I'm interested to see how she sounds in this production. On Glee, she was playing a teenage character singing DROMP. Everyone's worried she's going to do a bad Barbra impression, but she's now 10+ years older and a more mature artist being directed by someone else. I feel like she will bring a lot more nuance to this role than people are giving her credit for.

I love Beanie Feldstein, but she was totally miscast in this role (in my opinion). When Barbra Streisand was cast in the role of Fanny Brice, the songs were basically written to take advantage of her incredible voice. The Funny Girl story is pretty weak, so it really is all about the songs/voice. That may not be fair, but it is what it is. Again, just my opinion. I wish Lea Michele success as she steps into the role of Fanny Brice and I also wish Beanie much success in her future endeavors.

Let us not forget that Lea Michele has been a Broadway star since she was a child.

I am learning to sing, and I heard the gasped “ha” before singing is a cheat to activate the diaphragm, it’s supposed to be a beginners trick and when you get more experienced you’re meant to drop it but most people don’t break the habit.

You should have used Lea's performance at the Tony Awards live instead of the engineered sound from the Glee recording. Probably the vocal coaching she will be getting during the summer before her Broadway premiere will correct the particulars you brought up. It will be interesting to see how the peformance changes then. Good analysis of she & Beanie's performance differences.

8:40 so the thing I’m hearing with Beanie is that her placement is nasal, which is actually not good technique. Singing nasally and singing with forward placement are often confused, the difference being one is poor technique that stifles the sound and creates that nasal tone, while the other is strong technique that sounds clear and amplifies the sound. Jessica Vosk is a great example of someone with that perfect forward placement that just rings out for eons

I honestly haven’t heard any of Beanie’s performances in this show but when she was cast I wanted to believe that they weren’t casting her to play Barbra Streisand but to play Fanny Brice. I’ve felt my whole life like nobody knew who Fanny Brice even was because they assumed she was a Barbra clone. I wanted Beanie to NOT be Barbra and I wanted the world to be happy about it. But now the world is going to get what it apparently wants… a Barbra Streisand tribute show. And even if Lea is the greatest Barbra tribute the world has, that’s not the same as taking a role and making it your own, which I believe Beanie did.

I’m really surprised you didn’t use a live performance of Lea Michele’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to give a more accurate assessment. However, I worked with Lea michele, very briefly, for a performance on American idol. When I worked with her, she was wonderful and was an absolute pleasure to work with. No signs of any worrisome “Rachel Barry” attitude and I was very pleasantly surprised. I really hope that this means she truly has come a long way from wherever she may have been many years before.

I think Michele has since toned down on the vocal cries. Also, the songs were written for Barbara Streisand, so although different interpretations are welcome it appears that if you deviate from the Streisand belts of the songs, you deviate from what the songs are meant to be. There will always be backlash if you choose to interpret the song another way without the necessary artistic justification that can be found in the rest of the production. I don't know what beanie did, but it also appears like the character of Fanny Bryce has to be a belter, because of how much passion she has for becoming a star.

Just saw Beanie's last performance earlier today. She had some lovely moments at the end that were well acted and very emotional, but clearly was never up to the singing demands of this role. In addition to power, range is a huge issue for her - Beanie can't belt nearly as high up the scale as Lea, let alone Barbra. As a result, she sang some songs fully in head voice (e.g. People) and chose lower notes in some instances for songs that she fully belted. I was also taken aback that Ramin in some instances was singing the melody while Beanie was singing lower harmony parts, which seemed due to her not having the notes. The level of artistry in singing you see with so many Broadway actors - choosing different colors, ornamentations, etc. in the voice - also just wasn't there. This is by no means Beanie's fault - she doesn't have the years of training and experience other headliners have as she's spent most of her career acting only. I do think she never should have been cast in this role and it was really unfair to her. I felt the same thing after hearing Katrina Lenk - a far better singer - in Company, a role that was just too high for her.

