Lea Michele finally going play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway the world learned yesterday to send theater children, cheerfulness fans and musical lovers to a real tizz.
For some, it was excitement about seeing the actress’s very public lifelong ambition, but for others it was frustration about someone who is apparently not held responsible for past allegations of unprofessional conduct – and racism – that have been expressed against them.
Now, I’m not here to rain on anyone’s parade: this isn’t a piece that Michele is tearing up, who must surely be in the clouds by now.
She has worked and sung for this role, even following a storyline on Glee where her character Rachel Berry sings multiple songs from Funny Girl before being cast in the musical in what was certainly wish fulfillment for the actress at the time.
Indeed, Michele is often compared to the pushy Berry, who is self-involved and determined to pursue stardom, with the late co-star Naya Rivera even joking about the resemblance in her memoir.
The Glee fandom was divided, some finding those traits endearing and inspired by her determination, while others were unimpressed with diva-esque behavior – on screen or off.
However, this is a piece to discuss the strange predictability of producers choosing Michele to replace the current Fanny Brice Beanie Feldstein, proving once again that Broadway is a business first and foremost.
Should you get bums on chairs? You give the people what they want, which for many Gleeks is the chance to see their queen bee raging in the rafters several nights a week.
For them, it doesn’t seem like giving an exciting stranger a break, which is what happened for understudy Natasha J Barnes in the 2016 West End revival when she got to cover original star Sheridan Smith during a spell of absence after multiple missed. broadcasts.
Barnes became famous for stunning audiences, winning over disgruntled people who expected Sheridan instead, and launched her career as a leading lady. On Broadway, understudy Julie Benko is reportedly doing equally well with Feldstein missing performances due to Covid among others. Except for one show a week when Michele kicks off, and a month when she covers the transition between the stars, she stays firmly on the subs couch.
The producers of the beleaguered Broadway production also seem happy to brush away the stream of accusations that poured in over the summer of 2020 after Michele’s Glee season six co-star Samantha Ware accused her of “traumatic micro-aggressions” and making her time on the show a ‘living hell’†
Michele apologized but denied ever judging anyone by the color of their skin. Instead, she regretted how her behavior was “perceived,” though she admitted, “I’ve clearly acted in ways that hurt other people.”
Many fans are willing to give Michele a second chance now – especially with Fanny on the line – but it does leave the industry in an awkward position, obscuring its past actions, leaving a slightly unpleasant taste in the mouth.
There’s also the behind-the-scenes machinations implied by Feldstein’s early departure in late July – stemming from the early departure she previously announced for September, when she was initially expected to stay with the cast until the end of the year. .
Calling the role a “lifelong dream of mine,” Feldstein wrote on Instagram: “When production decided to steer the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to quit earlier than expected.”
Funny Girl reviews have been mixed thus far, with many pointing out that Feldstein lacks the powerful vocals of original star Barbra Streisand (surprise surprise!), while some have praised her comedic skills.
The show also only managed to land a single Tony Award nomination this year, which puts quite a damper on the play’s first revival on Broadway since its original 1964 production.
With Michele, it seems the “other direction” bosses are leaning back in his leading lady, following Streisand’s precedent.
Another problem with the new casting choice is how out of sync it seems. Glee ended in 2015, seven years ago, and with more wails than a bang.
Michele finally rolled out the red carpet for her on Broadway seems too late now?
It’s like visiting a fan dream casting from ten years ago, when we were three seasons deep with Glee, Rachel Berry and her Fanny Brice obsession.
Fair or not, it smacks of giving in to fans, or – and here we come back to my original point – the surest way to cash in the not insignificant amount of money it takes each week to keep a Broadway show going. to keep.
It’s just a shame it’s not in the artistic or exciting way creatives and theater fans alike hoped for. Feldstein offered a spark of that when her casting was first announced, but it seems that production is now fleeing back to safer territory.
But, and I’m sure she won’t mind my saying this, Michele still isn’t Barbra Streisand – and that, my friends, has always been the problem.
People want a Streisand-esque Fanny to match the original; that’s like asking for another Fred Astaire or Beyonce or Elvis Presley. It’s not going to happen.
This probably also says something about the decision to leave Jule Styne, Bob Merill and Isobel Lennart alone on Broadway for 58 years.
Streisand is the undisputed biggest star (by far), and it’s something that people may finally have to come to terms with.
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