Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Alice + Olivia
From now on, the history of American pop culture will be divided into two parts: before Lea Michele was cast in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, and after. On Monday, the Broadway production announced that the former Gleek will replace Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice, sending Twitter into a frenzy of Glee memes and hot photos.
Lea Michele has been campaigning to be on Funny Girl for years, ever since she sang “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in the midseason finale of Glee’s first season in 2009. Her character on the show, Rachel Berry, even ended up starring is in the Broadway revival of the musical, and when Michele posted the casting announcement on Instagram, she wrote: “A dream come true is an understatement.” But Michele’s inevitable casting quickly divided the internet into different camps: those who love him, those who love a good meme, and those who see it as even more proof that cancellation culture is a myth.
When it was first announced that Feldstein would be playing Fanny Bryce on Broadway, Lea Michele took to Twitter as people imagined she was jealous of losing the role. Now, just a few months later, Feldstein announced on Sunday that she would be leaving the Funny Girl revival early, writing on Instagram that “production has decided to take the show in a different direction.” And less than 24 hours later, Michele arrived at the concert. THE DRAMA. Not only that, but Feldstein’s co-star Jane Lynch, who famously played coach Sue Sylvester on Glee opposite Michele for six seasons, also announced she would be leaving the series the day before Michele debuted on September 6, rather than at the end of the month , as previously announced. It really is an episode of Glee come to life.
Jane Lynch leaves Funny Girl the day Lea Michele joins, just so she can buy tickets and leave midway pic.twitter.com/OFp4PEliry
— ski (@shyingflutters) July 11, 2022
Jane Lynch leaving the day Lea Michele is supposed to start is the most Sue Sylvester icon behavior extravaganza I’ve ever witnessed
— Kylie (@KyleighMM_) July 11, 2022
As for those who don’t care about Michele or the theater drama, they are only here for jokes. “Lea Michele made a deal with the devil so she could star in Funny Girl on Broadway… She’s like Ariel, but instead of trading her voice, she traded her ability to read,” tweeted @freyabwg. (Who remembers the “Lea Michele can’t read” conspiracy theory from 2018?)
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 her ability to read
— freya (@freyabwg) July 11, 2022
congrats to lea michele pic.twitter.com/hsb07zvyvW
— gabe bergado (@gabebergado) July 11, 2022
Lea Michele makes her first appearance at Funny Girl pic.twitter.com/Q5oFxHulQz
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) July 11, 2022
Liza Minnelli outlived Lea Michele’s unfulfilled dream of playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The “Glee” star, who was initially notoriously overlooked, will finally get her chance in a Broadway revival this September.
— LizaMinnelliOutlives (@LiZaOutlives) July 11, 2022
Attention everyone: Lea Michele just got her wish, an event that will throw our universe into irrevocable chaos. Planes will fall from the sky. The birds will go blind. The dead will rise. Please hug your loved ones and be reconciled to God while you can
— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) July 11, 2022
Meanwhile, others expressed disappointment that Michele appeared to have emerged unscathed from reports of toxic behavior on set. In 2020, some of Michele’s Glee co-stars spoke out about allegedly abusive behavior they experienced on the set of the musical show. Samantha Ware, who appeared in the final season, accused Michele of turning “my first TV gig into absolute hell” on Twitter. “I believe you told everyone that if you had the chance you would ‘shit in my wig!'” among other traumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood. At the time, Michele apologized, saying that while he did not remember those comments, “I clearly acted in ways that hurt other people.” Heather Morris, who also stars in Glee, admitted that Michele was “unpleasant to work with.” Michele was also called by Gerard Canonico, who worked with her as an understudy on Spring Awakening.
Michele has kept a low profile since the spate of allegations of toxic behavior, only recently returning to the spotlight to celebrate the anniversary of Spring Awakening. Now some are calling out her invitation to return to Broadway and questioning whether she has really changed. About an hour after Michele’s casting was announced, Ware expressed his pain and irritation at the situation, writing on Twitter: “Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see you all. Yes, I’m interested. Yes, I am affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway supports whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I would do it again.”
Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see you all. Yes, I’m interested. Yes, I am affected. Yes, I’m human. Yes, I’m black. Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway supports whiteness. Yes, Hollywood does the same. Yes, silence is complicity. Yes, I’m loud. Yes, I would do it again.
— SAMEIA (@Sammie_Ware) July 11, 2022
lea michele proves here that you can get undone on twitter dot com and still achieve your dreams. an iconic and brave white woman!
— Carrie Witmer 🦇 (@carriesnotscary) July 11, 2022
funny girls producers after they decided to go with lea michele pic.twitter.com/mHMSh7ihgp
— m (@bigIttIeIies) July 11, 2022
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