There are a lot of different parts to this story about the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, so I’m doing a couple of different posts about it. This post is about what happened with Beanie Feldstein, who was cast in the lead role, Fanny Brice, several months ago. At the time, people were excited about Beanie’s casting, and people were excited that Lea Michele did NOT get the role. Then people saw Beanie as Fanny and the reviews were pretty bad. Now Beanie is out – she either jumped or was pushed – and Lea Michele has been cast as Fanny, and Lea will take over the role in September. Page Six has some insider information on exactly what happened with Beanie:
Sources tell Page Six that Beanie Feldstein was “basically fired” from Broadway’s “Funny Girl” before abruptly quitting the show publicly on Twitter in a move that had producers “blindsided.” Feldstein, who played the lead role of Fanny Brice, announced via social media on Sunday she’d leave the show July 31, just four months into a contract that we hear was supposed to be for an entire year.
“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” Feldstein, 29, said in her bridge-burning post. The “direction” it seems, was away from her and towards replacement, Lea Michele.
A source tells us that following poor reviews of Feldstein’s performance and declining ticket sales, producers turned sour on the star and fell off the Beanie bandwagon.
“Producers basically fired her,” says the source. While sources say Feldstein had a year long contract and was supposed to play the role till April, the show posted in mid-June on social media, saying “14 weeks left to see Beanie Feldstein & Jane Lynch now through September 25th.” One source tells us it was thought that six months would be a good ending date since that was Lynch’s ending date.
Page Six previously reported that Feldstein’s shocking exit announcement on Sunday night left producers “blindsided.” Another source tells us producers were told just 30 minutes before it went up. “The social media post was her quitting after being fired,” says one insider.
“She clearly doesn’t give a s–t,” a source commented on Feldstein, noting that the post wasn’t a savvy move. But a source close to the production tells us, “The producers were absolutely aware she was making this announcement and they approved that language. An email went out yesterday from the producers letting the rest of the company know her last performance date and that the information would be released. It was not a surprise to anyone.”
Another Broadway source tells us the “Booksmart” actress feels “betrayed.”
“The entire creative team built a brand around a new type of Fanny for a new generation,” the source said. “Now, they’ve turned on her and kind of points fingers at her like she’s the reason the show isn’t working.” They added: “Beanie feels attacked by everyone around her. She’s like, ‘You brought me here in the first place!’”
“It’s not that Beanie is untalented,” says one source. “It’s not her fault. She was poorly cast.”
Yeah, many reviews of the show didn’t believe Beanie was the right person for Fanny. The role demands a certain kind of voice, and Beanie was apparently incapable of singing those beloved, famous songs. Now, all of the drama about whether Beanie was fired or whether her social media statement was a stupid, unprofessional move? I don’t know. While Page Six doesn’t mention this, I’ve heard some rumors that Beanie’s unprofessional behavior included calling in sick too much, which gave her understudy a chance to shine (All About Eve-style) and people kind of liked her understudy more? I also think Beanie AND the producers saw the writing on the wall for months/weeks and it was probably more like “this isn’t working/yes, I agree.”
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Avalon Red.
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- WEST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – SEPTEMBER 01: Actress Beanie Feldstein wearing a Brandon Maxwell dress arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of FX Networks’ ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ held at the Pacific Design Center on September 1, 2021 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 629922885, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Beanie Feldstein, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Beanie Feldstein attends The 88th Annual Drama League Awards Luncheon on May 20, 2022 at The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York, New York, USA.,Image: 693129790, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Beanie Feldstein, Credit line: Robin Platzer / Twin Images / Avalon
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- Beanie Feldstein attends The 88th Annual Drama League Awards Luncheon on May 20, 2022 at The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York, New York, USA.,Image: 693129793, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Beanie Feldstein, Credit line: Robin Platzer / Twin Images / Avalon
So she lasted three months. Broadway is cutthroat, lots of money on the line, so when something isn’t working the producers just have to fix it and move on.
The show itself is outdated and pretty boring, apparently. As far as Beanie pre-quitting goes, it’s a “you can’t fire me, I quit” scenario. And that’s fine. But I’m looking forward to hearing everything about Lea Michele’s slightest mistreatment or diva-ish behavior towards others. She has not earned any diva stripes and people are watching and waiting, so she’s gonna have to be all roses and sunshine for her entire run. And she’s clearly not capable of that, so this will be quite amusing.
