Lea Michele Shines in Funny Girl

By Sam Reinhard ‘24
Actor Lea Michele has debuted in “Funny Girl” on Broadway, to rave reviews.
The musical, which follows Jewish actress and comedian Fanny Brice’s rise to fame in New York City during the early 20th century, was initially popularized by world-renowned actress Barbara Streisand in 1964. 

Actress and singer Lea Michele, most well known for her lead role as Rachel Berry in the TV show “Glee,” was born in the Bronx to an Italian-American mother and a Sephardic Jewish father. The star had been in four broadway shows prior to “Funny Girl”:  “Les Miserables (1995),” “Ragtime (1997),” “Fiddler on the Roof (2004)” and “Spring Awakening (2006),” all before becoming famous in 2009 with the breakout television musical-drama “Glee.”
While rising to stardom, Michele similarly became famously controversial. Her castmates spoke ill of her for being rude and exclusive towards others, with Samantha Marie Ware, another “Glee” actress, saying that Michele had made Ware’s first television job a “living hell.”
Despite this, Michele’s outstanding vocal power triumphed over controversy in her career. According to “Glee” star Chris Colfer, “she may be difficult, but boy can she sing!”
After Glee ended in 2015, Michele faded from the spotlight. Despite appearing in CW’s “The Mayor” and Fox’s “Scream Queens,” none of her newer characters reached the heights “Glee” had brought her.
On August 12, 2021, it was announced that actress Beanie Fieldstein would be playing Brice in the new Broadway revival of “Funny Girl.” Yet the spotlight was not on Fieldstein, but rather Michele, with the theater world surprised she was not chosen, as her character on “Glee” had aspired to play Brice.
When Fieldstein debuted, critics were unimpressed and disappointed with her performance, rumors spread by summertime that the actress would be replaced by the infamous Michele, which was officially confirmed on July 11. 
Since debuting as Brice on September 6, 2022, Michele has only received rave reviews for her performance.
“Together with the titanic Feldshuh, the ‘Glee’ star lifts this wanting production into something much more palatable than it was back in the spring,” the New York Post wrote, comparing Michele’s success to Fieldstein’s time on the production.
Countless other stars have seen Michele as Brice since September, including Broadway star Kristin Chenowith, “Scream Queens” co-star Emma Roberts, “Glee” co-stars Darren Criss and Becca Tobin and world-renowned pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Michele’s magnificent performance has brought Fanny Brice to life again for the first time since Streisand.
GOA junior Peri Newman said that she loves “knowing that [Michele] is living her dream of performing in ‘Funny Girl,’ which her character, Rachel, dreamt of playing in ‘Glee.’”
Yet not everyone is such a fan of Michele, despite her enormous talent. Senior Sophie Fischer comments that “while yes, I do think Lea Michele is incredibly talented, I think her performance is praised too highly. I have heard nothing but terrible things about who she is outside of her role and unfortunately, her poor behavior taints the performance for me.”
While Michele has faced enormous amounts of backlash for her controversial past, her undeniable talent seems to have given her a second chance in the theater world.