Comment The candy of life today for Lea Michele. On Sept. 6, the actress will replace Beanie Feldstein in the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl.” Michele — a noted Barbra Streisand superfan who created the role of Fanny Brice on stage in 1964 — memorably covered the series’ anthem “Don’t Rain on My Parade” on the first season of TV’s “Glee” and later performed the song at the 2010 Tony Awards. She publicly expressed interest in playing the role during a talk show appearance years ago, fueling social media fascination with the idea of taking it on, and has been rumored as the lead since Feldstein’s departure was announced . Michele has a history with Fanny Brice. “Glee” character Rachel Berry performed several “Funny Girl” songs on the show and even landed the role in the fictional universe revival. On Monday afternoon, after that story came true, Michele wrote on Instagram that “a dream come true is an understatement.” The revival of “Funny Girl,” a well-received production adapted into a hit film starring Streisand in 1968, opened in late April after years of rumors and subsequent delays. After Feldstein took a break from the show after testing positive for the coronavirus, she announced in June that her last show would be on September 25. The production confirmed the news on Twitter and added that actress Jane Lynch, who played Mrs. Brice, would also be coming out then. Feldstein then shared in a statement posted to Instagram Sunday night that she would be leaving “Funny Girl” at the end of July — two months earlier than the originally announced date. She attributed her early departure – a highly unusual event on Broadway – to the production deciding to “take the show in a different direction”. “I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every person who came to August Wilson [Theatre] for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew,” the statement reads. “The people I’ve had the great pleasure of bringing Funny Girl to life every night, both on and off stage, are all incredibly talented and extraordinary people.” Lynch is also stepping down earlier than planned, taking her final bow on September 4. Mrs. Brice will be played by four-time Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh. (Standby Julie Benko will play Fanny Brice in August and Thursdays beginning in September.) “Funny Girl” received largely negative reviews. Frank Rizzo of Variety referred to it as “underpowered”. Jesse Green of The New York Times argued that the revival “shows why it took so long”. While noting her earnest nature, critics noted Feldstein’s vocal abilities, particularly in contrast to Streisand’s. Peter Marks of the Washington Post stated that “whereas, for example, you clearly believed that Streisand was a star, with Feldstein, your main belief is that believes he’s a star.” According to weekly statistics from the Broadway League, a trade organization, “Funny Girl” filled the August Wilson to 97.8 percent capacity in mid-May, likely due to the strength of pre-rating advance sales. By early July, that number had dropped to just under 75%. This track has been updated.
