Lea Michele was spotted out in New York this week in her first public sighting since she was hired to replace Beanie Feldstein in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.
The Glee actress was already a fan favorite to play the lead role of Fanny Brice before being tapped to take over for Feldstein, who is leaving the show months earlier than originally planned after a string of bad reviews.
When she was spotted in New York this week Michele, 35, cut a fashionable figure in an open beige shirt thrown over a fluttering black dress.
Out and about: Lea Michele was spotted out in New York this week in her first public sighting since she was hired to replace Beanie Feldstein in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl
Michele, who sang multiple songs from Funny Girl years ago on Glee, accented the look with a black leather handbag and matching slippers.
She wore a serious expression as she spoke with someone on the phone while legging it across the sidewalk.
Meanwhile Funny Girl producers have denied being ‘blindsided’ by Feldstein’s Instagram announcement that she is quitting early.
It was previously claimed that Feldstein, 29, found out from Gawker that she was being replaced by Michele, and was in such a state at being booted from her ‘dream role’ that she surprised the producers by publicly declaring she was leaving the show on July 31 rather than September 25.
Gal about town: She wore a serious expression as she spoke with someone on the phone while legging it across the sidewalk
However the producers and a representative for Feldstein told People in a joint statement: ‘The producers of Funny Girl were not blindsided by Beanie’s social post.’
They continued: ‘The producers decided to take the show in a different direction and end Beanie’s contract on September 25th, 6 months earlier than anticipated. A month after that decision, Beanie decided it was best for her to leave on July 31st. The producers were aware of and in support of her decision.’
The statement concluded: ‘The producers and Beanie worked on this together professionally, respectfully and graciously.’
‘Producers were aware’: Producers of the Broadway revival of Funny Girl have denied being ‘blindsided’ by Feldstein’s Instagram announcement that she is quitting early; she seen onstage in April
Previous reports said Feldstein was upset when she discovered that she had been ousted from Funny Girl after critics panned her performance and Lea Michele was brought in as her replacement.
Feldstein, who played the lead role of Fanny Brice, was ‘basically fired’ from the show, an inside source told The Daily Beast, before abruptly quitting publicly on social media on Sunday.
Sources said the actress had learned about her impending departure when Gawker reported on June 30 that Michele would be taking over her role.
Claims: It was previously claimed that Feldstein, 29, found out from Gawker that she was being replaced by Lea Michele (pictured) after a string of bad reviews
Feldstein, who was ‘upset’ by the article, according to the insider, took to Instagram on Sunday and announced that she would be leaving the show on July 31 instead of September 25.
‘Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,’ Feldstein wrote.
Her replacement, Glee alum Lea Michele, 35, will be stepping into the role on September 6 and tickets for her shows are already sky high – topping out at $2,500.
Casting changes: Feldstein announced on Sunday that she would be leaving the show on July 31 instead of September 25. A day later, Lea Michele confirmed she would be in the role
Lifelong dream: ‘Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor,’ she posted for her roughly 600,000 followers
A senior show source told The Daily Beast that Michele — who shares an agent with Feldstein — signed on to play Brice in June ‘a week and a half’ after this year’s Tony Awards. The highly anticipated Funny Girl revival was nominated for just one award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, at this year’s ceremony.
Later that month, Gawker reported that Michele was set to take over the role — before the show, or its current star, had officially announced the swap.
Feldstein was ‘upset’ by the article, and show producers were subsequently barred from from talking to the actress directly, instead being told to go through her representatives, the Beast reports.
David Kalodner, of top agency WME’s theater department, has not responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment regarding the matter.
Kalodner is also an agent for big names including Bernadette Peters, Chloe Sevigny, Hugh Jackman, Amy Adams, Emma Stone, Martin Short, Tom Hiddleston, Anjelica Huston, and many others.
On Monday, Michele confirmed the casting news with a post to her Instagram page, adding a Funny Girl marquee poster of herself and Tovah Feldshuh, who is taking over the role of Fanny’s mother Mrs. Rose Brice from Jane Lynch, another Glee alum.
‘A dream come true is an understatement,’ the New Year’s Eve star gushed in the caption of her post.
She continued, ‘I’m so incredibly honored to join this amazing cast and production and return to the stage playing Fanny Brice on Broadway. See you September 6th. @funnygirlbwy #FUNNYGIRL.’