2:14 - THANK YOU!!! I'm not ashamed to admit I was a Glee fan, particularly Lea Michele, right up to the end. _However,_ I also must say that I grew to _hate_ that sound! That crying squeak is a valuable tool for expressing sadness, anger, etc. Unfortunately, in this case, it became so ubiquitous in her performances that I genuinely began to wonder, "Can she start a phrase _without_ that sound, or does she actually _lack_ the ability _not_ to (metaphorically) crack the door a bit before opening it all the way." Another technical issue with _this_ performance is that she occasionally breathes in the middle of phrases...and even the final word, "Pa," (breath), "rade!" (But now I'm nit picking.) As for Beanie Feldstein, it's not that her voice is _objectively bad;_ it's that it's _comparatively smaller_ that the voice we've been conditioned to expect...if not demand. With regard to Lea Michile's "divazilla" attitude and treatment of her Glee cast mates, I'm with you. I don't want to live in a world where we continue to punish people for (non-criminal) things they did _years_ ago...IF they have, in fact, changed. Along that line, when was the last time we heard a story about Lea's _recent_ bad behavior. It's been awhile. Yeah?

i can't help but getting goosebumps on my arms when i hear lea michelle's final notes singing this song

I'm a big fan of Beanie, but to be fair, it's not just her lack of power or belting that is underwhelming people. She doesn't have the best tone and tone can make up for a lot of other attributes. I believe people would be disappointed with her vocals regardless of the Barbara comparison. Also, this is more of a Rachel Berry analysis than a Lea Michele one in my opinion. On Glee I'm sure she was told exactly how to sing it. I think Lea will be fantastic on Broadway. Many actors in Hollywood do far worse things than be difficult on set as a young adult without so much as a blink, so I don't think her real-life personality has anything to do with if she'll be right for the role. Beanie has a history with her voice for sure, but she's the leading lady on Broadway- the bar should be very high. Great analysis video!

Interesting. I'm curious about how the comedy bits and the more intimate songs sound. Lea Michele can belt the big power numbers, I'm sure; but I wonder if she can be funny or particularly charming as a character? The quality she tends to project feels more like angst and wanting to prove herself, rather than being a little off-beat, vulnerable, and endearing.

Lea has A LOT of live performances of this song you could check one of those instead. Good video btw

I personally would love to see Beanie originate the role of Mama Cass in a new jukebox musical based on her life and music.

Thank you for your simple yet lovely analysis, and for your commentary on this whole situation. Absolutely love your infectious energy and can't wait to see more videos! :D

THE CRY SOUND! Thank you!!!!! Whenever I spoke about her in my music classes (7-12 all girls), I always mention the "hitch" or "Hiccup" when she phonates. They all loved her, and I will admit that she is talented, but the cry sound drives me nuts. ANd I'm now going to compare her to Babs. Yes, Jule Styne was writing the FG score for her. There are layers and just a depth to Babs' voice that Lea does not have. Lea was a wonderful Cosette, but I'll wait to see what the word of mouth is when she takes over the role of Fanny Brice.

She is already a broadway star. She was the lead in Spring Awaking.

I really appreciate that your analysis is understandable to people who are not music experts. Even more, I appreciate your balanced and kind perspective on the performers. We need more people like you speaking up and less people just waiting for the slightest chance to tear others apart.

The thumbnail made it look like this would be a harsh analysis but you're actually really sweet, I loved this

With your discussion of Beanie's vocal choices, I wonder if at any point the director or producers told her to "make the role her own". I can think of several productions or revivals where the actor was encouraged to take risks with character development because they wanted to make the show unique, even if it had a history or classic role. It would be unfortunate if Beanie was told to make the role her own and put her spin on the character, and then she gets slammed by the critics and canned by the producers for doing exactly what she was told to do. Is the role so iconic that no one can perform it unless they're channeling Barbra? I feel like Beanie got the shaft no matter what, but I also wonder if she wasn't set up for failure based on expectations around the show that had nothing to do with her.

