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Lea Michele to replace Beanie Feldstein as Broadway’s ‘Funny Girl’

By Michelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Michelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

NEW YORK — Broadway will soon have a new “Funny Girl.”

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According to The Associated Press, former “Glee” star Lea Michele will play the role of Fanny Brice in the show’s Broadway revival beginning this fall, the production announced Monday.

“A dream come true is an understatement,” the Emmy-nominated actress wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m so incredibly honored to join this amazing cast and production and return to the stage playing Fanny Brice on Broadway. See you September 6th.”

On Sunday, Beanie Feldstein, who currently plays Brice, announced she would be leaving the show at the end of the month.

“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor,” Feldstein wrote on Instagram. “Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated. I will never forget this experience, and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew. The people I have had the great joy of bringing ‘Funny Girl’ to life with every night, both on and off the stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional humans, and I hope you continue to join them on Henry Street after I depart on July 31st.”

Michele’s acting career began on Broadway, with roles in “Les Miserables” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” Deadline reported. She also was the original Wendla in the Broadway production of “Spring Awakening,” according to the news outlet.

News of her casting comes two years after former “Glee” co-star Samantha Marie Ware accused Michele, now 35, of treating her poorly and making her time there “a living hell,” the AP previously reported. Michele issued an apology for being “unnecessarily difficult” but added that she didn’t remember an incident involving Ware, according to the news agency.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Photos: Lea Michele through the years Here are some memorable photos of actress and singer Lea Michele through the years. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

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