Sophia Michaels
Lea Michele’s return to Broadway as Fanny Price in the musical “Funny Girl” has been a major success, but fans should hurry to get their tickets as the show will soon be closing. Variety reported that the final performance will be on September 3, 2022, just under a year after Michele’s debut. Audiences have been raving about Michele’s portrayal of Fanny Brice, with multiple standing ovations in Act I of the show.
Michele replaced Beanie Feldstein, who played the titular character from April to July of 2022. Feldstein announced her departure on July 10, 2022, two months earlier than her and castmate Jane Lynch’s previously announced final performance. Feldstein shared a statement on Instagram, expressing her love for the show and thanking everyone for their support. She concluded her time as Fanny Brice at the end of July 2022 and said her goodbyes to her castmates.
Michele’s casting was announced by the production via Twitter on July 11, 2022. This marked Michele’s return to Broadway after appearing in the original production of “Spring Awakening” from 2006 to 2008. Jane Lynch, who has since left the show, spoke out to dispel rumors that she left early in order to avoid working with Michele again. Lynch insisted the decision had more to do with her hectic schedule.
The musical is loosely based on the life of actor and comedian Fanny Brice and her complicated marriage to entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. Its most famous song is “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” which Michele previously covered in the first season of “Glee.” The cast album was released in November 2022 and features Michele and her castmates.
