Beanie Feldstein is leaving the Broadway revival of Funny Girl earlier than expected.
The actress announced Sunday (July 10) in an Instagram post that she will be departing the show July 31. Last month, producers said she and fellow star Jane Lynch would be departing their roles Sept. 25 instead of at year’s end, which had originally been expected.
In her post, Feldstein said the decision came after producers “decided to take the show in a different direction,” but did not elaborate further.
“Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway has been a lifelong dream of mine, and doing so for the last few months has been a great joy and true honor,” she wrote. “Once the production decided to take the show in a different direction, I made the extremely difficult decision to step away sooner than anticipated.”
She went on to praise her fellow cast and crew and thank those who’d come to see her performance.
“I will never forget this experience and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every single person who came to the August Wilson for the love and support you have shown me and our amazing cast and crew,” she wrote. “The people I have had the great joy of bringing Funny Girl to life with every night, both on and off the stage, are all remarkably talented and exceptional humans and I hope you continue to join them on Henry Street after I depart on July 31st.”
The show’s official Twitter account tweeted Sunday that “exciting casting announcements” would be revealed at 1 p.m. ET on Monday. Understudy Ephie Aardema made her debut in the role on Sunday, according to a tweet that was retweeted by the official account.
The revival debuted in April to mixed reviews, with many arguing that she failed to fill the big shoes left by Barbra Streisand, who originated the role on Broadway in 1964, earning a Tony nom, and subsequently won an Oscar for her performance in the 1968 film adaptation.
Feldstein “has a lovely, light singing voice in a part that often calls for big-belt power,” The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney wrote in his review, while noting that Streisand’s “legacy is a lot to live up to, for any performer.”
Feldstein last month missed several performances after testing positive for COVID-19.
The current revival earned a single Tony nomination at the 2022 ceremony, for featured actor Jared Grimes. Lynch plays her mother, while Grimes portrays Eddie Ryan and Ramin Karimloo plays Nick Arnstein.
In their statement last month, producers indicated that Gimes and Karimloo would be continuing on.
“Beanie returns tomorrow!” the show’s official Twitter account posted June 15. “14 weeks left to see Beanie Feldstein & Jane Lynch now through September 25th. Stay tuned for additional casting news to join Ramin Karimloo & Jared Grimes and the company of Funny Girl.”
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