You are amazing and so right about both performers. Unfortunately, Beanie Feldstein was miscast. I saw her in Hello Dolly and she was lovely. She brought that supporting role to life and made it unforgettable. In my opinion, she’s a great character actress who takes a supporting role and makes it shine. Lea Michele (and thank you for giving her a chance) will be an amazing Fanny Brice. Let’s hope she has matured and learned some important lessons in life. Thank you. Your music theatre theory is outstanding.

Great vocal analysis of the two singers. And thanks for mentioning how over-produced the Glee vocal soundtracks were. When Michele sang it at the Tony's she did struggle a bit and pushed in the bigger moments, but it could have been nerves. Either way, she's a skilled singer, and like Streisand has a smaller evenly produced instrument which the microphone loves so it doesn't distort as quickly in the louder moments. Mic'ing and recording the truly larger voices in MT and opera is very difficult from the production end, even with newer technology and software. Loved your mention of the 1950's brighter/brassier vowel sound in MT, a lot of that was to get the voice to project in the theaters pre-1965 mic age. We're now many generations into singing with mic's, and it's allowed folk to use more natural spoken vowel shapes as well as varied and expressive register blends that would never have projected in the old days.

I just subscribed to your channel. The way you explained very specific technical details speaks of your teaching skills. Great communication style combined with a super solid music background. Bravo!!! 👏👏👏👏

Let me start out by saying I'm not a big fan of Lea's. She has that whiny Disney Princess sound that I've always found annoying. And yes, that "cry" before almost every phrase is definitely over the top. Just like you mentioned, it can work in certain moments, but by using it all the time it loses its strength. Now without going further, I had to remember this was quite a while ago, and might not even be worth spending too much more time on. There's been a lot of years and a lot of growing up and vocal maturity since this performance on Glee. I Googled it to find out what year she did this song. It was 2009. So that's 13 years ago. She was 22 then and she's 35 now. A lot can change! I'm curious what she'll sound like today and more than likely with different direction. But to answer your question... "Is Lea Michele really that much better?" Vocally, a big yes! Whether I like her style of singing or not, she is a singer. Beanie is not a singer. Sure, she can carry a tune. But this is Broadway! Her singing voice doesn't sound much better than some of the high school kids I've directed in their musicals. Anyway, I do like Beanie. She has a very charming personality and is a very good comedic actress. But she did not have the instrument to carry a whole B'way show on her shoulders. Without an amazing Fanny Brice, the show runs out of steam real quick! That's the main reason nobody's taken a chance on bringing it back to B'way since the '60s. It needs a phenomenal actress with a phenomenal voice! There were so many known actresses that were offered the role way before they got Streisand. And they all turned it down because they couldn't handle the score. You see, Jule Styne, the composer, was told by some friends of his that he has got to check out this girl they just saw performing downtown in a little night club. She was just so good and so original. And so, he went. By this point he was willing to listen to anybody. And he was not disappointed! He fell in love that very night with the girl who had already dropped the middle "A" from her first name. But when he brought back this fantastic news that he's found their lead, the rest of them weren't as thrilled with the idea. They didn't want to take a chance with a virtually unknown singer, even though she had already done her first B'way musical in I Can Get It For You Wholesale. But even though she got rave reviews, it was a supporting role. And she was young, only 19 when Wholesale opened! And she would only be 21 at the time FG would open. Too much of a chance for a leading role on B'way, and a leading role who would be virtually on stage the entire show! So, what I'm getting at is that Jule Styne wanted Barbra. And he knew she had a very big vocal range. So, when finishing the score, he allegedly opened up the range on all the songs! The ranges for all Fanny's songs ended up being so wide and difficult to sing, well, like I said, everybody else turned it down, and he got his Barbra! Lol! So, my point is I haven't the foggiest idea how they thought Beanie was going to handle such a score. And in the end, she couldn't do it justice. Oh, and just to give you some background on myself so you would know I come from some professional experience. I'm a voice teacher/vocal coach here in NYC with a masters in piano and vocal performance. And I've had some students make it to B'way, Off B'way, tours and recordings. Sorry if that sounded a bit braggy. And also sorry for the lengthy post! It's hard to stop when talking about the field I'm in and love! Your passion shows as well. Good luck with your shows and future endeavors!

