This rumor is no laughing matter for Lea Michele fans.
The 35-year-old is reportedly the producer’s pick to play Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” once Beanie Feldstein leaves the role in September, according to Showbiz 411.
A representative for Michele declined to comment when contacted by The Post, which has also reached out to show publicists.
Michele has publicly manifested her desire to play the Barbra Streisand-original character for years. She got a taste on the first season of “Glee” when she sang “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” She also performed the show tune at the 2010 Tony Awards.
At that time, rumors swirled that she could be joining the musical after “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy’s bought the rights to “Funny Girl,” but a source told People she declined “mainly because she thought what was done on ‘Glee’ was everything she could have brought to the role.”
“We were thinking of doing it to do it right after ‘Glee’ but I did a lot of the songs from ‘Funny Girl’ on ‘Glee’ so it felt a like little soon, but I feel really ready to do it now, so maybe we could do it soon,” Michele told Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” in 2017.
Last fall Michele also threw her support behind Feldstein, telling the “Little Me: Growing Up Broadway” podcast, “I just think that Beanie is an incredible choice for the production, and I think it’s going to be so wonderful.”
Fellow “Glee” alum Jane Lynch will also leave her role as Fanny’s mother in “Funny Girl” on Sept. 25. She has yet to be recast.
On Sunday, Michele performed “Touch Me” alongside the original cast of “Spring Awakening” at the 2022 Tony Awards. She has also previously appeared on Broadway in “Les Miserables,” “Ragtime” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Leave a Reply