The actress sang one of ‘Funny Girl’s iconic tunes, ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade,’ in the first season of ‘Glee.’ She also performed the same song at the 2010 Tony Awards.
Ticket sales to see the former ‘Glee’ star on stage have already skyrocketed at the box office, according to SeatGeek, that seats at the August Wilson theater are going for $500 to $2,500.
These prices, which do not include additional $100 and $500 service fees, are for shows in September and beyond, when Michele will be in the leading role.
Tickets for shows in July and August, when Feldstein and her understudy are performing, are going for just $69 and weekday shows at $49.
Michele’s announcement comes a day after Feldstein announced on Instagram that she will be departing the show earlier than expected.
The 29-year-old actress posted a text message about portraying Fanny after announcing last month that she would be leaving the role in September — a date that was unceremoniously moved up soon after.
‘Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor,’ she posted for her roughly 600,000 followers.
‘Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,’ she added.
‘I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew,’ Beanie continued.
She concluded: ‘The people I have had the great joy of bringing Funny Girl to life with every night, both on and off the stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional humans and I hope you continue to join them on Henry Street after I depart on July 31st.’
Sources told Page Six that Feldstein had a yearlong contract and would be in the role until next April, but the show posted on social media in June: ’14 weeks left to see Beanie Feldstein & Jane Lynch now through September 25th.’
New role: Lea Michele revealed that she is set to replace Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl starting on September 6
It was announced in August 2021 that Beanie would star as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.
The Booksmart actress shared the news on her Instagram page and received a congratulatory comment from Michele who wrote, ‘Yes! YOU are the greatest star! This is going to be epic!!!!’
The Scream Queens star’s positive reaction surprised fans, who thought she may have been disappointed to be passed over for the role as she has long expressed interest in playing Fanny.
Feldstein made her debut at the August Wilson Theatre in April to mixed reviews from critics.
Broadway revival: The 29-year-old actress is shown as Fanny Brice on opening night of Funny Girl on Broadway in April at the August Wilson Theatre
The actress explained, ‘Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.’ Seen in 2022
In June, the production announced that she and Jane would be leaving the show on September 25.
Feldshuh, 73, will now replace the 61-year-old Role Models star on the earlier than expected date of September 6.
Per Variety, Feldstein’s current stand-in Julie Benko will perform as Fanny from August 2 through September 4 as well as every Thursday beginning on September 8th.
Back in June, Showbiz 411 reported that producers were eying Lea as a potential replacement for Feldstein.
Funny Girl 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.
More goodbyes: Along with Feldstein, it was also announced back in June that actress Jane Lynch is stepping down from her role as Mrs. Rose Brice
Stepping in: Feldshuh, 73, will now replace the 61-year-old Role Models star on the earlier than expected date of September 6. Seen in February 2022
Michele had been rumored to be in the running for the role initially after performing many of the show’s songs during her time on Glee from 2009 to 2015.
Over the course of the hit musical series’ six season run, Michele’s character Rachel Berry sang some of Fanny’s most well-known numbers including Don’t Rain on My Parade, My Man, I’m the Greatest Star and People.
In season five, Rachel drops out of college after landing her dream role as Fanny in a Broadway revival of Funny Girl.
During a 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Lea said that she ‘really hoped’ to play Fanny one day.
Prepared: Michele had been rumored to be in the running for the role initially after performing many of the show’s songs during her time on Glee from 2009 to 2015
Classic: Among the accolades, the 1964 production with Barbra Streisand as Fanny received eight nominations at the 18th Tony Awards
‘We were thinking of doing it right after Glee, but I did a lot of the songs from Funny Girl on Glee so it felt like a little soon,’ she said. ‘But I feel really ready to do it now, so maybe we could do it soon.’
In joining the cast of Funny Girl, Michele will reunite with director Michael Mayer who helmed her first lead role in Spring Awakening.
Actors Jared Grimes, who plays Eddie Ryan and Ramin Karimloo, who plays Nick Arnstein, will remain with the show for the next run.
Funny Girl opened on Broadway on April 24 and currently has an open-ended run. Among the accolades, the 1964 production with Barbra Streisand as Fanny received eight nominations at the 18th Tony Awards.