Samantha Ware Comments On Lea Michele Becoming The New “Funny Girl” On Broadway
A few years ago, Samantha Ware–who starred on Glee as the character Jane during its sixth season–casually burned down anything that could have been positive regarding Lea Michele‘s reputation. Samantha took to Twitter to let us all know that Lea made the set of Glee a living hell for her and bullied her on more than a few occasions including threatening to “shit” in her wig. But while Samantha has never said Lea is a racist, she’s definitely not pretending she doesn’t benefit from the “whiteness” that gets rewarded in Hollywood. And because that “whiteness” just got cast as the lead in Funny Girl on Broadway, Samantha has something to say.
Broadway’s first-ever revival of Funny Girl opened in April and starred Beanie Feldenstein in the title role. But after not getting a Tony nomination, it was announced that Beanie would be leaving the show in September. Then Beanie announced that her exit date has been moved up and she’s leaving later this month after producers decided to go in a“different direction.” Page Six says that Beanie’s contract was for a year, but after the show got bad reviews and ticket sales lagged, producers turned on her. Sources say that Beanie was “basically fired” before she publicly quit on Twitter. DRAMA! But the drama doesn’t end there.
Lea begins performances on September 6 and if there’s one person who won’t be in the audience, it will be Samantha Ware who said this about Lea landing a starring role on Broadway:
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
Meanwhile, I’m working on one of the most safest & inclusive sets I’ve ever been on. I finally feel seen from the moment I step into the hair&makeup trailer to the last line of the day. Ness is back tomorrow night. Tune in. #AllRise https://t.co/yHm0ORZ4oX
— SAMEYA (@Sammie_Ware) July 11, 2022
She also reposted the message to her Instagram with a collection of more memes and internet reactions:
Jane Lynch, who plays Fanny’s mom in the show, is also leaving the production right before Lea enters, just as her character left the show in Glee when Lea’s character, Rachel Barry, got the same part:
Jane Lynch is leaving Funny Girl the day Lea Michele joins just so she can buy tickets and leave halfway through
pic.twitter.com/OFp4PEliry— ski (@shyingflutters) July 11, 2022
Well, many didn’t like Beanie as Fanny, but at least she didn’t get massively booed and pelted with tomatoes, which is what may happen to Lea if people she’s wronged in the past are in the audience. And since she’s reportedly been a terror since leaving the womb, the list of people she’s pissed off is long. I’m not sure that’s the “different direction” that producers were talking about.
Pic: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com