Chris Colfer is the latest Glee star who has thrown shade at Lea Michele following her controversial casting in the Broadway musical Funny Girl.
During his appearance on SiriusXM with Michelle Collins, Colfer revealed he’s refusing to see his former co-star on Broadway.
“Oh my God, you should come, if you’re here,” Collins said.
“Oh no, are you seeing Funny Girl?” Colfer asked.
When Collins confirmed she’d be seeing the show, Colfer sassily responded: “My day suddenly just got so full,” he said, later adding, “No, I can be triggered at home.”
The entire show has been shrouded in controversy from the jump.
ICYMI: Beanie Feldstein quit the lead role of Fanny Brice in the iconic Broadway musical following heinous reviews.
Her replacement was later announced as none other than old mate Lea Michele.
In the same announcement, it was also revealed that Michele’s former Glee co-star Jane Lynch (who played Coach Sue in the cursed series) had departed her role voluntarily.
“14 weeks left to see Beanie Feldstein & Jane Lynch now through September 25th,” the tweet read.
Following mass speculation from fans that Lynch had quit because she did not want to work with Michele again, after she infamously terrorised the Glee set, Lynch then released a statement.
“We have been in touch about it,” Lynch told Deadline when probed about Michele and her abrupt departure.
“You know, it was just a really strong idea to have Feldshuh and Lea premiere together. That’s the only reason [we won’t appear together.] I adore her. She’s just going to take this show and make it her own. I’m so glad she’s getting the opportunity in real life to do the show and not just on Glee.”
Sounds like a bunch of BS to me, but sure…
Her sudden departure the literal day that Michele was cast speaks volumes!
And get this, that departure ended up being a helluva lot more sudden because Lynch has reportedly left the role “several weeks earlier” than originally planned, according to Deadline.
“Rather than return for one week of performances, the producers have agreed to adjust her final performance to Sunday, August 14,” producers said in a statement.
Following the announcement that the controversial star had been cast, Glee actress Sammie Ware slammed Broadway for giving Lea Michele the prized role even after the abuse allegations levelled against her.
In 2020, Ware led the charge in Glee stars calling out Michele for misconduct on the set of the iconic show.
At the time, she told her followers that Michele made her life “a living hell” and accused her of racist and bully behaviour.
This, along with various other testimonies led to Michele losing endorsement deals and going rather quiet until today.
Taking to Twitter, Ware blasted Broadway for casting Michele.
“Yes, I’m online today. Yes, I see y’all. Yes, I care,” the actress tweeted.
“Yes, I’m 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.”
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
She concluded in a subsequent tweet, “Also. My name is not Amber Riley or Alex Newell. Their experience was not mine and mines was not theirs.”
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
Meanwhile Feldstein’s departure has also received mixed responses, with some assuming she left of her own accord while others believe she was fired.
Apparently she dropped her farewell post before she was supposed to and the wording is… interesting.
“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honour,” Feldstein wrote on Instagram.
“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.”
Feldstein was previously set to exit Funny Girl in September of 2022 but according to insiders, she was forced out earlier.
“Producers basically fired her,” a source told Page Six.
Fucking yikes.
Meanwhile, a spicy TikTok has shared interesting intel about ticket sales on the cursed production.
Business analyst Brian Theba sussed out the ticket sales for Funny Girl and he deduced that Feldstein was likely pushed out due to rapidly declining sales.
“This doesn’t condone the actions of the producers, but it explains what happened from a business perspective,” Theba said.
@bryantheba #leamichelle #janelynch #beaniefeldstein #leamichele #funnygirl #business101 #showbusiness #theatertok #theatertiktok #broadwaytok #funnygirlbroadway #broadwayshow #theaterkid #broadwaymusicals #musicaltheater #broadway #boxoffice #barbrastreisand #rachelberry
♬ Don’t Rain On My Parade (Cover of Barbra Streisand’s Funny Girl) – Glee Cast
Now that they’ve shaken up the casting, ticket prices have reportedly “skyrocketed.”
At the time of reporting, the cheapest tickets are priced at around (USD)$450 riiiight at the back row. As for the decent seats, prices are surging as high as $2,350, via Seat Geek.
Back when Feldstein was the lead, tickets were reportedly as cheap as $69.
There’s no word yet as to how many tickets have been sold since Lea Michele has taken over.
I get that all of this money would have been a business decision because capitalism etc, but was Lea Michele really the best choice?
