Idina Menzel Says She Almost Played Fanny Brice in a Funny Girl Revival but Thought She Was 'Too Old'
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Idina Menzel isn't letting a missed Broadway opportunity rain on her parade.
The Tony Award winner, 51, revealed on Thursday's episode of Watch What Happens Live that she almost played Fanny Brice in a Broadway revival of Funny Girl but that "it didn't work out."
For years, potential Main Stem revivals of the classic musical have been discussed, but the show didn't officially return to Broadway until Beanie Feldstein opened in Funny Girl earlier this year. Lea Michele now stars in the role made famous by theater and film legend Barbra Streisand.
"Yes, I was supposed to," Menzel explained of taking on the musical's leading lady. "But I always thought I'd be too old. They were gonna maybe go to the Brice estate and see if they could sort of encapsulate more of her life. Yes, but it didn't work out, COVID happened."
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"Lea's the right choice," Menzel added of her former Glee onscreen daughter, noting: "I haven't seen her [in the show] yet because I live in L.A., and I haven't been back."
She also recounted performing the show's act 1 finale "Don't Rain on My Parade" at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008 for honoree Streisand, who originated the real-life role of Brice in the 1964 musical Funny Girl and again in the 1968 movie adaptation.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage Lea Michele in Funny Girl
"It was daunting. It was horrifying, actually. But the most horrifying part was after," Menzel said.
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After her performance, Menzel was seated at the same table as Streisand, 80: "And she didn't recognize me at the table for about an hour."
"And then at one point, she had her fan and her glasses, and she lowered her glass, and she said, 'Did you sing 'Don't Rain on My Parade' for me tonight?' And I said, 'Yes I did, Ms. Streisand.' She said, 'You were good,' " she recounted in her best Streisand voice.
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"And then she got up and left. I've since met her. Since then, she's been completely gracious," Menzel said. "But that night, I thought, 'Is that good? Was that a good compliment or a bad compliment?' "
When Michele debuted as Fanny Brice in September, following a 13-year absence from the Broadway stage, she received four standing ovations before the end of act 1 and another two in the second act.
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After she was announced to replace Feldstein in July, Michele told PEOPLE that speculation of behind-the-scenes drama around the casting decision is not true.
"I saw the show. I wrote her and told her what an incredible job I thought that she did," Michele said in September. "I think that everybody just thinks everything is so drama-filled. I also think that people really love the excitement of pitting women against each other, which I think is really sad and unfortunate."
Michele can currently be seen in Broadway's Funny Girl at the August Wilson Theatre.