Just came across to this video. You got me. Yes to all the comments and to your perfectly accurate technical breakdown. Can't wait to watch more! Love from a fellow artist in Greece xxx

I chose to go see Funny Girl in previews because I adore Ramin Karimloo. When I saw the FG trailer that you are using here, I thought 'oh dear'. When I went to the theatre, I desperately wanted to like Beanie. While she was much better than you see in the trailer, she just didn't have the voice required for most of the songs. I've heard others sing these songs well, so it isn't just a comparison to Barbra. (In fact, in the second act, there is a short reprise of "People" where Ramin sings one line AMAZINGLY, only emphasizing how mediocre Beanie's voice is. Also, I didn't know about Beanie's voice problems when she was younger. All the more reason not to cast her in the first place.

I love this video. I have no idea about vocal techniques, etc. but the way you explained things, I understood the basics. Will definitely watch your other vids and subbed!

Interesting! I wish it was a reaction to a live performance though, like on tour or the tony awards

You’ve got to remember Lea Michelle is acting here. When you watch her perform this outside of glee specific events there is a lot less of the beginning of the note ‘cry’. This Performance is being given by Rachel Berry, not Lea Michelle. To assume Lea would make these same choices is wrong.

shit I can't unheard the little cry at the begining of every verse she sings now, this has forever changed me, I love the review

I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a KZfaq video, but your analysis and explanation were so fascinating, insightful and well-presented that I just had to say, “Great frigging job!”

your analysis is so amazing and your kindness is infectious

Thank you for pointing out that people should be allowed to grow and learn from their past 👏👏👏

Thanks for sharing the info about Beanie’s early vocal damage and technique rebuilding. It’s not something I’ve not heard anyone else bring up in the midst of reporting/analyzing this and goes a long way towards explaining why she would be both vocally cautious and selective of a perhaps narrower range of choices in order to protect the voice. Sharing this, alone, convinced me to subscribe to your channel as “a voice” really worth listening to. I’m sorry we couldn’t have heard more of Beanie in the role online, particularly as I’m not sure whether the OBC recording has been, or will be, released under these circumstances, I’m intrigued by the few clips you played to hear whether, more objectively, her sound and approach really could serve the music (separate from the Barbra expectations) after all. That said, your analysis certainly leads me to believe that vocally the score shakes out as “Lea Michelle, 2: Beanie Feldstein, 1”. But based on “ ... belt the ever-loving POOP out of it” - YOU win! ;) :D

..I truly enjoyed this video analysis... Thank you. Very interesting. 🎶

Love your analysis. The explanations and examples were 🤩

By the way, New subscriber here from Perth , Western Australia, and your analysis of the song MADE ME DO It! Thank you!

Love the theory and the perspective of allowing people to grow. Thank you for being honest yet kind to all parties 🙏💫🎵.

Liked. Shared. Commenting right now and Subscribed. Great content!

The thing is, Fanny Brice was a real woman with a distinctive voice of her own. Streisand had a distinct and rich voice of her own, but she managed to capture some of Brice's charm and style. It probably helped that Garson Kanin and several others directly involved in the production knew Fanny Brice and were able to guide Streisand into picking up her qualities without devolving into a parody of Fanny Brice. Michele leans so heavily into Streisand's interpretation as Rachel Berry, that I have no idea how she'll do as Fanny.

I liked the analysis, new subscriber. And looking forward to see Lea on broadway. Recently see her live on her tour and was terrific.

