Producers of “Funny Girl” have announced several cast changes to the Broadway company.
Beanie Feldstein will depart the production on July 31 instead of the previously announced Sept. 25.
She will be succeeded by current standby, Julie Benko, who will play Fanny Brice from Aug. 2- Sept. 4 at the August Wilson Theatre.
Lea Michele will then take over the role of Fanny Brice and Tovah Feldshuh will play her mother, Mrs. Brice, beginning Sept. 6.
Feldshuh replaces current cast member Jane Lynch, who will play her final performance on Sept. 4.
Benko will continue to standby and play Fanny Brice at Thursday evening performances beginning Sept. 8.
Feldstein announced her early departure in an Instagram post on Sunday, writing that playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been “a great joy and true honor.”
“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.
Michele shared the news on her own Instagram profile, saying, “a dream come true is an understatement.”
She was last seen on Broadway in “Spring Awakening” in 2006. Her other Broadway credits include “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Ragtime” and “Les Misérables.”
Feldshuh last appeared on Broadway in the 2013 revival of “Pippin.” She has also been seen on Broadway in “Cyrano,” “Rodgers & Hart,” “Dreyfus in Rehearsal,” “Yentl,” “Saravá!,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Golda’s Balcony” and “Irena’s Vow.”
“Funny Girl” is produced by Sonia Friedman, Scott Landis and David Babani.
