Famed theatrical abuser Lea Michele has been cast in the Funny Girl revival on Broadway, and the effects have been wildly polarizing.
Her turn as Fanny Brice was both mythologized and forewarned by her Glee character Rachel Berry’s fascination with the show.
As if in an act of prophecy, Berry landed the lead in Glee‘s fictional Funny Girl revival — a revival written into the show some seven years before the real life return was ever announced.
The rub comes in the flurry — nay, avalanche — of accusations that broke during the Black Lives Matter protest era in 2020 that detailed Michele’s extensive mistreating of multiple cast and crew members of nearly every show she’s ever worked on.
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Related: 5 celebrities who totally won’t be at Lea Michele’s ‘Funny Girl’ premiere
Glee, Spring Awakening, The Mayor, Scream Queens, even Ragtime decades ago: Michele’s career has allegedly left a trail of dozens of people feeling harassed, bullied, and even faced with anti-Black discrimination.
Yet, even with her major public reckoning, she’s still been offered her role of a lifetime.
Needless to say, many people are NOT happy:
Lea Michele is proof that if you don’t change or learn even a single thing when faced with your reprehensible behavior, all of your wildest dreams can come true!! Stay the course!!
— Cody Wimmer (@Cody_Wimmer) 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
for those of you outside the glee world, the lea michele replacing beanie is our infinity war but specifically when thanos looks up and says you should have gone for the head
— sifu hotman (@cjfeisty) July 11, 2022
As I reel from the news that Lea Michele is set to play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, I couldn’t help but wonder…Did my 1 million streams of Rachel Berry’s version of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’ help bring this travesty to fruition? If it did, I am truly, deeply sorry. pic.twitter.com/OdbaeTB0Av
— Aaliyah Sloan (@AaliyahOroro) July 11, 2022
lea michele: *has been called out by colleagues for being racist, transphobic, and generally just an awful human being*
the internet: YASS THATS MY FANNY BRICE OMG ITS JUST LIKE GLEE 😋😋😋😋— allie (@fairyflushed) July 11, 2022
Many of the reactions also revolve around the years-long rumor that Lea Michele can’t read (as, in the immortal words of Amy Sedaris, “Illiteracy is hilarious!”).
The conspiracy theory was started in 2018, when two gay little friends made a 40-minute long joke presentation for their podcast showing “proof” of the singer’s phonetic inability.
Though it’s definitely not true (Michele has since confirmed she can both read and write), she’s reportedly heinous enough that no one feels too bad about running with it:
Jonathan Groff is sleeping over Lea Michele’s house tonight so he can write her instagram caption for her tomorrow. https://t.co/PglTETI5J5
— gracefacekilllla (@gracefacekilla) July 10, 2022
the worst part is that even if we try to cyberbully lea michele out of funny girl she won’t even be able to read our mean tweets
— Katie Elizabeth (Taylor’s Version) (@katiebug95_) July 11, 2022
lea michele made a deal with the devil so she could be in funny girl on broadway… she’s like ariel but instead of trading her voice she traded the ability to read
— freya (@freyabwg) July 11, 2022
lea michele forcing jonathan groff to read her funny girl lines to her rn pic.twitter.com/Hy6HrISK24
— rio (@rioc123) July 11, 2022
And, as meta as the whole situation is, plenty of people found the debacle just plain funny:
Lea Michele and Beanie Feldstein star in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane Live!” coming to Peacock Thanksgiving weekend 2053
— Jorge Molina (@colormejorge) July 11, 2022
funny girl’s producers after deciding to go with lea michele pic.twitter.com/mHMSh7ihgp
— m (@bigIttIeIies) July 11, 2022
In 25 years the children will be recounting the Beanie feldstein lea michele funny girl casting scandal on the APUSH DBQ
— michelle (in her “Joanne” era) (see cowboy hat) (@itsbozzibaby) July 11, 2022
We leave you with the superior rendition of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” by one the main subjects of Michele’s ire, the late great Naya Rivera…
Related: Beauty industry insiders spill even more hot tea on Lea Michele’s “toxic” behavior
Jim
I think she’d be awesome in the role.
Having said that I wouldn’t be in a room with her.
Ken A.
I wouldn’t mind her. One way to handle a diva is to ignore them.
Den
Knowing how she worships Barbara S. and copies her vocal technique, I wonder if she will bring anything original to the role.
Man About Town
Horrible tragedy about Naya; just overwhelmingly sad.
LumpyPillows
Lea is a diva. I think there is enough evidence to say that. Not sure if she is racist or homo/trans phobic. I think that is just the cancel culture machine spinning. She’s been out of work for years. Perhaps that is enough.
She does seem ideal for the role. I’m willing to give her a chance. My guess is she has learned her lesson.
humble charlie
beanie feldstein has no charisma. she had her chance and unfortunately it didn’t work out for her. she should stick to sidekick roles. as for lea michelle, she’s got the wolf’s sharp teeth to help get her ahead.