Beanie Feldstein, the lead actress in the first Broadway revival of “Funny Girl,” announced on Instagram Sunday night that she will be leaving the production at the end of this month, two months earlier than expected.
“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and this past few months has been a great joy and a true honor,” Feldstein wrote in the post. “After production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step down earlier than expected.”
Feldstein previously said her last show as Brice would be Sept. 25, but her new end date is now July 31. The show quickly responded on Twitter to say there would be casting announcements on Monday.
Show representatives did not immediately respond to a question about Feldstein’s cryptic comment about the show going in a “different direction.”
Feldstein, 29, was best known for her on-screen supporting roles in “Booksmart” and “Lady Bird,” as well as her starring role as Monica Lewinsky on the FX series “Impeachment: American Crime Story,” when she was cast in the role. who helped Barbra Streisand become a star in 1964. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 as Minnie Fay in Hello Dolly!, starring Bette Midler. Producers have struggled to bring a revival of “Funny Girl” to Broadway over the years, in part because of the enormous challenges of the title role and the fact that Streisand and Brice seemed inextricably linked.
Feldstein’s performance received some unfavorable reviews. In The New York Times, chief theater critic Jesse Green wrote, “You’re glad she’s raising the roof, but she’s only slightly bumping into it.”
The production, which opened in April at the August Wilson Theatre, also features Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, Brice’s love interest; Jane Lynch as Brice’s loving mother, who supports her during her rise as a Ziegfeld star; and Jared Grimes as Fanny’s friend Eddie Ryan. The show received only one Tony Award nomination – for Grimes’ performance – but did not win. The show previously announced that Lynch would be leaving after September 25.
“I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank every single person who came to August Wilson for the love and support you showed me and our incredible cast and crew,” Feldstein wrote in the post . “The people with whom I have had the great pleasure of bringing Funny Girl to life every night, both on and off the stage, are extremely talented and extraordinary people, and I hope you will continue to join them on Henry Street after left. “
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