Lea Michele Sidelined From August 29 Funny Girl Due to Illness

As Broadway's Funny Girl enters its final weeks on the boards, leading lady Lea Michele is "under the weather" and out of the August 29 performance, according to a production post on Instagram. Alternate Julie Benko will perform in her absence.

No word on when Michele is expected to return. The production, playing the August Wilson, will offer its final performance September 3.

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 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.