Well, Lea Michele is going to star in Funny Girl after all

In true Rachel Berry fashion, Lea Michele has risen above her rival to take her rightful (well, depending who you ask) place as Fanny Brice on Broadway. After weeks of rumors, Funny Girl confirmed on Monday that Michele would assume the lead role after Beanie Feldstein’s departure from the show.

Rumblings that Michele might join the production first began when Feldstein’s initial departure was announced, but her path to the Funny Girl stage began long before that. Fans will recall that Glee had a whole Funny Girl arc based on the idea that Rachel was Barbra Streisand’s “spiritual successor.” While her character was cast in Ryan Murphy’s fictional Funny Girl, Michele revealed in 2014 that Murphy had acquired the rights to the show in real life and a possible revival (with her as the lead) was in the works.

Unfortunately (again, depending who you ask), that version never came to pass. Yet Michele’s name inevitably came up when the 2022 revival, starring Feldstein, was announced. Online chatter forced both women to be gracious about the other in the aftermath (though Feldstein’s response was basically the Mariah Carey “I don’t know her” meme). When the show–and Feldstein’s performance–received mixed-to-negative reviews, appetite for a Michele-led version only increased (bolstered by the positive reception to the Spring Awakening reunion).

Given all that history, Feldstein’s announcement that she’d be leaving the production even earlier than expected because “production decided to take the show in a different direction” comes across a bit pointed. Having one’s entire Broadway run overshadowed by the mere specter of another actor, only for that actor to come in and snag the role, can’t feel good.

Current Funny Girl standby Julie Benko will take over the role in the interim period between Feldstein’s July 31 departure and Michele’s September 6 start date. Also joining the production in September will be Broadway veteran and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend scene stealer Tovah Feldshuh as Mrs. Brice (succeeding Michele’s Glee castmate Jane Lynch). Based on the way Michele and the show immediately began trending following this announcement, it’s safe to say Broadway fans and general drama-lovers alike will be dining out on this one for a while.