Six Standing Ovations Later, Lea Michele Triumphantly Returns to Broadway in ‘Funny Girl’
variety.comLea Michele’s parade as the former “Glee” star made her long-anticipated debut in Broadway’s “Funny Girl” revival. Before Michele could sing a note in her crystalline soprano, the crowd at the August Wilson Theatre on Tuesday leapt to its feet as soon as she appeared on stage, making it difficult to hear the show’s famous opening line, “Hello, gorgeous.” She would receive six standing ovations in all, crescendoing in a final, rafters-shaking round of applause.
It’s been a long time coming for Michele, who has spent a good portion of her career (unofficially) campaigning to embody the incandescent comic and chanteuse Fanny Brice on stage.
Her obsession with “Funny Girl” became lore on “Glee,” where her character Rachel Berry regularly belted the musical’s greatest hits — including “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People” — during the show’s six seasons.
A public audition tape, of sorts. And the public — A-list and otherwise — turned out in force. In addition to a full house of Gleeks, the audience included Michele’s BFF and one-time “Spring Awakening” co-star Jonathan Groff (who looked positively ecstatic every time the actress was on stage, rocking back and forth rhythmically, sobbing at various points, and jumping up to lead each ovation), her old “Glee” boss Ryan Murphy, Zachary Quinto, Drew Barrymore, Harvey Fierstein (fresh from delivering yet another polish on the show’s sometimes creaky book), and producer Jordan Roth, resplendent in a flowing, animal-print jacket.
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