Lea Michele Fans Kvell Over ‘Funny Girl’ Broadway Debut: ‘Holy S– Yes She’s That Good’
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A months-long social media firestorm – and a literal New York downpour – wasn’t enough to rain on Lea Michele’s parade while making her “Funny Girl” debut on Broadway Tuesday night.
In what will prove to be one of the most anticipated and scrutinized stage performances of the year, Michele’s take on Fanny Brice (a role she inherited after Beanie Feldstein bowed out earlier this summer) apparently did not disappoint. Twitter reactions from the lucky few in the August Wilson Theatre’s sold-out, 1,275-seat audience highlight a performance that got four standing ovations before intermission (and six or seven in all); humorous, real-time reactions to ongoing rumors of the star’s ability to read; and star sightings of longtime pals and collaborators like Ryan Murphy and Jonathan Groff.
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“Holy s–t yes she’s that good,” wrote one Twitter user.
In the lead up, fans not fortunate enough to be in the audience Tuesday waited with bated breath.
Sitting at twitter waiting for Funny Girl reviews the same way I imagine our ancestors sat at the radio during Pearl Harbor
— Chris (@chriismolina) September 7, 2022
me and the besties watching the reactions from lea michele’s funny girl debut roll in pic.twitter.com/xYjqybcEje
— 𝚓. 𝚓𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚑 𝚓𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚗 (@reluctantgoblin) September 7, 2022
Others drew a line to pop culture’s other trending topic of the week: the “Don’t Worry Darling” press tour and Venice Film Festival premiere:
jumping from film twitter drama with dont worry darling immediately to theatre twitter drama with lea michele’s funny girl is an extreme sport and not many people can do it
— sk (@kirkxxs) September 7, 2022
And the audience feedback began rolling in at intermission, with one Broadway parody account even joking that producers added a second intermission just to keep the reactions coming.
BREAKING: “Funny Girl” Adds Second Intermission to Give You All More Time to Tweet pic.twitter.com/ZHnZIIIJt0
— The Broadway Beat (@BwayBeatNews) September 7, 2022
At intermission for Lea Michele’s first performance in Funny Girl rn pic.twitter.com/ZCNWBvQJkd
—
(@SquishySnapple) September 7, 2022
lea michele has gotten like four standing ovations at funny girl and jonathan groff has been the first to stand up for all of them
— Drama Fiends Pod (@dramafiends) September 7, 2022
The celebrity sightings abounded. Opening night attendees included Drew Barrymore, Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher Jr., Ryan Murphy, New York governor Kathy Hochul, Zachary Quinto, Lee Pace, Thom Browne and others.
ryan murphy is waiting in line for a $5 water bottle at funny girl. stars: they’re just like us
— Charlotte Walsh (@charwalsh_) September 7, 2022
Lea Michele takes her bow after her first performance in Broadway’s FUNNY GIRL — and waves at pal Jonathan Groff in the audience. pic.twitter.com/QQrURTfE7k
— Dave Quinn (@NineDaves) September 7, 2022
Drew Barrymore, Jonathan Groff, Ryan Murphy and Zachary Quinto are at Lea Michele’s opening night of #FunnyGirl
— Rebecca Rubin (@rebeccaarubin) September 6, 2022
Holy shit yes she’s that good. Ryan Murphy is here and thats the gag of the century. Jonathan Groff taking pics with everyone. What is happening in this theatre. pic.twitter.com/GxuWJjUkB5
— Kobi Kassal (@kkassal) September 7, 2022
And it wasn’t just praise for Michele and her “Funny Girl” costars pouring in. Audience members also shared real-time dispatches – from minor costume malfunctions to inevitable bootleg recordings to audience reactions to some rather prescient moments in the script.
lea’s fake mustache (for a gag scene) would not stay on and she threw it into the pit.. the crowd went wild
—
olivia rodrigo/monkeypox updates
(@himerdos) September 7, 2022
Security at Funny Girl making sure people aren’t taking videos of Lea’s opening night performance pic.twitter.com/sweDUqRFEB
— mr perfectly average (@ghorejsi) September 7, 2022
First dispatches from Lea Michele’s FUNNY GIRL debut rolling in pic.twitter.com/agIvTNLiKk
— eric (@MrEAnders) September 7, 2022
All in all, eager Twitter users and members of the press in attendance seem to agree: Michele’s performance in “Funny Girl,” no matter how scrutinized in the lead-up for reasons both good and bad, is worth the price of admission.
There’s no other way to describe Lea Michele’s performance in Funny Girl other than unbelievable pic.twitter.com/qNmTowwhEC
— Logan Leavitt (@LoganLeavitt) September 7, 2022
my hands hurt from clapping so much
— L (@erhlle) September 7, 2022
Someone shouting “I can’t see you but you fucking ate!” at Lea as she emerges from the stage door
— Jackson McHenry (@McHenryJD) September 7, 2022
Lea Michele’s adoring fans chanting her name at the stage door at #FunnyGirl pic.twitter.com/2xo1XGOIhg
— Rebecca Rubin (@rebeccaarubin) September 7, 2022
yep she tore up those cards she couldn’t read…
— emad (@golabpapi) September 7, 2022