Lea Michele Got A Standing Ovation At Her Funny Girl Debut Before Even Saying A Word

On Sept. 6, Lea Michele returned to Broadway for the first time in 13 years, making her debut as Fanny Brice in the revival of Funny Girl at New York City’s August Wilson Theatre. Her Glee character Rachel Berry played the iconic role onscreen more than eight years ago, making it a full-circle moment for both Michele and longtime fans.

Michele received her first standing ovation before even speaking a word, with the crowd’s cheers nearly silencing Fanny Brice’s famous opening line, “Hello, gorgeous.” Before intermission, the star garnered four standing ovations, most notably after her performance of “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” a fan-favorite number on her first season of Glee.