Here’s the second part to the Funny Girl/Beanie Feldstein/Lea Michele drama. Beanie Feldstein had been playing Fanny Brice, the lead role in Funny Girl, for several months. The reviews were bad and the writing was on the wall: Beanie would have to go. Beanie ended up quitting/getting fired from the production last week, and her understudy Julie Benko will take over the role to fulfill Beanie’s six-month contract. Then, in the beginning of September, Lea Michele will take over as Fanny Brice. When Beanie was cast, people clowned on Lea pretty hard because the role of Fanny is practically made for Lea, and it’s always been her dream to star in a Funny Girl revival. The fact that producers got Lea after Beanie turned out to be a disaster… well, it’s interesting on a lot of different levels.
Now, at some point, Broadway producers might stop and think: yes, Lea Michele is right for the role of Fanny Brice, but what about all of those well-documented stories about Lea’s racism, aggression, verbal threats and bullying behavior? It was just two years ago (!!) that Samantha Marie Ware came out and said that Lea’s unprofessional behavior included many “traumatic microaggressions,” including threatening to sh-t in Ware’s wig. Lea did offer a really f–ked up and awful apology in 2020 to all of the people she’d bullied and verbally abused over the years. Now with this casting, it seems like Broadway is ready to “forgive” Lea. Samantha Marie Ware is not ready:
Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see y’all. Yes, I care. Yes, im affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m Black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I’d do it again.
— SAMEYA (@Sammie_Ware) July 11, 2022
Also. My name is not Amber Riley or Alex Newell. Their experience was not mine and mines was not theirs.
— SAMEYA (@Sammie_Ware) July 11, 2022
I feel so bad for Samantha. I feel so sorry for all of Lea’s victims who now have to sit through her “redemption arc.” What’s worse is that it doesn’t even feel like a redemption arc because no one in Broadway or in the mainstream media is acknowledging that Lea has years of problematic, racist and abusive behavior. Like, they really believe that Lea is stepping on the stage clean and unblemished, reputation-wise.
It’s wild that the decision to tell the truth about the people who tormented you at work is a career risk, but you can stay booked and busy as one of the tormentors
— Ryan Ken (@Ryan_Ken_Acts) July 11, 2022
this industry will reward bad behavior time and time again. its good to know that you all can only identify abusers when its a cis yt female getting abused. this industry cares not about black people and our experiences within it. Very sad. https://t.co/sMWMSPn3UZ
— sister (@ucancallmesis) July 11, 2022
If Lea Michele proves anything is that:
Cancel culture is not real
Being white and racist means you can still achieve your dreams! https://t.co/Qo25YT6s9V
— Valerie Complex (@ValerieComplex) July 11, 2022
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JUNE 18: Samantha Marie Ware arrives at the UOMA Beauty Pride Month And Juneteenth Celebration Launch Event held at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails on June 18, 2021 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 616689054, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Samantha Marie Ware, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon 
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – JUNE 15: American actress Lea Michele arrives as alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet Celebrates 20 Years held at the Close East Lawn on June 15, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 700268186, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lea Michele, Credit line: Christian Lora / Image Press Agency / Avalon 
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – JUNE 15: American actress Lea Michele arrives as alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet Celebrates 20 Years held at the Close East Lawn on June 15, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 700268247, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lea Michele, Credit line: Christian Lora / Image Press Agency / Avalon
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – JUNE 15: American actress Lea Michele arrives as alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet Celebrates 20 Years held at the Close East Lawn on June 15, 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 700268295, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Lea Michele, Credit line: Christian Lora / Image Press Agency / AvalonncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcG9kbIV0e8%2BepqmklZSus7HNrZahmaClxqCtwaisrZeilrCqv9OYma6knK6srbHAmKSim5iauaa%2Fvp%2Bsp6aplLSqvsuYqZ6claK9tbXOp5aaqpNk