'Greatest Star'! Lea Michele Praises Beanie Feldstein's 'Funny Girl' Role

Beanie Feldstein will star in the revival of Broadway’s ‘Funny Girl,’ which originally featured Barbra Streisand in the lead role — details

Rising star! Beanie Feldstein is already making headlines for her upcoming role as Monica Lewinsky in American Crime Story: Impeachment — and she’s not slowing down. The actress announced that she would be playing Fanny Brice in the 2022 Broadway production of Funny Girl.

“I went to my third birthday party dressed as fanny brice so sometimes dreams actually come true 🥺🥺🥺,” the 28-year-old Booksmart star revealed via Instagram on Thursday, August 12.

The 1964 musical made its Broadway debut with Barbra Streisand in the lead role. Streisand, now 79, received a Tony Award nomination for her memorable performance. She reprised the character in the 1968 film, which earned her the Oscar for best actress at the 41st Academy Awards.

The story follows comedian Fanny Brice as she attempts to balance her career and her relationship with gambler Nick Arnstein. In a press release following the revival news, Feldstein noted she had been waiting for the chance to make the character come to life.

“The first time I played Fanny Brice was at my third birthday party, in a head-to-toe leopard print outfit my mom made for me,” she shared. “So, it’s safe to say that stepping into this iconic role, on Broadway and not in my family’s backyard, is truly my lifelong dream come true.”

The Lady Bird actress added, “I am immensely grateful to be able to do so alongside such a remarkable creative team, and cannot wait for audiences to get back in theaters again!”

After Feldstein announced the news on social media, many stars took to the comments section to show their support, including Lea Michele.

“Yes! YOU are the greatest star! This is going to be epic!!” Michele, 34, wrote via Instagram.

The Glee alum previously revealed that she would love to portray Fanny Brice in a future Funny Girl revival and frequently paid homage to Streisand on the Fox series before its 2015 finale, including a fiery performance of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in season 1.

“I hope so, I really hope so,” Michele said of potentially making a Broadway comeback during a 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “We were thinking of doing it right after Glee but I did a lot of the songs from Funny Girl on Glee so it felt like a little soon, but I feel really ready to do it now so maybe we could do it soon.”

Scroll through to see all the celebrities who sent love to Feldstein as she prepares for her new role: