Lea Michele Funny Girl

Posted by Steve on 20th Sep 2022

Lea Michele Funny Girl

Lea Michele has taken over the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, after the end of Beanie Feldstein run in late July 2022 along with Tovah Feldshuh as her outspoken mother. (Played by Jane Lynch original cast).

LEA MICHELE ( Fanny Brice, except Thursdays) is an award-winning actress, singer and NY Times Best Selling author. She is best known for her role as “Rachel Berry” on Ryan Murphy’s critically acclaimed, Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning series, “Glee.” In 2010, Michele was honoured with an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Actress – Comedy. In 2012 and 2013, Michele won the TEEN CHOICE Award for Choice TV Actress: Comedy. In 2013, she also won a People’s Choice Award for Best TV Comedic Actress.

At just eight years old, Lea Michele made her Broadway debut as “Young Cosette” in Les Misérables. Since then, Michele has shared the stage with Broadway greats Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell in Ragtime, as well as Alfred Molina in the 20th anniversary production of Fiddler on the Roof. She also received raved reviews for her stage performance in the role of “Wendla” for the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Spring Awakening, which earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She recently reprised her role of “Wendla” in Spring Awakening for the 15th anniversary of the production with the original cast. During a spectacular one night only, reunion concert the group came back together to benefit The Actors Fund. You can catch this performance in the new HBO docuseries; “Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known,” available on HBO Max.

While appearing on television and stage, Michele’s love for music has been a focus point in her career. Michele has had the honouring of singing for The President and performing at the Superbowl. She has released 4 albums, “FOREVER”, “Christmas in the City”, “Places” and “Louder” and has also travelled around the world on multiple concert tours including a joint tour with fellow “Glee” alum Darren Criss. Michele is also a best-selling author releasing “Brunette Ambition,” which was a NY Times Best Seller as well as her follow up book, “You First.”

FUNNY GIRL BACK STORY

Funny Girl is a musical that opened on Broadway in 1964. The book was by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedian Fanny Brice featuring her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. Its original title was My Man.

The musical was produced by Ray Stark, who was Brice’s son-in-law via his marriage to her daughter Frances, and starred Barbra Streisand. The production was nominated for eight Tony Awards but, facing tough competition from Hello, Dolly!, it failed to win in any categories. The original cast recording of Funny Girl was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.