Lea Michele replaces Beanie Feldstein in B’way’s ‘Funny Girl’

Lea Michele will have the last laugh.

The actress was announced as the new Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl” on Monday.

The “Glee” star replaces Beanie Feldstein, who played the part for less than four months this year and posted a contentious statement on Instagram Sunday night explaining her way-early July 31 departure.

“Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated,” Feldstein, 29, said.  

Feldstein has missed numerous performances since the musical opened to mostly negative reviews in April. Her previously announced departure date of Sept. 25 was also before the end of her original contract.

The $15 million production surely hopes Michele can turn things around.

She will take the stage of the August Wilson Theatre on Sept. 6. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 4, Fanny will be played by current standby Julie Benko. After Michele starts, Benko will also regularly play Thursday performances.

Jane Lynch, meanwhile, is leaving the show right on schedule, and will be replaced by Tovah Feldshuh in the role of Mrs. Brice.

Michele, 35, has, for years, been a fan-favorite to play Fanny in the long-awaited revival of Jule Styne’s musical that first starred Barbra Streisand in 1964.

The “Spring Awakening” star performed the signature song “Don’t Rain On My Parade” at the 2012 Tony Awards, and on the Fox show “Glee.” 

Michele’s career hasn’t been drama free, either. In 2020, her “Glee” costar Samantha Ware tweeted: “Remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?!?! Cause I’ll never forget. I believe you told everyone that if you had the opportunity you would ‘s- -t in my wig!’” More cast members from various projects came forward with similar accusations, and Michele publicly apologized.

“Funny Girl” marks her first time back on Broadway since she left “Spring Awakening” in May 2008.