What the HECK happened to Funny Girl?

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The producers are the real failures here. First they failed to see how putting an actress with passable vocal skill into a notoriously strenuous role could backfire. Then they supported the narrative that Beanie, a person they CHOSE to hire, was the only problem with their underwhelming production. And finally they gamble their employees' wellbeing by hiring someone notorious for not playing nice with others (Yes, people can change for the better. But they are still taking a big risk.).

I honestly don't blame Beanie announcing her departure, early. Cutting off communication was all the power that she had left, at that point.

The whole point of funny girl is telling the story of a woman who doesn't meet the beauty standards succeed because of her tenacity and talent... The irony of this whole situation is sickening.

If there's one good thing to come from this Mess of a revival, it's that a Brilliant Understudy has gotten the chance to Shine in an Extremely competitive environment. Julie Benko's rendition of Fanny Brice deserves all the Praise she's been recieving.

Lets be honest. These women weren't fighting over who would play Fanny Brice on Broadway. They were fighting over who would play Barbara Streisand.

Beanie definitely didn't deserve the body shaming and attacks. The reaction to her performance from the internet was absolutely overblown and extra. That said, if the producers wanted to do right by plus size representation they should've found a girl with vocals that fit . It's plenty big girls with big vocals out there.

I genuinely feel bad for Beanie. This was a project she cared for since she was a kid and to have it end up this way must have hurt. I really wish her the best.

It’s amazing how the people criticizing beanie’s appearance completely missed the entire point of funny girl

The fact that Jane Lynch is also planning to leave the show earlier than planned and just days before the date Lea is planned to debut in the show gives me very 👀 😬vibes. I have a feeling that all of this drama is nowhere close to being finished yet…

the fatphobia in the theatre and film industry is so baked in and I know several people who would tell you straight up that that's why they left or were EXPLICITLY TOLD to leave the industry. I hope Beanie is ok.

I think the best outcome is that Lea Michele behaves herself and doesn't simply do a Streisand impersonation. And Beanie gets cast in a role that's a huge success for her. Because these producers threw her under the bus.

Ugh, they would have been fine if they just gave the lead to Julie Benko from the start. She is amazing in the role. It's much more exciting to watch someone become a star on Broadway, especially when they deserve it.

Two things can be true. She wasn’t right for the role, but she was also treated poorly

A friend of mine made his Broadway debut with this production and it sucks to see his and other performers' debuts overshadowed by all of the controversy surrounding Beanie's departure and Lea Michele's casting.

I’m rooting for Beanie. She is a star on the rise and she is facing so much unwarranted hate. I hope she doesn’t let it ruin her peace🤍

Nice, allow the leading lady to be bullied out of the show and bring in a bully as the replacement, great move Broadway

I'm probably gonna get a LOT of hate for this take but... I feel "Funny Girl" went in a "different direction" WAY back in its original production when they casted Barbra. Now don't get me wrong I love Barbra and I like the show, but watching it, I got the sense that this was less of a story about Fanny Brice and more a showcase of Barbra's talents. After watching a few Fanny Brice videos, Beanie Feldstein just looks and sounds like a more accurate portrayal of Fanny Brice. Fanny wasn't the strongest singer either, but it was her comedic abilities and overall stage presence that really sold herself as a performer. And yes absolutely Barbara is HILARIOUS! But Critics seemed to focus more on her vocals not being "fit" for the role, while also ignoring Beanie's acting and skill for comedy, and the only reason they feel that way is because they kept comparing her vocals to Barbra's. Now to me I think all this comparison completely overshadows WHO exactly this show is about. This show is about FANNY not BARBRA, so saying that Beanie doesn't fit a role that was never meant to be a Barbra Streisand impression in the first place is not only dishonest, but it's a bit of a slap in the face to Fanny Brice's name and story.

I was deeply underwhelmed by the very idea of this revival. “Funny Girl” is indeed a weak book, with a few memorable songs that were written expressly to showcase Streisand’s vocal strengths and are therefore entirely associated with her. This was a deeply unnecessary project. On the other hand, anything that gives more stage time to Ramin Karimloo has something going for it.

I personally can’t wait until we’re a year or two past this show’s natural run and we get a What Really Happened style breakdown. I suspect that there is WAY more chaos and drama happening top to bottom of this production. I don’t think Beanie was the right choice to lead the show, but she gave it her best effort and one middling casting choice does not sink or swim an entire show. Beanie’s mindset on weight and self-esteem is genuinely motivational and I’ve always appreciated that. Lea is a drama magnet and I wouldn’t be surprised if whatever’s festering under the surface gets dragged out once she’s there.