I’ve never been able to get through the film of Funny Girl because I find it so boring. Sorry, Babs.
How was she so miscast? I’m not familiar with her really, so I don’t know about her singing credentials or anything, but it seems the one common thread through this mess is that she wasn’t right for the part of Fanny, and that’s not necessarily her fault, it really does sound like she was just miscast. But oof, what a big mistake to make with a revival like this.
Lol, Becks, same thoughts here.
There are You Tube clips of her singing. She has a light, sometimes nasally voice, not really suited to the Funny Girl score, IMO.
Her agent keeps doing this lady dirty. She was also grossly miscast as Monica Lewinsky, but i have a feeling that was more Monica’s fault as an EP trying to rewrite history and her own conduct.
@Noki totally agree with her being miscast as Monica Lewinsky. I had never seen Beanie before I saw her as Monica, so it was a good intro to her. But she was so wrong as Monica. Hollywood and Broadway are dog eat dog, yet here is someone who keeps getting plum roles that she isn’t really right for. Still, I have a soft spot for her for some weird reason.
From what I’ve read it seems she really wanted the role and had help because her family is very well connected.
@Ace which role Monica or the Funny Girl ?
I’ve been wondering how she gets all these major breaks when she really isn’t all that and a bag of chips. She has a really cunning agent and …. the sort of nepotistic assistance that regular people can’t begin to hope for.
I don’t get her appeal.
I watched her as Monica Lewinsky and I found her acting very underwhelming. She seems nice enough but there is definitely some nepotism/connections here.
Becks1, the role needs a serious belter. It sounds like Beanie isn’t that kind of singer. As well, Fanny Brice takes comic chops, dramatic skills, and a major voice–which is why it has taken so long to revive FG. Beanie had two out of three, but …
Her family is super connected and her best friend Ben Platt’s rich producer daddy basically paid for her to get the role. I don’t know why people are acting like she’s not a nepo baby, but she’s a prime example of connections buying opportunity for people who are not qualified for the job.
I don’t understand why she was cast in the first place, or why she thought she could pull it off; as a performer, she must be aware of her limitations. Or maybe she is now–it’s good to know, at any rate. Hard lesson.
I don’t understand either but she did audition via Zoom, lol.
Golden opportunity, why pass it up?
Because she clearly wasn’t ready for it, she was thoroughly panned, and now, by quitting, she’s put her career in a bit more jeopardy.
I don’t blame her quitting. She was probably getting the subliminal messages that the show didn’t want her anymore so she jumped before she was pushed.
I’m not in showbusiness but aren’t there usually contracts that dictate how long a performer’s run is supposed to be? And since these contracts are drafted by the employers/producers, I’m guessing that they would have more leeway or flexibility in how they could dissolve the contract, if necessary. I doubt that the performer’s saving face move would be viewed as a valid reason for breaking a contract, but from the Instagram post above, it seemed like she announced she wasn’t leaving until July 31st, so perhaps there was an agreement with producers…
I read that she had a one year contract. But they could buy her out if the show wasn’t working.
I like Beanie, and I liked the idea of her in this revival role, but as a reformed Gleek I am here for Lea Michelle, if should have always been her. She has been telecasting this since she came to prominence, unless you go with a a complete unknown like maybe her understudy who people seem to like, the only name that has ever been associated with funny girl other than Babs has been Lea. And I hope she kills it. Is she a racist diva asshole, yup! Is she the one to do these classic songs and show justice, you’re damn right!!
Well, it’s the “racist” part that I really can’t paint over, sorry. I personally would not buy a ticket.
+1, Alice
+10000 #neverforgetLeaisanasshole
So let’s reward a racist bully? Yeah no. There are far more talented people on Broadway
Really focusing on the important part, huh?
This is just so sad. There are thousands of talented people with big voices just waiting for this opportunity, like her understudy.
Lea isn’t entitled to this role just because she’s been after it her whole career, and being a racist bully and abuser isn’t something that is okay to ignore. All of the cast and crew will now be subject to her abusive crap, just so some people can see the person they want in this role.
I can’t tell if you’re trolling or not.
you’re ok with her racism and mean-girling because she’s got talent? is that actually what you’re saying?
Is it true her dad was one of the producers?
No. I don’t know how that rumor got started.
I ave been told by 3 people now w/in the b’way community that he is behind one of the LLCs that back it but he isnt officially a producer as an individual. I havent seen any actual receipts tho.
