Yahoo Movies Jane Lynch bows out of Funny Girl 3 weeks early
The Funny Girl saga's behind-the-scenes drama has entered its latest act.
Jane Lynch has revealed she's leaving the Broadway production three weeks earlier than planned. The former Glee star was initially set to depart the role of Mrs. Brice on September 5.
It was always planned that Lynch would take a break for a vacation scheduled to begin on Aug. 15 and also that she would miss some shows for the Emmys in Los Angeles on Sept. 1. Now, it appears that rather than return for one week of performances, she is set to take her final bow over the weekend.
Lynch's understudy Liz McCartney will take over the character from Aug. 16 to Sept. 4 while Tovah Feldshuh will step into the role on Sept. 6.
The news comes following the surprise, drama-drenched departure of Beanie Feldstein as the headliner of the show last month. The revival of Funny Girl, a show that premiered on Broadway in 1964 with Barbra Streisand in the role of Fanny Brice, was met with lukewarm reviews upon its April debut and received only one Tony nomination. After Feldstein announced she was leaving, it was announced that Lynch's Glee co-star Lea Michele would step into the role.
"With my long-planned vacation on the books and then the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony in L.A. on Thursday, Sept. 1, I will take my final curtain call on Aug. 14," Lynch said in a statement. "As I embark upon my last week in Funny Girl, my heart is filled with gratitude for this wildly talented company led by Beanie Feldstein and our wonderful audiences for keeping theater alive! I offer a special thanks to my current scene partner Julie Benko and will be back to see my friend Lea Michele light up the lights."
Michele is set to take over as Fanny Brice starting on Sept. 6., a full circle moment for fans/anti-fans of Michele's Glee character Rachel Berry, who manifested her own dream of playing Fanny Brice on Broadway on the show. Over the weekend, she even recreated a scene from Glee in which Rachel stands outside the theater where Funny Girl is playing ahead of performing in the show.
Read more about Michele's lengthy history with the role here.
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