I Fear The Mistakes May Continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Darlings, I am afraid producers Sonia Friedman and Scott Landis, with the aid of director Michael Mayer, will again add more egg to their face with the revival of "Funny Girl."

                                         Now that washup Beanie Feldstein, plus co-star Jane Lynch, are scheduled to depart on September 25, the staff is frantically working on damage control.  Only not hard enough.  Because, while Julie Benko, the understudy who gets raves, and deserves her Peggy Sawyer/Judy Kaye moment, she probably will not, as I understand producers are courting Lea Michele to take over as Fanny.  Lea looks ten years too old for the part, meaning her voice has aged, and I don't care who goes after me, she killed Naya Rivera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Even were I to acknowledge this to be not true, I am still not sure about Lea.

                                            But there is one cute idea they have come up with.  Michele Lee recently bought an apartment in Manhattan--good luck, Michele! --and I hear she is being considered for Mrs. Brice, not just because of talent, but because of the combination Lea Michele and Michele Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, it is cute, but if the lead can't pull it off, the show could be facing again the same mess it did with Beanie.

                                              There is room for hope, though I do not think this will happen.  According to the publication "Queerty," they have five candidates they would like to see replace Beanie. Three I will dismiss without mention, because two are whom I have always believed from the beginning should have assumed the role--and that is either Jessie Mueller, or Lindsay Mendez!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Now, Jessie seems committed to "The Minutes," which I want to see.  I am not sure she can be lured away from her current gig, but, hey, if someone offered me a chance at "Funny Girl," I would surely think twice.  But Lindsay would be a perfect substitute too; the humor and heart she bought to Carrie in 2018's "Carousel," plus her vocal pyrotechnics would launch her into the Fanny Brice pantheon.

                                                       But mark my words, it is going to be Lea.  David and I will be obliged to see it, but it still may not be the Fanny of my choosing.

                                                          And that won't be until the staff understands that what made "Funny Girl" so special, with BARBRA, was it was like watching her story simultaneously.   A kid from Flatbush, Brooklyn, who makes it big at the Winter Garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Which is why Julie Benko should just slide right in.  It would be a continuation of the show's tradition of making a star out of its lead.  And Julie already has the cred.

                                                                What should happen, and what will are two different things.   My guess is once again mistakes will be repeated.

                                                                  Stay tuned, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!