I learned so much from this - thank you! I loved Glee (at first), but I never understood why everyone loved this rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade" so much. It seemed so loud to me, and now I understand that's the result of overproduction. I love when songs really build up to that true climax - it's exciting! But this entire song sounds like it's one volume. LOUD. Thank you so much for explaining this! And the cries...also didn't know that was a thing. I grew up singing in the 80s and 90s, and that wasn't something we were taught to do (that I can remember...). It always drove me bonkers to hear it, especially so SO often. This is over a year old at this point, but I'm thankful KZfaq suggested this video!

Thank you for analyzing this song and the difference of artists execution. I am preparing for my performance exam and this song is one of the songs to perform. I'm glad I found your channel. This helps me a lot. THANK YOU. XOXO

It was really interesting to watch and listen to you doing this. The passion and know-how is really uplifting and somewhat sexy. Now I need to find more vids and even perhaps something where I get to hear your voice. Loved it and am so subscribing

I really enjoyed the way you did the switch screen analysis of Don't Rain on My Parade with Beanie vs. Lea. I know virtually nothing about music theatre theory, but I know what I like, and I really like, no love, Barbra Streisand. When Funny Girl was revived on Broadway I wanted to see it, but I didn't know much about Beanie. I pulled up a trailer of her singing Don't Rain on My Parade and, while I know and accept there's only one Barbra, I was underwhelmed. Not only that, I think I would have been disappointed had I gone to Broadway. Perhaps Lea is a b---h, no comment, but I really don't care, she's not a friend, family, or co-worker. When I spend my time and hard-earned money for a show, I want to have my socks knocked off. Now that I've watched your analysis, I think I will go see Funny Girl with Lea Michele. Thanks for sharing, and, btw, your teaching voice has a pretty wide range too.

When Streisand sings “ here I am” she doesn’t sound like past Broadway singers that came before like the merms or Carol Channing. Streisand is an original, she has no need to copy others or imitate others.

PLEASE do a Barbra analysis next (any song honestly). This is fantastic!

THANK YOU for mentioning the rampant use of pitch correction, compressors and limiters in Glee’s music. It always, always drove me crazy and all the songs just felt neutered and lifeless to me as a result. It was more maddening than Lea Michelle’s cry 😂 It’s not just Glee, of course - it’s a major issue with practically all big, glossy Hollywood production these days. The live-action Beauty and the Beast movie’s soundtrack was just completely unlistenable to me due to everyone (but mainly Emma Watson) sounding like a computer, rather than a human. You should do a video on this topic if you can think of enough to talk about and enough examples to compare/contrast!

Great job. I wrote a blogpost about this myself last year comparing her to Streisand - and I think it's a phrase by phrase, note by note imitation. Her voice is great, and I hope that she'll make the role her own. It is ten years later, so maybe.... ? Note that the way she sings the finale "parade," she closes to the R for a full beat before she opens to the vowel. Thing I once heard about diphthongs, and it didn't pertain specifically to singing, but I like using it anyway: "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking."

The famous older Broadway performers performed with no mikes. I saw Ethel Merman in Hello Dolly and the show was miked, but Merman sang two songs in the runway with the mikes off, and she was magnificent.

Both actresses have a little-girl quality to their singing and most likely, it's because they started performing at a very young age. When Lea opens up and belts she sounds really good but not that whine/cry at the beginning of her phrases. That should be a big N.O. when performing a piece that was A) Written in the MidCentury and B) Evokes an even earlier time when Disney Princess-style singing was unheard of. Fanny Brice was a formidable WOMAN (as is Barbra Streisand) and she was also an elegant woman in real life--nothing like the characters she played in the Follies.

I will be seeing Funny Girl in August and then again in Sept with Lea and I cannot wait!

