Glee‘s Lea Michele is heading to Broadway this fall as the actress steps into the lead role of Funny Girl.
The performer will replace current star Beanie Feldstein beginning Tuesday, September 6 at the August Wilson Theatre on West 52nd Street in New York City. Michele will appear seven days a week as Fanny Brice, and joining her onstage as Mrs. Rosie Brice will be actress Tova Felshuh.
This current revival production of Funny Girl began previews in March 2022 and officially opened in April of this year. Feldstein will step down from her role as Fanny on July 31 with Julie Benko stepping in from August 1 through September 5 until Michele’s debut.
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Michele is best known for playing Rachel Berry in Fox‘s musical dramedy Glee which aired on Fox from 2009 to 2015. Her other television credits have included Scream Queens and The Mayor. The actress’s most recent on-screen role was in ABC‘s 2019 TV movie Same Time, Next Christmas.
On the musical front, Michele’s latest involvement with the stage was for 2021’s Spring Awakening 15th Reunion Concert which was taped and streamed on HBO Max. Her past credits include Les Misérables, Ragtime, and Fiddler on the Roof among others.
The casting news also reveals that Michele will miss her Glee costar Jane Lynch who is currently starring as Mrs. Rosie Brice as she’ll depart the production on September 4. Featuring the iconic score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, Funny Girl‘s revival is a revised book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart.
A love letter to theatre, this production opened to coincide with original star Barbara Streisand’s 80th birthday. The beloved musical offers attendees the chance to see tunes like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People,” performed on a Broadway stage once more.
Stay tuned for Michele’s Funny Girl debut this September and find more info on tickets by visiting funnygirlonbroadway.com.
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