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Impossible to miss – the casting controversy surrounding the Broadway revival of ‘Funny Girl’ transcended the theater community and made its way into pop culture news. Since Barbra Streisand originated the role 58 years ago, her portrayal of vaudeville star, Fanny Brice, has remained one of the most cherished stage and screen performances of all time, posing the question: ‘can anyone perform ‘Funny Girl’ without that comparison?

Ultimately, Booksmart breakout Beanie Feldstein would take on the challenge. But critics called Beanie miscast, lacking the strength to sing songs deemed “Streisand classics.” Fans of the show on Twitter were ruthless– even arguing that Lea Michele, who famously performed the role on Glee should have been cast instead. Sure enough, Beanie announced she’d be leaving only four months into the run – and as if the prophecy was foretold: Lea Michele was her replacement.

This reignited the internet firestorm, and highlighted allegations of Michele’s bullying on the set of Glee. Some questioned if she was the reason Beanie was ousted. Still, it proved all press is good press – as Lea Michele broke box office records. And while she received rave reviews, they weren’t without comparison to both Barbra, and Beanie – leading us to wonder whether audiences’ inability to look past expectations caused the not-so-funny drama to begin with.