Beanie Feldstein Ends Her Run in FUNNY GIRL As Fanny Brice Today

Beanie Feldstein is ending her run starring as Fanny Brice in Broadway's Funny Girl today, July 31st. She is the production's first original cast member to depart. Standby Julie Benko will take over the role through September 4 and before the much anticipated performance of Lea Michele as Fanny Brice beginning September 6.

Feldstein was originally announced to leave the production September 25, but announced via Instagram that she would move up her departure date. Though rumors circled the occasion, producers set the record straight that they were not blindsided by this announcement. Jane Lynch will be leaving Funny Girl as Michelle takes over the rolee, but shared that there are no hard feelings surrounding the decision to leave at that time. She made her Broadway debut in 2017's HELLO DOLLY!, playing Minnie Fay.

With music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, Funny Girl was a Broadway smash which skyrocketed Barbra Streisand to stardom. The show follows Fanny Brice, who rose from the Lower East Side of New York to become one of Broadway's biggest stars under producer Florenz Ziegfeld. While she was cheered onstage as a great comedienne, offstage she faced a doomed relationship with the man she loved. The score features now-classic songs such as "People", "You Are Woman, I Am Man" and "Don't Rain on My Parade."

In addition to Feldstein, Jane Lynch, Ramin Karimloo, and Tony nominee Jared Grimes, the company includes Peter Francis James as Florenz Ziegfeld, Ephie Aardema as Mrs. Nadler, Debra Cardona as Mrs. Meeker, Toni DiBuono as Mrs. Strakosh, Martin Moran as Tom Keeney, and Benko as the standby for Fanny Brice. Benko has gone on as Fanny several times throughout the run.

The ensemble includes TikTok Star Amber Ardolino, Daniel Beeman, Kurt Csolak, Leslie Donna Flesner, Afra Hines, Masumi Iwai, Aliah James, Stephen Mark Lukas, John Thomas Manzari, Katie Mitchell, Justin Prescott, Mariah Reives, and Leslie Blake Walker. Rounding out the company are standbys Liz McCartney and Jeremiah James, and swings Colin Bradbury, John Michael Fiumara, Danielle Kelsey, and Alicia Lundgren.

The production is directed by Michael Mayer, who leads a creative team that includes choreography by Ellenore Scott, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, music supervision and direction by Michael Rafter, scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kevin Adams, sound design by Brian Ronan, and hair design by Campbell Young Associates. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger.

The production also includes orchestrations by Chris Walker; dance, vocal, and incidental music arrangements by Alan Williams; additional arrangements by Carmel Dean and David Dabbon; music coordination by Seymour Red Press and Kimberlee Wertz; and vocal supervision by Liz Caplan.