Hey Mister Arnstein, here she is!
“Beanie Feldstein, Beanie Feldstein, what a beautiful, beautiful name!”
said director Michael Mayer in a statement exclusive to EW.
Matthew Murphy
Originally written by Isobel Lennart, the revival will feature a revised book byHarvey Fierstein.
Jared Grimes (Manifest) is also joining the cast as Eddie Ryan.
Read more after your first look at Feldstein as Fanny.
BEANIE FELDSTEIN:Everything, my whole life.
I was a unique kid.
I was the kid who wanted to watch the film version ofFunny Girlmore thanThe Little MermaidorBeauty and the Beast.
I would literally beg my mom to put it on at night in lieu of all the Disney classics.
It was in my wildest dreams.
Whenthe casting was announced, you said you first played Fanny at your third birthday.
What spoke to you then that still speaks to you now?
Is there something from that very young take on her you want to carry with you?
I don’t think I understood this as a child, but I think there is an intrinsic connection.
My grandparents are from Brooklyn; that is where my grandma and my grandpa grew up.
There was something in Fanny that felt like home.
She was so confident and vivacious, both in Barbra Streisand’s genius legendary performance and the woman herself.
That’s inspirational to anyone at any age.
Even as a very young kid, I locked into that energy.
I’m drawn to that sort of luminous confidence that she has as Fanny Brice.
This is such an iconic role.
Is there something that intimidates you as you are on the verge of starting rehearsals?
Oh, are you joking?
To play Fanny Brice on Broadway for the first time since 1964?
It’s remarkably intimidating, and that’s also what makes it unbelievably exciting.
Those two should go hand in hand.
But the fear and the anxiousness is just as matched in excitement and pure joy.
How does this compare emotionally to making your Broadway debut as Minnie Fay inHello Dolly?
I had this singular dream as a kid, which was to be on Broadway.
But my heart for my whole life has always been with the theater.
That medium has always meant the most to me.
I mean it literally when I say it’s like a lifelong dream coming true.
It still hasn’t sunk in.
Approximately how many"titular role"jokes do you expect to hear between now and next year?
[Laughs] Oh my God, I mean, many.
It is so surprising to me because I remember filming that scene.
I’m just worried in my own head.
That ended up being the scene that gets most quoted to me of anything of all time.
Ramin Karimloo is going to be playing Nicky, and obviously, he has Broadway bonafides himself.
What are you most looking forward to digging into with him?
Oh God, he’s just an absolute dreamboat, isn’t he?
He has the voice of an angel.
There’s so much in their dynamic, and they really surprise one another.
He’s easy to swoon over.
You’ve been a Broadway fan all your life.
Now you’ll be working with Michael Mayer on this.
I’m such an absolute gigantic fan of his work.
Everything that he’s ever done is so distinctly fresh and joyful and singular.
He knows Broadway in his bones, and to be guided by that is such an exceptional gift.
We’ve got to spend some time together recently, now that I’m back in New York.
I just feel like we’re cut from the same cloth; we get each other.
I remember seeingThoroughly Modern Milliefor the first time [which Mayer directed].
It just had such an imprint on me as a child.
ThenSpring Awakeningwas so foundational to my teenage years.
I can’t wait to get into it with him.
Have you given much thought yet to how you might make it your own?
That song I would run around my house singing from the age of like 2 years old.
There’s nothing more exciting than that instrumental under that song.
It’s the most invigorating, exciting piece.
But it’s such a gift of a song because it has so much energy in it.
What is your current plot to get your bestieBen Plattinto the production somehow?
No, I want him to be in the audience.
I am hoping that he’ll get to come to opening night.
Why do you think it’s taken so long for a Broadway revival of this show to materialize?
I couldn’t say.
I actually was laughing becauseHello Dollyalso came out in 1964.
I really couldn’t say.
I just don’t know.
Barbra is my absolute idol, and she’s a true queen.
Anyone who’s watched his work knows that this show is very close toRyan Murphy’s heart.
He’s just so incredibly supportive.
I feel like he’s championed me in such a specific and very meaningful way.
He’s such an incredible supporter, and I feel very lucky to have him in my corner.
What is the significance of that?
Are you hoping you’ll be part of a push to bring audiences back?
I’m grateful for the science.
This sounds like your number one dream role, but do you have others?
I have three others.
I would love to do the Baker’s Wife inInto the Woods.
I mean the Minnie wouldn’t even be born yet!
