Jane Lynch plays Mrs. Brice on Broadway’s "Funny Girl." Image Source: Collider
Jane Lynch is speaking on her exit from Broadway’s "Funny Girl."
Actress Jane Lynch, during a recent interview with Playbill, clarified her exit from the Broadway show "Funny Girl," which was announced a few days ago by the producers of Funny Girl. Jane Lynch’s final curtain call in the Broadway revival is on August 14th, and in her absence, Liz McCartney is scheduled to perform the role of Mrs. Brice from August 15 to September 4, and later, Tovah Feldshuh will take over the part.
Jane Lynch said during the interview that she had a vacation on August 14th and then she had like five shows after that. It is a six-hour flight, so she thought that she should end it now. The actress clarified that her decision to exit has nothing to do with not wanting to see actress Lea Michele and stated that she texted with Lea and they are both fine. Jane also added that she is thrilled for her.
Lea Michele replaced Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice on Funny Girl, and Jane Lynch said that she loved working with current Fanny Brice, played by Julie Benko, and she loved working with Beanie Feldstein as well, and once again said that there is no drama here.
As a result of her nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, Jane Lynch also said that she intends to attend the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 1 in Los Angeles. Jane Lynch said at the time of the announcement that as she begins her final week in Funny Girl, her heart is filled with gratitude for the wildly talented company directed by Beanie Feldstein and the wonderful audiences for keeping theatre alive. She also added in her statement that she extends a special thank you to her current scene partner, Julie Benko, and will be returning to watch her friend Lea Michele turn on the lights.
When Beanie Feldstein announced in mid-June that she would be leaving the Broadway production in July, there were rumors that the production team was taken by surprise. However, it was later made clear that the Funny Girl producers were not taken by surprise by Beanie's post and that the producers had instead chosen to change the show's direction and terminate the actress' contract. Acting as Fanny Brice on Broadway has been an ambition of the actress's for her whole life, and doing it so far over the last several months has been a wonderful delight and a genuine honor for her, she said at the time, adding that it was a tough decision to leave the show earlier than she had planned.
Beanie expressed gratitude to each and every visitor to the August Wilson for their love and support and that she will never forget the event. The actress went on to say that she has had the wonderful pleasure of bringing Funny Girl to life every night with the help of the cast, both on and off stage, and she hopes that the audience will stay on Henry Street after her departure.
Lea Michele, an actress, was subsequently named as Beanie Feldstein's replacement. Following the announcement, Lea said that to call this moment a dream come true would be an understatement. She also said that she is incredibly honored to join the incredible cast and production and make her Broadway comeback as Fanny Brice. In a hypothetical revival of the show, Lea Michele's character Rachel Berry played Fanny Brice. Lea has been outspoken about her admiration for Barbra Streisand, who created the part in 1964.
Director Michael Mayer, a Tony Award winner whose earlier credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Spring Awakening, is the man behind Funny Girl. In 2015, he oversaw a revival of the musical in London. The show also includes a reworked script by Harvey Fierstein, set design by David Zinn, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, and choreography by Ellenore Scott.