My friend saw Beanie in Funny Girl and absolutely loved her. Said the audience was so supportive. The role was a big get for Beanie, and it seems like the claws were out for her. Too bad.
I also saw it and my friend and I both thought she was great and she got a standing ovation, the audience seemed to love her. Jane Lynch was not great.
My mom saw her at a separate show (and was obsessed with the movie, so was a higher bar to impress) and also loved it.
So, I don’t get the hate, and I don’t think Lea Michele should be rewarded no matter how great her voice is.
There’s an issue in all the performing arts. There’s the audience who goes in looking for an enjoyable evening, and the “knowledgeable” audience, who knows about other previous performances and expects something that will match if not surpass them. Beanie probably did just fine with the first, but not the second. And the “experts” write the reviews and are who the producers are hearing from in their everyday lives.
The other issue is that I’m sure people are really being choosy with what they are going to see in the theater. With me it’s films, but I’ve been surprised how willing I’ve become to wait for the DVD to show up at the library. It has to be a film I’ve been waiting for AND one that my friends want to talk about with me. Very little has met that bar. Apparently, Funny Girl doesn’t have people wanting to go. Will people want to see Lea? Dunno.
@ concern fae- great points! And of course attending one show is not indicative of how full and well received the show is as a whole.
Everyone hide your wigs! Lea is coming!
Lea Michele I’m sure is noshing at the bit wanting to say, “You knew I wanted the part and YOUR first choice didn’t possess the singing or acting chops to pull it off. NOW you NEED ME to come and save the day!! Just goes to show you who really is the “greatest star.”
I can envision her gloating about this entire scenario. Michele needs to be forewarned that she will be watched like a hawk. Any prima-donna bitchy behavior will get her kicked to the curb. Lea, you had better be polite, professional and show kindness to your fellow cast mates. They have been owning their roles on that stage a lot longer than your pipe dream.
She evidently didn’t/doesn’t have the singing chops so they should have never had her portraying Fanny Brice. This is all so shady and it seems as though she may have been treated shabbily towards the end. I’ve said it before, Lea has the voice but can she act? I thought her one note so whatever. She has been exposed to be an awful person and a weirdo. Good luck to that cast…or Break a leg rather.
i don’t think she was treated any differently than any other actress would on broadway when it isn’t working… this happens all the time. Beanie just has more name recognition, her own social following, and this revival as a whole has been filled with drama so it’s getting more attention.
I think Beanie is another victim of the too-literal trend that Hollywood (and Broadway, apparently) seem stuck in – people didn’t give her any grace to play Fanny Brice because they just wanted to see someone play Barbra playing Fanny. The audience clearly did not want to see a new interpretation of the show or a new twist on an old classic, they just wanted a copy + paste performance.
It’s the same as the recent slew of biopics that demand ridiculous prosthetics so that the actor can “become” the subject instead of focusing on actually telling a compelling story (Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Viola Davis as Michelle Obama are both criminal). Now, we get racist a**hole Lea Michele cosplaying as Barbra Streisand, and I have a feeling that audiences are still not going to be happy.
Barbra Streisand IS Funny Girl. There is just no way anybody without a voice like Barbra — which is nearly impossible to replicate —would succeed. Lea has the voice, but at what price? I’m guessing after the initial hoopla disappears, the show will close. She is unlikable and nobody will come to see her.
I just did a quick google on that because I couldn’t think of anyone else associated with this part either, just Barbra. Turns out, Lainie Kazan was her understudy! She only got to go on twice, but things started popping for her after that. I love Lainie Kazan! And I agree with Sunday, people were expecting another Barbra, which is unfair, but there it is.
I don’t think she was a victim of a too literal trend, I think she was a victim of not wanting to recognize that she was in over her head. The score demands a strong voice, she doesn’t have one, there’s no way to finesse around it. She was miscast, period.
This story came across my radar so randomly on my Twitter feed from a woman I went to high school (who somehow has a blue check mark!) with who was a year below me. I don’t follow this woman at all on Twitter and was like “Why am I seeing her” but her Tweet went viral about this whole thing. I am not familiar with Beanie Feldstein apart from being Jonah Hill’s sister and not at all familiar with Funny Girl but it sounds like she wasn’t right for the role and her casting was affecting ticket sales. It’s got to really hurt to have the production team decide you are the problem and to replace you with a problematic person. I honestly don’t blame her for quitting earlier than planned, it’s not very professional but this whole situation is probably messing with her mental health and she probably couldn’t fathom performing until September. I blame the production team, she should never have been cast in the first place and none of this is Beanie’s fault.
