Lea Michele’s First ‘Funny Girl’ Performance: Fans Rave As She Gets ‘Four Standing Ovations’

Lea Michele, 36, had the audience’s afloat attraction connected the nighttime of Sept. 6, erstwhile she made her long-awaited debut arsenic Fanny Brice successful the Broadway mentation of Funny Girl, and received 4 lasting ovations, according to Deadline. The histrion didn’t clasp backmost arsenic she sang her bosom retired successful the main role, which was archetypal made celebrated by the iconic Barbra Streisand successful the 1964 archetypal Broadway debut, and it brought connected deja vu for fans who thought backmost connected her Glee quality Rachel Berry fictitiously taking connected the aforesaid relation successful the deed Fox tv show. Despite a unsmooth fewer years afloat of not-so-great headlines astir herself, Lea made rather a lasting content erstwhile she stepped retired connected the signifier of the August Wilson Theater successful New York City to instrumentality connected the relation of a lifetime, and it didn’t instrumentality agelong for fans and critics alike to instrumentality to societal media to stock their thoughts.

“lea michele, you made it,” 1 instrumentality wrote successful the caption for a Twitter video of her bowing connected signifier astatine the extremity of the show, which had assemblage members that included Lea’s BFF and erstwhile Broadway co-star Jonathan Groff and Glee creator Ryan Murphy. Another tweet showed a substance connection speech betwixt a idiosyncratic who was seemingly astatine the theatre and different who wasn’t. “Intermission. Three lasting ovations truthful far. All worthy. Lea Michele is KILLING it, and the assemblage is with her each the way. Not definite erstwhile I’ve ever been successful a theatre this electric,” the connection read.

lea michele, you made it. 🤍pic.twitter.com/Tt7LiBhfQR

— bia ⁵ミ☆ • LEA OPENING NIGHT (@groffsarfatis) September 7, 2022

Additional tweets called Lea’s show “phenomenal” and “unforgettable” portion different instrumentality said she was a “true star.” There was besides a infinitesimal successful the amusement erstwhile the assemblage reportedly gasped and laughed aft Lea said the line, “I haven’t work galore books.” The enactment astir apt had them reasoning astir the caller headline-making conspiracy theories that claimed the talented vocalist and histrion couldn’t read, which she rapidly debunked.

Lea Michele takes her archetypal bow arsenic Fanny Brice astatine #FunnyGirl connected Broadway. pic.twitter.com/jPNbouko7p

— Variety (@Variety) September 7, 2022

Lea’s debut arsenic Fanny successful Funny Girl and the supportive reviews travel astir 2 months aft the quality that she’d beryllium replacing Beanie Feldstein successful the main relation made headlines. Tovah Feldshuh was besides announced arsenic the replacement for Lea’s erstwhile Glee co-star Jane Lynch, who played the relation of Rosie Brice successful the play, astatine the time. Lea took to societal media soon aft the announcement to explicit her excitement astir playing her “dream” role.

“A imagination travel true,” she wrote successful the caption of a photograph that showed her lasting successful beforehand of the show’s marquee astatine the August Wilson Theatre. In the mediate of Aug., the show’s authoritative societal media leafage shared the archetypal footage of Lea’s rehearsals for the play and it got a batch of fans excited astir what was to come. Some critics, however, questioned her getting the relation aft she was accused of mistreating erstwhile coworkers connected assorted shows successful posts connected societal media.

Lea Michele tin read…all of Twitter for FILTH AS SHE DOMINATES IN FUNNY GIRL ON BROADWAY TONIGHT. pic.twitter.com/KwiLc9QwZd

— Kimberly Abrams (@kimanneabrams) September 7, 2022

Lea, who was large with her archetypal kid astatine the clip of the allegations, responded successful a lengthy apology post of her ain that admitted she had been moving connected herself to bash better. “What matters is that I intelligibly acted successful ways which wounded different people,” immoderate of her station read. “Whether it was my privileged presumption and position that caused maine to beryllium perceived arsenic insensitive oregon inappropriate astatine times, oregon whether it was conscionable my immaturity and maine being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behaviour and for immoderate symptom which I person caused.”

She went connected to accidental she had been “reflecting connected [her] ain shortcomings” implicit the past respective months, and explained that she wanted to “take work for [her] actions” arsenic she prepared to invited her baby. “I listened to these criticisms and I americium learning, and portion I americium precise sorry, I volition beryllium amended successful the aboriginal from this experience,” she concluded.

‘Funny Girl’, with Lea Michele successful the pb role, premiered connected Sept. 6. (Christopher Peterson/SplashNews)

As she continues to look up and instrumentality connected her caller relation of a lifetime, it seems each eyes person been connected Lea, but she’s not letting it fto her hide the talented women who played Fanny earlier her. “For the Fannys who person fearlessly graced this signifier earlier me, @beaniefeldstein @jujujuliebee @ephieaardema you each person climbed the upland that is Fanny and I americium honored to beryllium successful your company,” she wrote connected her Instagram communicative conscionable earlier her debut. “And of people @BarbraStreisand our queen.”