Lea Michele, the former ‘Glee’ star whose debut in ‘Funny Girl’ turned the show’s fortunes around, performed ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ at Sunday’s ceremony despite the revival not being considered for Tony .
Do not tell her not to sing – she just has to.
This revival of “Funny Girl” — Broadway’s first since Barbra Streisand created the role in 1964 — was eligible for the Tony Awards last year, when actress Beanie Feldstein played the lead. The show was only nominated for one award (for the role of Jared Grimes as a tap-dancing sidekick), and attendance dropped in the weeks following the ceremony, until Michele joined the cast and bolstered the show’s revenue.
The role was a career milestone for the actress, who has not been part of any Broadway company since she left “Spring Awakening” in 2008. It was also her first major role since a wave of criticism from former colleagues who publicly accused her of bullying. behavior, to which she responded with an apologetic statement promising to do better.
When she stepped into the role last fall, Michele insisted that exclusion from the Tonys wasn’t a concern for her, saying, “It’s about being able to play this role.”
It’s not the first time Michele, a well-known Streisand fan, has performed “Don’t Rain on My Parade” at the Tony Awards. She did so at the ceremony in 2010, shortly after performing in character on “Glee.”
The rules that have restricted Tonys broadcasting during the writers’ strike have given the ceremony more room to feature performances from shows that are not eligible for awards. Despite not receiving any nominations, Neil Diamond’s musical “A Beautiful Noise” also sang along with “Sweet Caroline”.