It's really nice to see someone being kind and and empathetic in their analysis. 💜

Loved every minute, I work in showbussines in Mexico, and had done several musicals here, Colombia and Argentina.. you are so right in your post, I saw Funny Girl when I was 7, and did not understood in my 7 years old English the lyrics But I asked my parents why do the PEOPLE went wild?.. I knew it soon. Had seen this show in London twice with the lead AND the undesrtudy .. great, and saw this one on BROADWAY.. once at the theatre where I worked here un Mexico City had the rights to do this show..impossible to make a fair translation Take care Roberto Ayala

You are so fair, balanced, and insightful in your assessment. Followed!

Wow! Such a knowlegeable and insightful review. New fan!

Great analysis! I don't think Leah has anything like the richness or texture to her voice of Streisand, but she channels her well and will do a fine job on Broadway. Beanie has a lot of charm which I think made her characterization work, not only acting-wise but vocally too, at least to a degree. She was a bit heavy for the role- not because we don't want to see a plus-size actress, but because Fanny was a real person who wasn't heavy, it's something we know about her. I'm glad Beanie was given a chance to put her unique stamp on this great role, and look forward to Leah doing the same.

I think it’s such a shame that Beanie is leaving so soon. I saw her last month and she was wonderful and she had some very powerful vocal moments where she opened up, I think if she had more time to truly settle into the role vocally people would be saying kinder things. Cause Fanny has a million things to do, and doing it 7/8 times a week I assume would be exhausting and finding the best way to sing the score so much can take a while. I’ve heard many an actor talk about adjusting their sound to produce the best sound, while still delivering what’s expected. I truly believe if Beanie had her full initial run she would have found the right balance.

Must be very difficult to give this song a performance that differs from Barbra. Lillias White sang this song for the 2002 Actors Fund Benefit (it's on YT), which was uniquely different and powerful. Really worth a watch.

I do agree with a lot of what you said, but I keep saying this to all of these people commenting because they are pissed Lea Michele is replacing her. The truth of the matter is, you can’t take what a couple people say on set as fact and judge her for it. Also, it’s exactly right that she should be allowed to be human and people should leave Glee in the past and focus on how she acts moving forward. She also didn’t dismiss what people said about her and call them out for it, but she apologized for the way her actions may have been taken, and I think she handled it in a mature manner. Everyone has people they may not get along with, and negativity is what goes viral, so I think people need to take accusations with a grain of salt and not believe it as fact. I am excited and happy for Lea Michele, and I am sick of people trying to now put Lea Michele down because of her past and accusations, while there were a lot of concerns regarding Beanie being chosen simply based on nepotism which isn’t right and if you look into how she got the role, I think it’s also problematic. Why are people not discussing the problems with Beanie being chosen for the role in the first place? People love to ignore that, and just trash Lea Michele. I think Beanie gave her own version of Fanny Brice and so will Lea Michele, and there is room for both of them :)

Very well said! You, sir, are a gentleman, scholar and a diplomat.

She sang this live on the Glee Concert. You should have picked up that video, not the one from Glee.

I have just returned from a NYC trip where I saw 4 shows. With all the negative attention on Funny Girl, it was lower on my list; However, a Covid cast outbreak in a different show I was supposed to see freed me up to see Beanie Feldstein in the Funny Girl matinee on the same day she announced her earlier departure (Sunday). All the people around me shared the same initial concern before the show began. Several of us (who got last-minute tickets) had seriously upgraded seats designated by the usher (I'm sure not a good indicator). Nonetheless... The show was fabulous! Every aspect was great. The staging was impressive, the comedic timing was great, the chemistry between Beanie and Ramim was good, Beanie's vocals were wonderful, and her dancing was great. Jane was fabulous too. The audience gave multiple applauses mid-show and a resounding much-deserved standing ovation at the end. I don't know if it was due to changes because of all the criticism over the past several months or if it was simply the criticism was too harsh comparing Beanie to a freak prodigy (Streisand) - to which how many Streisand-calibre stars have there been in the past 50+ years?!!? Even Idina Menzel's performance at the Kennedy Awards to Barbra herself (while incredible) was not quite Barbra'esque. Beanie should not be compared to anyone! Allow Beanie to tell the story of Fanny Brice - the actual protagonist in this true-life story, not try and retell Barbra's caricature of Fanny. I feel so bad for Beanie! She doesn't deserve any of this... and I enjoyed the show very much!

