Funny Girl on Broadway Recoups Its Investment

The Broadway revival of Funny Girl has recouped its $16.5 million capitalization, just one month ahead of its closing night. This means the musical has successfully paid back its investors and any revenue the show, and its tour, bring in now is considered profit. Considering how rare it is for a Broadway show to make back the money that investors spent on it, this can be considered a success for Funny Girl.

The revival opened April 24, 2022, with Beanie Feldstein as the production's "greatest star" Fanny Brice, after beginning previews March 26. Lea Michele stepped into the role September 6, 2022, alongside Tovah Feldshuh, the latter succeeding Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice.

The production, as previously reported, will say "goodbye, gorgeous!" September 3 with its final performance, at which point it will have played 30 previews and 599 regular performances on Broadway. Current stars Lea Michele, Ramin Karimloo, Jared Grimes, and Tovah Feldshuh will remain with the show through the end of its run.

In addition to Michele, Karimloo, Grimes, and Feldshuh, Julie Benko serves as the alternate Fanny Brice, performing on Thursdays. They are joined by Paolo Montalban as Florenz Ziegfeld, Anne L. Nathan as Mrs. Strakosh, Ephie Aardema as Emma/Mrs. Nadler, Debra Cardona as Mrs. Meeker, and Martin Moran as Tom Keeney.

The ensemble features Miriam Ali, Amber Ardolino, Daniel Beeman, Colin Bradbury, Kurt Csolak, John Michael Fiumara, Leslie Donna Flesner, Candice Hatakeyama, Curtis Holland, Masumi Iwai, Aliah James, Jeremiah James, Danielle Kelsey, Stephen Mark Lukas, Alicia Lundgren, John Manzari, Liz McCartney, Connor McRory, , Katie Mitchell, Justin Prescott, Mariah Reives, Barbara Tirrell, and Leslie Blake Walker.

Building upon Jule Styne's original score and Bob Merrill's lyrics, Tony winner Harvey Fierstein revised the book (from Isobel Lennart's original) for this revival of the biomusical tracking real-life singer and comic Fanny Brice. From humble beginnings in Brooklyn, New York, Brice rose to fame and fortune onstage in the Ziegfeld Follies and as a radio and screen performer. The original 1964 production propelled a young Barbra Streisand to international fame; she reprised her stage performance in the 1968 film adaptation, winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the process.

Michael Mayer directed the production, which also features choreography by Ellenore Scott, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kevin Adams, sound design by Brian Ronan, hair and wig design by Campbell Young Associates, music direction and supervision by Michael Rafter, casting by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger, orchestrations by Chris Walker, dance, vocal, and incidental music arrangements by Alan Williams, and additional arrangements by David Dabbon and Carmel Dean.