Beanie Feldstein to star in Funny Girl revival on Broadway

There's no raining on this parade: A Funny Girl revival is coming to Broadway next spring, with Beanie Feldstein starring as Fanny Brice.

"The first time I played Fanny Brice was at my third birthday party, in a head-to-toe leopard print outfit my mom made for me," said the Booksmart actress in a statement. "So, it's safe to say that stepping into this iconic role, on Broadway and not in my family's backyard, is truly my lifelong dream come true. I am immensely grateful to be able to do so alongside such a remarkable creative team, and cannot wait for audiences to get back in theaters again!"

The spring 2022 production, marking the musical's first return to the Broadway stage after 58 years, will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer(Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Spring Awakening), with choreography by Ellenore Scott(Head Over Heels, So You Think You Can Dance), and a revised book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, La Cage Aux Folles). This is said to be a new production, and not a transfer of Mayer's 2015 London revival.

Funny Girloriginally opened on Broadway in 1964 with a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill and tells the story of Fanny Brice, whose unique comedic and vocal talent see her rise from young Brooklyn music hall performer to star, and her tempestuous relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, but failed to win any of those categories — thanks in no small part to tough competition in the form of Hello, Dolly!. Barbra Streisand famously played Fanny Brice in that inaugural Broadway production and the subsequent 1968 film adaptation, which earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.

A theater, production dates, and the full cast and creative team for this new revival of Funny Girl will be announced at a later date. Feldstein, meanwhile, will be seen next as Monica Lewinsky in Impeachment: American Crime Story, premiering Sept. 7 on FX.

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