the plug. 

[pmensky]

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

Jordan Catalano said: "Maybe they’re just going to shock us all and announce Shoshana Bean and Fran Drescher."

I’m kinda hoping for Alex Newell and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

[David10086]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:27am

Beanie has just written her formal announcement of Harvey bouncing her out on July 31.

Of Harvey's decision, she writes: “Yet another capricious act by a capricious man”.   

She thanked Faye Dunaway for helping her find the right words. 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:35am

So she was fired. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:36am

Tweeted by Lesli Margherita:

"theater kids ur aunt lesli wants u 2 remember its show BUSINESS. the only not fun part of being a pro. it sux, but its worth it. sometimes there is no "tea". only coffee. BUSINESS coffee."

[He replied]

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

I’m genuinely surprised how few consider the possibility the production team thought Feldstein was good in the role. Credit it to the Music Man Syndrome (parents think children are talented regardless of proof) and an overestimating how accepting broadway audiences are of the half-assed. Apparently they’ve learned instagram followers do not equal ticket buyers. Funny Girl is arguably the holy grail of female musical roles. No one wanted a mediocre run.
 

Why would Beanie skedaddle over Lea Michele? I’m thinking a bigger draw. We’ll see. And frankly, if Feldstein cannot draw, Benko will not get the role. 
 

 

[bwwLA86]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:39am

Sutton Ross 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.

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?"

LOL! My partner's last name is Belko and I make this mistake constantly. 

[themick2]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:54am

About a month ago some theater critic, I think it was Jesse Green, wrote this altogether self-admiring piece about how the "great monsters" of the theater (Kazan, Fosse, Robbins) need to be thrown in the garbage and we need to start all over again with "nice" people.  One of the things he wrote was something to the tune of "I actually don't mind seeing mediocre art if the people behind it are good people".  I thought that was such disingenuous nonsense.  Art made where everyone is pleasant, passionless and agrees about everything is DULL.

This sloppy production of Funny Girl and the decision to cast Beanie Feldstein smacks of a group of people who all wanted to be nice, agreeable, and easygoing with as little creative friction as possible.  I don't blame Beanie for wanting to leave the production early...she was the victim of chronic niceness and people who didn't ruthlessly demand more.

[BarnabyTucker]

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

Jordan Catalano said: "Maybe they’re just going to shock us all and announce Shoshana Bean and Fran Drescher."

This is the move.  If they won't bump Benko up, I can't imagine they'd hire Bean.  Drescher would be perfection as Rosie Brice.

 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 11:09am

Idinamenzel18 said: "To my understanding, she never auditioned, she was offered the role and had a work session with the music. How is it possible that none of the creative team, at least those in charge of casting, didn’t realize this would be the result?"

She auditioned. You're spewing nonsense.