While visiting New York City this weekend, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre paid a visit to Funny Girl on Broadway. Though being at the front lines of political press is always busy, Jean-Pierre took a few hours to enjoy the classic musical ahead of its closing night next month.
Jean-Pierre also got a well-deserved VIP experience, visiting backstage and snapping some photos with the cast. See the photos in the gallery below.
The Broadway revival of Funny Girl will say "goodbye, gorgeous!" September 3 with its final performance. Current stars Lea Michele, Ramin Karimloo, Jared Grimes, and Tovah Feldshuh will remain with the show through the end of its run.
READ: Tovah Feldshuh On How She Started Her Career As Terri Fairchild
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, succeeding Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the cast of Funny Girl on Broadway.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Funny Girl star Paolo Montalban.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Funny Girl star Tovah Feldshuh.
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.
In a rare occurrence, the cast album, released January 20, features the production's replacement stars, Michele and Feldshuh.
For more information, visit funnygirlonbroadway.com.
