For years, fans expected that Lea Michele would eventually play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Perhaps this is because of how obsessed with Barbra Streisand her Glee character, Rachel Berry, was. Or perhaps it’s because Rachel ended up actually playing Fanny on Broadway and winning a Tony. It could even be because a potential revival years ago was supposed to star Lea, but never came to fruition.

Regardless, many suspect that Lea auditioned for this revival, but lost the role to Beanie. Lea does have a reputation of treating cast members on set rudely and unfairly. That could have contributed to her not landing the role to begin with, as producers likely want to keep the show drama-free.

But at this point, between mediocre reviews and Lea’s incredible Tonys performance, it seems likely that production may have changed their mind. Instead of sticking out two more months feeling unwanted, Beanie may have decided to leave earlier than planned.

It’s unknown as of yet if Lea really will take over the role, but fans on social media have a lot of mixed feelings about the behind-the-scenes drama. Some are hoping that Julie will take over the role and come into her own as a star; after all, the plot of Funny Girl is about making an incredible unknown talent a star.