Beanie Feldstein will be leaving her dream role of Fanny Brice on July 31.... and Lea Michele will be stepping in!
Originally, the "Booksmart" star was set to depart the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl" on September 25th alongside Jane Lynch. Yet, on Sunday, Feldstein shared on Instagram that her final performance would be at the end of this month. She wrote,
"Once production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated."
The actress described playing Fanny Brice as a "lifelong dream" and landing the role has been a "a great joy and true honor." The show opened on April 24 and received very mixed reviews. Prior to the 2022 revival of "Funny Girl," Barbra Streisand played the iconic character for three years, starting in 1964.
Feldstein thanked the cast and crew and encouraged audiences to continue to support the play, even after her departure.
Upon the news of Feldstein's original September departure breaking, rumors swirled that "Glee" alum Lea Michele would be taking on the role. The parallel of her character on "Glee" also aspiring to play Fanny Brice on Broadway didn't get passed the internet.
It looks like fans were right! Michele will take the stage alongside Tovah Feldshuh, who will be replacing Lynch, on September 6.
