At least four standing ovations before intermission. Sounds like Lea Michele’s first night as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl went, well, gleefully.
More ovations followed throughout the evening, including an extended and rousing one at the final curtain, with a sobbing Michele and co-star Tovah Feldshuh, also making her debut, accepting large bouquets of white roses.
Among those standing: Former Spring Awakening castmate Jonathan Groff, Glee creator Ryan Murphy and Harvey Fierstein, who added some new material to this musical revival. Also in attendance was Zachary Quinto. During the curtain call, Michele appeared to point to, and wave at, Groff.
Michele is making her public debut in the show tonight, and although critics won’t be in attendance until later this month, audience members are already taking to social media with reactions and accounts from the show. Sources at the August Wilson Theatre tell Deadline that Michele received her first standing ovation upon her entrance, and there were at least three more before the end of the first act.
Michele also apparently got a big laugh from one of the show’s more innocuous bits of dialogue – though given the crazy conspiracy rumors about her literacy, the quip was more than a little weighted: Early in the show, Fanny recalls growing up on Henry Street in Brooklyn, and notes, “I hadn’t read many books.”
Also making her debut in the show tonight was Feldshuh as Mrs. Brice. At one point during the curtain call, Feldshuh nudged a tearful Michele forward to stand alone, but Michele clasped hands with Feldshuh and pulled her along, drawing even more applause. Neither Michele nor Feldshuh gave curtain call speeches.
Deadline will post Michele’s first-night photos when they become available.