Unless you truly believe all press is good press, it’s been a tough six months for Funny Girl. Critics, myself included, were lukewarm on the first Broadway revival of the musical when it opened in April, and particularly on the singing abilities of star Beanie Feldstein, best known as a solid screen actor in Booksmart, Lady Bird and Impeachment: American Crime Story. As Fanny Brice, a character (and real-life vaudeville star) whose talent is so undeniable it overcomes her klutzy nature and plain face, Feldstein nailed the physical comedy but just didn’t have the singing chops to stand in Barbra Streisand’s formidable shoes.
I wrote at the time that the presence of Glee star Jane Lynch as Fanny’s mother offered an unfortunate reminder of who could sing the musical’s showstopper, Don’t Rain on My Parade: Lea Michele, whose numerous performances of Funny Girl standards (on Glee, at the 2010 Tony Awards, more Glee) basically served as a years-long public audition. I wasn’t the only one to wonder; speculation of a Michele recast began in earnest when, amid rumors of dissatisfaction backstage and lagging ticket sales (as well as no Tony nominations, and praise for Feldstein’s understudy Julie Benko), Feldstein and Lynch announced earlier-than-expected ends to their Broadway runs.
