“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine,” Feldstein posted on Instagram tonight, “and doing it these past few months has been a great joy and a true honor. Once production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away earlier than expected. I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every person who came to August Wilson for the love and support you showed me and our amazing cast and crew. The people I’ve had the great pleasure of bringing Funny Girl to life every night, both on and off the stage, are all incredibly talented and wonderful people, and I hope you’ll continue to join them on Henry Street after I leave on July 31st. “ Feldstein did not explain in what ways the production was taken “in a different direction.” The deadline has reached production. No announcement has been made about her replacement, but rumors have been circulating for weeks that producers are considering Lea Michele as a replacement, possibly paired with Feldstein’s student Julie Benko. The producers have not confirmed the speculation. The production tweeted tonight that new casting announcements will be made Monday at 1 p.m. ET. Feldstein has missed an increasing number of shows in recent weeks, including last night’s matinee. Last month he missed a number of shows due to a positive Covid test. Originally, when the show opened (to mixed reviews) on April 24, Feldstein was expected to stay on through the end of the year, but last month producers announced that both she and co-star Jane Lynch would be leaving the show in September. 25. No updated announcement was made today regarding Lynch. Although the production initially sold well at the box office, the lack of major nominations or Tony wins has dampened revenues. Box office figures for the week ending July 3 – the most recent figures available – show that Funny Girl ran to houses that were only 75% full. Stay tuned gorgeous… pic.twitter.com/s9DIfSq2Jg — Funny Girl on Broadway (@FunnyGirlBwy) July 10, 2022