Your final remarks were very diplomatic and understanding. Props to that.

Though I'm quick to criticize Lea Michelle's performances and atitude, her interpretation of this song is ICONIC. Like, "Changed-my-life" kinda iconic. Gotta respect that.

now you've pointed out the breath thing, I can't unhear it!! Your critique is spot on however it's important to understand that the clip you're using is from Glee series 1 in 2009 - 13 years ago.

You literally need to do this live. I don’t know why you’d use a pre-recording lmao

I think Beanie’s voice is good, but it’s too pretty for a role like Fanny Brice. Beanie would be amazing in a show like Once because of the kind of voice she has. I think she would be great in Little Shop of Horrors playing Audrey. Her voice to me sounds good, she can sing (her rendition of The Meadowlark is actually very sweet), but her voice is sweet and pretty, not big and boisterous the way it would need to be for certain roles. But Beanie is iconic and I will always support her because she seems like a genuinely good person.

I saw Beanie as Fanny Brice and I really enjoyed the whole performance. From a historical standpoint Fanny Brice was more a comedic genius than a singer. The haters will hate, I am glad I got to see the original cast.

I love when people do back-to-back comparisons of the Lea Michelle version vs. the Naya Rivera version (also from Glee). Naya knocks it down into her mezzo range but I really love her voice. Would you consider doing one?

loved the way you explained their vocals. Thank you very much

I hope this doesn't come off as too harsh, but I do believe if Beanie really had that much vocal damage and couldn't push her voice very far then she was very miscast for this role and should've never really been considered in the first place. I think that her father being a producer on the show was the priority reason she was even cast tbh. So while I do feel bad about the criticism, I do think some of it (not all of it, and especially not the fat shaming ones) is valid. Like if she cant sing the role how Fanny Brice would, then she shouldve never been on the stage in the first place, you know, seeing as the show is literally about her and the expectation of the audience is to hear a big and powerful voice.

I knew nothing about the controversy or either actor but clicked on this because my little sister was literally just singing this (it's currently the centerpiece of her audition repertoire) and I was curious how she compared. Ended up being even more relevant when you started talking about Beanie's struggles with vocal damage because my sister had issues with her voice about a year ago and is still having to be extra careful. I don't know any of the technical terms but my sister's issues were luckily not as severe or permanent as they could have been so she can still belt and everything, she just has to be careful about it. Anyways, this was very interesting and I love how compassionate you are to both Beanie and Lea. You're totally right that people need to be given room to grow as people and not be permanently shackled to mistakes made when they were young and immature and Beanie may not have been the best casting choice to achieve the same kind of vocals Barbara Streisand did but it does seem like people are being harsher than necessary so I'm sending virtual hugs to her.

I was taught many years ago (80’s) by a voice teacher to not pronounce the R sounds at ends of words - to focus on the vowels. Would you say that’s incorrect? I’m not talking as severe as singing “comAH” instead of “comeR” but I specifically recall her stressing NOT to linger on the RRRR sound (I guess it comes across nasally?) I wondered what your thoughts were on this?

Great review

... except that Ms. Michele is lip-syncing here while filming, and so it's impossible to comment on her actual vowel/mouth shapes as nobody filmed her singing the actual track to which she is lip-syncing in this filmed segment. Lots of great analysis here otherwise!

It's interesting how you feel like Barbra doesn't trill much. I'm sure she does but it's subtle when compared to modern singers. That said, the trill at 5:08 was lifted directly from Streisand's performance in the 1968 film. Barbra (especially in early recordings) was adept and jazy vocalizations that featured, growls, trills, and riffs.