So if the producers announced in mid-June that your chance to see Beanie (& Jane) would only last through September, then how is her July announcement blindsiding them? Seems to me her tweet was a face-saver, or at least, she wanted it to be one. No idea how these sorts of tweets are viewed in the B-way community.
Eh, I see, her tweet is saying she’s gone at the end of July while they had her down through September. My reading comprehension skills needed more caffeine this AM. ;-p
I was excited to see it with her in it but I thought she and Jane Lynch were both miscast, just IMHO im a mathematician what do I know. I thought her singing was rough.
for me part of the problem was the lack of chemistry with Ramin, they didnt feel like a couple at all to me
I have also seen it with Julie Benko and it was so much better. I want to go back to see Tovah who imo should have had the part to begin with.
I’m excited for Tovah. Such a great actress.
Broadway is a tough business. So is Hollywood, but not in exactly the same way. Theater people – the performers, critics, and devotees – have high expectations. There are some roles in some shows that can be played by actors with so-so voices, so long as they nail other aspects of the performance. But if you’re playing Fanny Bryce, you need to have a big voice. A skilled, special voice. Beanie doesn’t have that.
And I’m not suggesting she has to be Barbra. She can put her own spin on the role and the songs, but she has to be able belt out those songs and wow people.
I saw that a few people here saw the show and enjoyed her performance, and that’s great. But the producers wanted to satisfy everyone, including the critics. If her casting was causing negative stirs and comments and/or impacting ticket sales, they most likely felt like they had to do something.
I’m not sure casting Lea was the right move. Time will tell. But I don’t doubt Lea can play the part.
Anyway, Beanie will be fine. I’m sure this has been rough on her but no rougher than it is on anyone who tries to make it on Broadway and doesn’t succeed. I also think she should have been aware of her own limitations, but I saw that as someone who used to sing. I was in chorus and musical theater through high school, but when I got to college I realized I was outmatched and focused on other things.
You put this very eloquently. Some roles can be filled with big stars/Hollywood names who have mediocre voices. This is not one of those roles. It is a role made famous by Streisand, and those are huge shoes to step into.
I saw Kelsey Grammar (he’s a jerk but he’s a very good actor with great comic timing) play the club owner in “La Cage Aux Folles.” He could sing well enough, sturdy and in tune, and that was fine. He was very good. But it’s not really a big singing role. He only sings a couple of songs and they’re not very challenging.
This is perfect! I sing also, I have a good voice, but I know my limitations. As a performer, you have to know and accept your capabilities.
I do feel bad for Beanie. It speaks volumes that Jane Lynch (one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever seen) is leaving to avoid appearing with the mega-bitch.
Jane is leaving at the end of her contract.
So again. Nobody cares that this is Ashkenazi Jewish woman role to be played by not Jewish woman?? WHY does this not bother ppl when it’s us, but for all other minority you understand it is not ok? Ashkenazi is actually ethnicity. This is not just religion. But of course we run media right? What do kids say: “I hate it here.” (Earth)
Like Elizabeth said, Lea is ethnically Jewish. She’s not Ashkenazi but sometimes Jewish people of Ashkenazi descent can look more Sephardic. My husband’s mother was like that, and so are a couple of friends of mine: olive skinned, black hair, etc. My husband looks a little Sephardic himself even though his background is Russian and Lithuanian. People often ask him about that.
Some Ashkenazi Jews, on the other hand, don’t really look “Jewish.” My niece has two fair, blue-eyed (Jewish) parents and I swear she practically looks Scandinavian.
I think Lea has the right look for the part, actually.
I just don’t think this show should have been revived. Barbra Streisand was a phenom – this was her hallmark. No one is ever going to replicate her Fanny Brice. Lea might get more eyes on the show because of people waiting to see if she’s an a-hole to her cast mates again, but I don’t see this going much farther.
I’m not sure it should have been revived either, but only because I don’t think it’s that great a show. I don’t think any performer, not even Streisand, “owns” a role. If someone else can come in and do it justice in her own way, then great. Beanie wasn’t that person. Lea might not be either, but from what I’ve seen and heard of her, she seems like a very good bet.
I thought Beanie and Lea were both Jewish.
Leah Michelle is half- Jewish. Her father is Sephardic.