“Funny Girl” is a musical that celebrates the oddballs, the kooky and the misfits, with Jule Styne-penned gems of songs like “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People”įeldstein, the “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird” actor, considered it one of theater’s highest honors to play Brice, telling The Associated Press in April that she tried not to think about it too much or she’d “explode.” The bittersweet comedy tells the tale of a Jewish girl from New York in the 1920s who went from burlesque to Broadway stages despite criticism that she wasn’t conventionally beautiful. Streisand starred in it on Broadway in 1964 and then won an Oscar in the 1968 film version. In an extraordinary step, Feldstein took to social media Sunday to say that while playing the heroine of “Funny Girl” was a “lifelong dream,” she could no longer continue due to choices by producers and would leave early, on July 31.įanny is one of musical theater’s more difficult roles to cast, needing both a set of pipes, a sense of humor and a spunky charm, perhaps why it has only now been revived on theater’s biggest stage. She did not mention Feldstein.īroadway is usually known for its quiet, seamless transitions after A-list stars depart shows - in part to protect multimillion-dollar shows - indicating that the backstage machinations at “Funny Girl” have been strained at best. Michele, who started her career on Broadway and starred in the original “Spring Awakening” recently returned to the work with the documentary “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known.” In many ways, her ascension to playing Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice - the role Barbra Streisand famously played on film - was foreshadowed by Michele singing several “Funny Girl” songs during the run of “Glee.”Īfter the show’s formal announcement, Michele hailed her next career step, saying “a dream come true is an understatement” on Instagram. The high-profile casting change rocked the Broadway community and represents another step toward a return to the spotlight and respectability for Michele after former “Glee” castmates in 2020 accused the actor of behavior that was interpreted as racist and bullying.
NEW YORK (AP) - Lea Michele has been tapped to step in and lead the Broadway revival of the beleaguered “Funny Girl” this fall, an announcement made just hours after current star Beanie Feldstein revealed she was leaving the musical sooner than anticipated due to the show taking a “different direction.”
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