Life in the theater of the “Funny Girl” company is coming to an end.
The Broadway revival has been extended, but the show will make its final run on Sunday, September 3, 2023. The “Funny Girl” revival first began almost exactly a year after Michele joined the cast. April 2022, led by Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice.
However, she and Jane Lynch, who was replaced by Tova Feldshuh as Fanny’s mother, left the production in August after the production was plagued by bad reviews and lackluster turnouts.
“Funny Girl” might have ended sooner without the casting change. But since last September, box office numbers have been on the rise, and August Her Wilson Theater seats remain well-stocked, setting multiple home records. By the time the cast, including Ramin Karimloo as Nicky Arnstein and Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan, take their final bows, the Broadway revival will have had 599 performances and 30 previews. .
As previously announced, “Funny Girl” will begin touring in more than 30 North American cities in September, starting in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Funny Girl” follows Bryce on her unlikely rise to fame and tumultuous relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. The musical features theater classics such as “Don’t Rain on the Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” In a unique arrangement, Julie Benko, who has become a fan favorite at Auguste Wilson’s Theater, plays the role of Fanny Bryce every Thursday and during Michele’s absence.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1964, starred Barbra Streisand, and was nominated for several Tony Awards. This revival marks “Funny Girl”‘s return to the Great White Way after her 58-year hiatus.
Michele certainly had shoes that were hard to fill, but critics have compared her performance favorably to Streisand’s star-making turn.
of variety of Frank Rizzo wrote, “Michele distances himself sufficiently from Streisand’s tropes to be able to take ownership of the material, or at least be a savvy caretaker.”
— variety
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