Fans Have A Lot Of Thoughts About Beanie Feldstein's Broadway Drama
Beanie Feldstein is taking an early exit from "Funny Girl." The actor, who's starring as Fanny Brice in the classic musical, is leaving the Broadway show on July 31, two months earlier than planned, per The New York Times. The show opened on April 24 to mixed reviews, via The Guardian. During her brief run, the actor missed numerous performances, due to a positive COVID diagnosis, per Billboard.
On July 10, Feldstein shared a vague statement on Instagram announcing her departure from the show. She wrote, "Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated." She also expressed her gratitude for the experience and appreciation for the "amazing" cast and crew. But it's unclear why exactly Feldstein is leaving. Rumor has it that Lea Michele will replace Feldstein, per Today. "Funny Girl" production stated casting announcements will be released at 1 PM EST on July 11, per Twitter.
Meanwhile, fans are speculating about Feldstein's Broadway drama. Let's take a look.
Fans are jumping in on casting rumors following Beanie Feldstein's departure
Theater fans are speculating that former "Glee" star Lea Michele will replace Feldstein in the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl." Michele and Feldstein have both starred in Ryan Murphy TV shows — Michele as Rachel Berry in "Glee" and Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky in "American Crime Story." Michele even sang "Don't Rain On My Parade" on "Glee." Lea Michelle has stated previously that she'd love to take on the role during an interview with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live."
Twitter is having a field day with these rumors. One user tweeted, "I know Beanie Feldstein and Lea Michele are part of Ryan Murphy's roster but I want a season of Feud about this Funny Girl production." Another viral tweet said, "In 25 years the children will be recounting the Beanie feldstein lea michele funny girl casting scandal on the APUSH DBQ." Theatre lovers are enjoying the moment. Another one remarked, "this Beanie Feldstein/Funny Girl drama is better than ANYTHING Ryan Murphy could've written."
Some fans are wishing Feldstein the best. One person wrote, "i really hope the reason beanie feldstein is leaving sooner is bc she's got something really cool booked and not bc of all the negativity she's gotten since the show opened."
Hopefully, we'll uncover more details about why exactly Feldstein is leaving. Fortunately, we'll find out about casting updates very soon.