According to an Instagram post shared by the production, Funny Girl star Lea Michele will be out of the show until Tuesday, May 23 due to a COVID infection. Standby Julie Benko will handle the role through May 18 and May 20-21, with Ephie Aardema starring at the May 19 performance.
The Broadway revival of Funny Girl stars Michele alongside Ramin Karimloo, Jared Grimes, and Tovah Feldshuh. The production opened April 24, 2022 with Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice, after beginning previews March 26. Michele stepped into the role September 6 alongside Tovah Feldshuh, succeeding Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice.
Fanny Brice understudy Julie Benko had a principal run as Fanny in August 2022, between Feldstein's departure and Michele's arrival. She now serves as an alternate for the role, performing on Thursdays.
Funny Girl also stars Paolo Montalban as Florenz Ziegfeld, Ephie Aardema as Mrs. Nadler, Debra Cardona as Mrs. Meeker, Anne L. Nathan as Mrs. Strakosh, and Michael Mastro as Tom Keeney.
Building upon Jule Styne's original score and Bob Merrill's lyrics, Tony winner Harvey Fierstein revised the book (from Isobel Lennart's original) for this revival of the biomusical tracking real-life singer and comic Fanny Brice. From humble beginnings in Brooklyn, New York, Brice rose to fame and fortune onstage in the Ziegfeld Follies and as a radio and screen performer. The original 1964 production propelled a young Barbra Streisand to international fame; she reprised her stage performance in the 1968 film adaptation, winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the process.
