Producers not 'blindsided' by Feldstein's Instagram post

There's been some backstage drama at "Funny Girl" over the past few days ever since Beanie Feldstein announced Sunday on social media that she would be leaving the show on July 31 rather than Sept. 25 as reported several weeks ago. In a joint statement issued Wednesday by the show's producers and Feldstein's rep, they are denying that the producers were caught off guard by the decision.

In her lengthy Instagram post, Feldstein said that "Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated." On Monday, it was announced that Lea Michele would be taking over as Fanny Brice on Sept. 6, with Feldstein's understudy Julie Benko filling in from Aug. 2 through Sept. 4 and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8.

“The producers of Funny Girl were not blindsided by Beanie’s social post,” read the joint statement given to People magazine. “The producers decided to take the show in a different direction and end Beanie’s contract on September 25th, 6 months earlier than anticipated.”

The statement continued, “A month after that decision, Beanie decided it was best for her to leave on July 31st. The producers were aware of and in support of her decision. The producers and Beanie worked on this together professionally, respectfully and graciously.”

Michele has long expressed an interest in starring in "Funny Girl" and even performed some of the show's big numbers, including "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "People," on her former TV series "Glee," in which she co-starred with Jane Lynch (who plays Feldstein's mother in the Broadway show until Sept. 4). In a statement to Deadline.com on Tuesday, Lynch said she expects Michele "to take this show and make it her own."

"Funny Girl" opened in April to mostly lukewarm reviews with most of the praise going to Jared Grimes, who plays Brice's friend Eddie Ryan. Grimes also earned the show's sole Tony Award nomination.