Just days after she announced she’ll soon step down permanently from playing the lead role in the revival of “Funny Girl,” Beanie Feldstein is taking a temporary leave of absence due to tonsillitis.
Feldstein announced via Instagram on Friday, that she is feeling a bit under the weather and will not be able to perform through this weekend. In Feldstein’s video, the Broadway actress pokes fun at the trending stories this week regarding her early “Funny Girl” departure, “Hey everybody I’m just uh, just checking in. What have I missed? What’s been going on?” After a week of Broadway news slipping into the broader conversation, Feldstein subtly acknowledges her premature exit, with Lea Michele to take over the role of Fanny, after Feldstein’s upcoming July 31 departure.
“I’ll start. I just got back from the ears, nose and throat doctor, who told me that I have tonsillitis, which is extremely contagious and she cannot allow me to go back on the stage through the weekend until I have enough antibiotics in my system to not be contagious anymore,” continues Feldstein.
Feldstein continues, “The last thing I would want on this earth would to get the people that I love sick and I’m just not allowed to go on stage through the weekend. I cannot wait to do my last two weeks and you just, you gotta laugh at a certain point. When it rains, it pours on your old pal Bean.”
Originally, Feldstein was to continue performing as Fanny in “Funny Girl” until late-September, but the performer announced via Instagram on Sunday, that she will be leaving sooner than expected, as the production has decided to “take the show in a different direction.” Her last performance will be July 31. She’ll be replaced by former “Glee” star Lea Michele, who joins the production on September 6.
After this weekend and Feldstein’s health improves, the actress will perform as Fanny Brice for her remaining last two weeks.