Lifelong Barbra Streisand fangirl Lea Michele is getting to step in the former Funny Girl‘s shoes.
The Glee veteran will play Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of the comedy beginning September 6, replacing Beanie Feldstein in the lead role.
Critics weren’t kind to the latter’s performance of the part that Streisand originated onstage and reprised on the big screen.
Feldstein said that producers were going “in a different direction” with the role. She’s now leaving July 31, but was supposed to make her exit September 25.
For her part, Michele commented on Instagram, “A dream come true is an understatement. I’m so incredibly honored to join this amazing cast and production and return to the stage playing Fanny Brice on Broadway.”
It’s not only a “dream come true,” but some pretty nifty manifestation: Michele’s character on Glee, Rachel Berry, starred in a production of Funny Girl and she performed multiple songs from the famous musical over the show’s run.
It was also announced that veteran stage and screen actress Tovah Feldshuh would be replacing Jane Lynch as Fanny’s mom; Feldshuh starts opposite Michele on September 6.
Michele’s former Glee co-star Lynch was also supposed to make her exit at the end of September.
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