Funny Girl’s Jane Lynch praises Lea Michele and clarifies why she will not be sharing the stage with her former Glee co-star in the Broadway show.
Jane Lynch is showing some love for fellow Glee alum Lea Michele following the news that Michele will be taking over as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Michele and Lynch previously starred in Glee together for the entirety of the show’s six-season run. Michele led the cast as Rachel Berry, the larger-than-life star of her high school’s glee club with a lifelong dream of someday playing the lead in Funny Girl. Both Michele and Lynch received Emmy nominations for their work on Glee, with Lynch taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2010.
Funny Girl made its debut on Broadway in 1964 and featured performing legend Barbra Streisand in the leading role of real-life actress and comedian Fanny Brice. It received eight nominations at the 18th Tony Awards and was later adapted into a feature film, which received critical acclaim and earned Streisand the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1969. The new revival of Funny Girl marks its first return to Broadway since the original production closed in 1967. The current show has been the talk of Broadway Twitter this week, as news broke that Beanie Feldstein, who has held the role of Fanny since the revival opened, will be replaced by Michele in September. The news has brought both celebration and dismay, and many have been quick to point out that it nearly led to a major Glee reunion between Lynch and Michele.
Speaking to Deadline, Lynch celebrates Michele’s casting in Funny Girl. Lynch has played Mrs. Brice alongside Feldstein’s Fanny since the revival’s opening in April, but will be departing the production days before Michele arrives on September 6. The role of Mrs. Brice will be taken over by Tovah Feldshuh, who Lynch says she believes is a “strong” choice to star next to Michele. Read her full statement below:
“[Lea and I] have been in touch about it. You know, it was just a really strong idea to have Feldshuh and Lea premiere together. That’s the only reason [we won’t appear together.] I adore her. She’s just going to take this show and make it her own. I’m so glad she’s getting the opportunity in real life to do the show and not just on Glee.”
It’s a little disappointing that Funny Girl won’t be the onstage reunion that legions of longtime “Gleeks” would have anticipated. Glee was catapulted to cultural phenomenon status almost immediately upon its 2009 premiere, so it would have been a treat to get to see two of the show’s standout performers – Lynch’s Sue Sylvester, the foul-mouthed cheerleading coach who dedicates most of her time to antagonizing the glee club, is particularly hilarious – act together again. However, Michele is sure to be a serious draw for Funny Girl all on her own; she proved time and time again on Glee that she has what it takes to bring the house down.
Michele’s impressive pipes aside, even more advantageous for her is the fact that she’s still most known for playing Rachel Berry, and Glee‘s millions of viewers watched the character chase the role of Fanny Brice over the course of six seasons. Simply put, it will be cool just to experience this life-imitating-art moment that’s likely to bring many fans back to the days when Glee covers were topping the iTunes chart every week. Funny Girl already has its status as one of Broadway’s most iconic musicals going for it; the nostalgic ties that Lynch and Michele bring with them to their roles is just a welcome bonus.
Source: Deadline
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