Is Beanie Feldstein Playing Fanny Brice in the Broadway Revival of Funny Girl?

Over the weekend, an Equity casting call was quietly posted for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. If the information in that posting is to believed, the production will be directed by Michael Mayer and will begin rehearsals on February 22, 2022, ahead of a first performance on April 2.

Also according to the notice, the lead roles of Nick Arnstein and Fanny Brice have already been cast. Our sources tell us that scene-stealing Hello, Dolly! actor Beanie Feldstein will star as Brice, a role originated by Barbra Streisand on Broadway (and which won her an Oscar for the subsequent film adaptation). If this is true, it portends a big year for the actor, who will also star as Monica Lewinsky in the forthcoming Impeachment: American Crime Story.

While the identity of the actor playing Arnstein is hazier, we suspect it is someone who is more than ready to bring him home to Broadway.

And it has been a long journey to get here. This will be the first ever Broadway revival of the 1964 musical about Ziegfeld Follies comedian Fanny Brice. Performers as different as Idina Menzel and Lady Gaga have been rumored to be connected to the show for years, but this is the first time a casting call has been posted. And if that notice is to be believed, many of the roles have not yet been cast. The production team is still seeking actors to play Mrs. Brice, Eddie Ryan, Mrs. Strakosh, Tom Keeney, Emma / Mrs. Nadler, and Flo Ziegfeld himself. Interested actors are encouraged to send video auditions to FunnyGirlEPA@gmail.com

Funny Girl has a score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, with a book by Isobel Lennart. For this production, which originated at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2015 before transferring to the West End (and subsequently being filmed), Harvey Fierstein rewrote the script. According to the casting notice, choreography will be by Ellenore Scott, with tap choreography by Ayodele Casel and musical direction by Michael Rafter.