Hello, gorgeous!
On Aug. 19, the Broadway production of Funny Girl shared a highly-anticipated first look at Lea Michele as Fanny Brice. In a black-and-white clip posted to Lea's and the show's official Instagram pages, the Glee alum rehearses for the role as a snippet of the actress singing "I'm the Greatest Star" plays in the background.
"The role of a lifetime," reads the caption on the Aug. 19 post. "Lea Michele joins the cast of FUNNY GIRL as Fanny Brice beginning September 6. See you at the August Wilson!"
The 35-year-old has made her excitement about the project known, taking to her Instagram on July 5 to share a sweet snap of herself standing in front of the show's marquee in New York City. She captioned the photo, "A dream come true."
In July, it was announced that Lea would be replacing Beanie Feldstein in the musical revival. Beanie, who previously cited the production's decision to "take the show in a different direction" as the reason behind her exit, took her final bow on July 31, two months before her initial departure date.
"A dream come true is an understatement," Lea wrote on Instagram shortly after her role in the project was announced. "I'm so incredibly honored to join this amazing cast and production and return to the stage playing Fanny Brice on Broadway. See You September 6th."
For now, Julie Benko—who previously served as the understudy for Beanie—is playing Fanny until Lea's debut. She will continue to play the character on Thursday evenings once Lea takes the stage.