Beanie Feldstein to Depart Broadway’s ‘Funny Girl’ Early After Production Went In ‘Different Direction’

Beanie Feldstein will be leaving “Funny Girl” on Broadway at the end of this month, the actress announced in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine,” Feldstein wrote in her Instagram caption, “and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor. 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 did not provide details on the “different direction” mentioned and said that she will leave the show on July 31.

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“I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart,” Feldstein continued, “I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew. The people I have had the great joy of bringing Funny Girl to life with every night, both on and off the stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional humans and I hope you continue to join them on Henry Street after I depart on July 31st.”

This announcement shortens Feldstein’s anticipated performance as Fanny after producers announced last month that Feldstein would leave the show in September. In June, the “How to Build a Girl” actress missed several shows due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and returned to the stage in mid-June. The Broadway revival opened at the August Wilson Theatre in late April.

As for who will replace Feldstein, the production tweeted that “exciting casting announcements” were coming tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET with the caption “Stay tuned, gorgeous…”

When Feldstein was announced to star in the show’s first Broadway revival since the original 1964 production, she called the opportunity her “lifelong dream come true.”

“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,” Feldstein said in a statement. “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. 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!”

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