I subbed after just watching the opening of the video.

Finally someone mentioning the “h” cry sounds! When I was a teen watching Glee I used to find that SO irritating but no one else seemed to pick up on it!

You’re a swell guy dude, keep on making videos, you do them correctly and with love and passion. I.J.S.

Hopefully LM has grown as a person , and I appreciate your attitude that we not be so judgemental about someone ‘s past such that they are set up for future failure because of past mistakes. And while perhaps not a positive thing , the reality is the vast majority of people who will go see Funny Girl will go because of the performance and entertainment value of the musical, and not because of the character of the performers.

My choir director used to call it scooping. Would you say that's the same or different from vocal cry?

An honest and heartfelt review. Thank you 🎉

Regarding the 'open mouth' full voice of Lea....please remember that Glee used all pre-recorded soundtracks and lip-syncing, so, as you probably already know singers tend to over-act the mouth when lip syncing. Except Barbra. She did the opposite. PS: Ya' married? LOL

Whilst the critics have been unkind, I'm not sure what Beanie expected after basically being given the role since her father is one of the producers. She didn't audition for the role, she wasn't chosen because she was the best singer/actor who auditioned. She was simply lucky enough to have been given the role. Lea Michele seems like the right person for the role, she looks the part and has a strong enough voice to be compared to Barbra.

Totally on your page about almost every point. You can tell that Lea Michele, in that clip, is almost going between Babs and Elphaba in Wicked. I hope she is working on the control, as you mentioned, with that many shows a week.

This was GREATT analysis

Leas voice is so amazing. It has been always great , but now , after so many years… it’s so much better. Love her always and so happy that she is doing this. 🥰

Beanie is a nepotism baby, she only got this part because of her family connections. I think Lea is a powerhouse vocalist, she definitely has a tone that can be grating to some ears but even haters can't deny her talent.

I was taught that the "cry" like scooping, was a tool to be used. But if they aren't used sparingly, they lose all effectiveness. I am sad that Beanie has been forced out of Funny Girl. I was excited about a different take from Barbra.

Very kind fair diplomatic analysis.

It is such an unfortunate situation. What is even more unfortunate, is how much these poor actresses are compared to the likes of Barbara Streisand. Yes, she originated the part, and it catapulted her career... but that happened over half a century ago. Let it go... Can we be more evolved and forward thinking to stop comparing actors playing roles they are re-creating and comparing them to another person. EVERY actor and actress is unique and special and brings their unique gifts to each role they take on. We should not criticize them for not being the original person... they are only doing their job as an actor and creating the role as they see fit. It is disappointing that people cannot take Beanie's portrayal for face value... a gift that she is giving us with her talent, and a real shame that Broadway producers are far more interested in money instead of the arts. I am sure Lea Michele will do a wonderful job as well, but for every 'great' talent out there... there are over one hundred people out there that are even more talented, and more are being born every minute... so just enjoy what every actor brings to you.

Please do a review/analysis of Patti Lupone's Everything's Coming Up Roses, Being Alive, or Rainbow High

The only comparison should be when Lea Michele actual performs the part of Fanny Brice on Broadway. Why should she perform it exactly like Ms. Streisand? She’ll then be criticized for “copying” her. The point being let us not criticize Lea Michele before she performs and for who she is as a person. I’m sure there are a few wonderful performers who are not the best of people. Give her a chance. After her first few performances, come back and critique.

Check out her version of “My man” from funny girl. It was AMAZING. She performed it live at a Barbra Streisand tribute concert (in front of Barbra) and she did great (she must have been nervous but it almost didn’t show). You could perhaps listen to the Glee performance and then the live at tribute to hear how it’s almost the same

Way to go Mateo!!! 😃👍❤️

Lea did a live version bro!

Fascinating!