For the first time since 1964, Funny Girl will be returning to Broadway this spring with stage and screen star Beanie Feldstein taking on the lead role of Fanny Brice.
Funny Girl follows the semi-biographical story of Broadway star Fanny Brice and her rise to fame. Along the way, she falls for entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein with whom she has a tumultuous relationship.
This will mark Feldstein’s second time on Broadway after starring as Minnie Fay in the 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly! alongside Better Midler and David Hyde Pierce. Known for her roles in Lady Bird and Booksmart, Feldstein is also currently in production on the film adaptations of Broadway’s The Humans and Merrily We Roll Along.
“The first time I played Fanny Brice was at my third birthday party, in a head-to-toe leopard print outfit my mom made for me,” Feldstein said in a statement. “So, it’s safe to say that stepping into this iconic role, on Broadway and not in my family’s backyard, is truly my lifelong dream come true.”
Feldstein is also sure to rack up awards for her upcoming portrayal of Monica Lewinsky in Impeachment: American Crime Story, which will premiere this September.
The original Broadway production starred Barbra Streisand and Sydney Chaplin in the lead roles, while the 1968 film paired Streisand with Omar Sharif. While Streisand lost the Tony Award to Carol Channing for the original production of Hello, Dolly!, she tied for the Oscar win alongside The Lion in Winter’s Katharine Hepburn. The role of Arnstein for the currently production has been said to be cast, though has not yet been made public.
Along with Feldstein’s announcement, it was also revealed that Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) would be taking the role of director, which he also had for Funny Girl’s 2016 West End Revival. The show will also feature Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein’s (Hairspray) revised book.
Though we must wait several months to say “Hello, gorgeous!” to Feldstein, we could not be more excited about her return to Broadway. Will you be traveling to New York to see her star turn? Drop a comment below or tweet us at @celebsecrets.
