Critics scoffed. In The New York Times, Jesse Green described Michael as “a missile: a performance that shoots straight at its target from its first words (‘Hello, gorgeous’) and hits it.” In the Los Angeles TimesCharles McNulty wrote “Lea Michele delivers a tour de force for the ages.”
More NYC theater, music and dance this spring
- Musical Revivals: Why do bad characters get great tunes in musicals? In the upcoming revivals, world leaders create an image that is real and not worthy of mythology, writes our critic.
- Rising Stars: These actors turned playwrights dug into memories and meaning from their lives in creating these four shows, which come to New York in the coming months.
- Gustavo Dudamel: The New York Philharmonic’s new conductor will conduct Mahler’s Ninth Symphony in May. It will be one of the hottest tickets in town.
- Feeling the buzz: “Bob Fosse’s Dancin'” is back on Broadway. Its stars? An eclectic cast of dancers who are nothing but machines.
Her run was particularly compelling because of the show’s backstory: On “Glee,” she played a character who adored Michelle Streisand, sang songs from “Funny Girl,” and then landed the title role in a fictional revival. Michael, following a life—in the artistic sense—seemed to embrace the role on Broadway, especially since the real-world revival was directed by Michael Mayer, who played a significant role in Michael’s life. , in “Spring Awakening”, when she was still a teenager. But by the time the “Funny Girl” revival rolled around, Michelle was slammed on social media after being accused of being mean to her TV cast, and the production turned to Felstein, the well-loved star of “Booksmart.”
The “Funny Girl” revival opened last April, but critics were panned Generally Sales began to decline over the summer, suffering from Feldstein’s performance. That’s when Feldstein left and Michael came in, creating high stakes for a show that needed a shocker and an actress that needed a new story. “This was a make-or-break moment for Michael’s career,” McNulty wrote.
Michael’s performance thrilled the audience, and as soon as he arrived, the show was booked A cast album. He tirelessly promoted and danced the show Macy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadeOutcry over Streisand’s letter “Late Night with Seth MeyersPlaying Charades with Jimmy Fallon”Tonight’s show.” In interviews, he used a mixture of charm, regret and humility.
The production team, led by Sonia Friedman, offered no explanation for the decision to close, and a spokeswoman was not available for comment. But once Michael’s tenure ends, the show is widely expected in the industry to end its run. That’s not all that unusual for star-driven musical revivals: “Funny Girl” will outlive the recent revival of “The Music Man,” for example, which ran for 13 months and lost its big draws, Hugh Jackman and the exit. Sutton Foster.
