“Funny Girl” Had Its Best Week Yet At The Box Office Thanks To Lea Michele

She did it. She showed them all! Lea Michele is, in fact and in deed, the greatest star. Deadline reports that since Lea took over the role of Fanny Brice in Broadway’s beleaguered revival of Funny Girl, ticket sales have skyrocketed netting the show $1.6 million for Lea’s first week of performances, up from just $659,874 the previous week. Ipso facto, since in America we equate profit with greatness, Lea is the undisputed greatest star (of the current cast of the Funny Girl revival on Broadway except on Thursdays when Julie Benko plays the role. On those days Julie is the greatest star and Lea reverts to the greatest star who can’t read).

Lea is currently out with COVID-19 and while Deadline reports that “there were a significant number of ticket exchange requests last weekend,” the show was still 96% full for the week, “compared to the 70-80ish percentages of recent weeks.” I hope former Fanny Beanie Feldstein won’t take an indication of her worth as a performer, but rather as proof that she was right to run around the theater leaving Lea little notes of encouragement knowing damn well she won’t be able to read them. She’s too powerful to troll now.

Even with a Covid-shortened performance schedule, Lea Michele’s star turn in Funny Girl was serious business last week, with box office for the musical revival more than doubling from the previous week.

For the week ending September 11 — Michele’s first week as Fanny Brice — Funny Girl grossed $1,639,212, a dramatic upturn from the previous week’s $659,874 and a significant improvement over even the $1.3 million high averages of original star Beanie Feldstein’s early weeks last spring.

Next week’s grosses report should provide yet another facet to Michele’s box office impact: She’s out of the production this week due to a positive Covid test (last week she played only four performances, including her first night on Tuesday, then the Wednesday matinee and evening shows, and again on Friday; Julie Benko plays the role on Thursdays and filled in for the three weekend shows that Michele missed). Deadline hears there were a significant number of ticket exchange requests last weekend.

So I guess Lea really does get the last laugh. I hope this news doesn’t give her such a big head she has to change out all her wigs for bigger ones considering how much time and attention the rest of her cast probably spent “preparing” them ahead of Lea’s debut as the greatest star Broadway has ever known who can’t read that.

Pic: Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com