Amid mixed reviews, Beanie Feldstein leaves Broadway’s Funny Girl, replaced by a big name

Many big Hollywood stars have debuted on Broadway and many Hollywood stars will try their hand at the stage from time to time. Hugh Jackman is currently back on Broadway the music man after making a name for himself in Hollywood and his reviews have been pretty solid. The same cannot be said for rising Hollywood star Beanie Feldstein, who played the lead role of Fanny Brice in funny Girl to mixed reviews. Now the actress has decided to leave the program earlier than expected, but funny Girl has found a great name to take over as Lea Michele has just been heralded as the new Fanny Brice.

While Lea Michele is probably best known for her years in the TV series Happiness, is certainly no stranger to Broadway. Her name was one of those selected as potential acquisitions as soon as news of Beanie Feldstein’s departure broke. Along with Michele in the role of Fanny Brice, it was also announced that Tovah Feldshuh would play the role of Mrs. Brice, played by Jane Lynch. The new cast will take effect on September 6. Lynch will remain until then. Julie Benko, Feldstein’s stunt double, will reprise the role of Fanny in August.

Beanie Feldstein should have starred earlier funny Girl at least until September, so his announcement that he would leave office starting July 31 came as a surprise. Whether he made the decision to leave due to non-stellar reviews, or was asked to leave, is far from clear. Feldstein took to Instagram to announce his departure.

Trying to read between the lines here would seem to imply that some changes have been made to the show, and Beanie Feldstein didn’t entirely agree with them, whatever they were. The changes could have been anything. Of course, it’s possible that the change in question replaced her in the role, although she would have been able to stay in another role if she really wanted to.

It’s hard to say at this point what people really think about this change. First comments on instagram post announcing that the new cast is in shock, but it’s hard to analyze whether that shock is good or bad.

It’s an interesting casting decision for several reasons, both in real life and in meta variety. Lea Michele had made known her interest in her role prior to the stimulus package funny Girl it was originally announced. In addition, it is a role in which his character Happiness also desperately wanted at one point in the series.

Lea Michele comes to the role in funny Girl with a certain amount of your baggage. A few years ago, a series of Happiness Cast members talked about what they said was inappropriate treatment by the actress on set. Michele apologized for her behavior, but since then she has been largely kept away from the big or small screen. The return to Broadway has the potential to be big.