Beanie Feldstein and Ramin Karimloo in ‘Funny Girl.’ (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Farewell, gorgeous. Funny Girl stars Beanie Feldstein (Fanny Bryce) and Jane Lynch (her mother) will depart the Broadway production this fall. The performers’ final dates at the August Wilson will be September 25.
The production’s male leads, Ramin Karimloo and Jared Grimes, will remain with the show, and replacement casting for Feldstein and Lynch will be announced at a later date
Feldstein took to Instagram to share her announcement: “September 25th will be my last show as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. I’ll never be able to find the words that could even begin to explain what the experience has been to me,” the star said. “To every single person that brings Funny Girl to life on stage every day at the August Wilson — to every dresser, usher, front of house, spot operator, props, automation, to the incredible offstage company who are the heroes of Broadway, to every orchestra member, security guard, the genius hair team, my sound team buddies and of course my angels on stage with me every night… all of the people of Funny Girl: I love you. You’re my people. I am forever changed by knowing you.”
Grimes received a Tony Award nomination for his role in Funny Girl, marking the production’s only nomination. The production received mediocre reviews; Adam Feldman for Time Out New York gave the show two stars. “It is unfair, but unavoidable, to compare Feldstein to Funny Girl’s original leading lady, Barbra Streisand, who was not only a fresh comic talent at the time but also one of the greatest vocalists in Broadway history,” he said. “When Feldstein makes her first appearance, stares into an invisible mirror and delivers her famous opening self-affirmation (”Hello, gorgeous!”), the crowd goes wild. But then she starts to sing.”
