NEW YORK — Although Lea Michele’s much-anticipated return to Broadway was upended by COVID-19 after only four performances, producers of “Funny Girl” are now laughing their way to the bank.
First week numbers for people clamoring to see the “Glee” alum starring as Fanny Brice broke box office records for the production.
Last week’s ticket tally hauled in a whopping $1,639,212 at the August Wilson Theatre, according to weekly data released by the Broadway League.
The new figures reflect a significant increase from the previous week’s total of $659,874, Deadline noted. When the drama-plagued Beanie Feldstein fronted the musical last spring, it reportedly averaged a high of $1.3 million.
Michele is currently out of the Michael Mayer-helmed production for 10 days due to a positive COVID test after only playing four performances, including her first night last Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Golden Globe nominee shared on social media that she won’t be able to take the stage.
“I’m devastated to say that due to early signs and symptoms of COVID and an inconclusive test result — due to the production’s safety protocols I’m not allowed to perform for today’s shows,” Michele wrote in a Saturday Instagram story.
“I will be testing again and will know more about tomorrow’s performance soon,” she added.
In June, Feldstein was also reportedly stricken by the disease, breaking the news in an Instagram video message that she would be “out of the show for a little while to keep everybody safe.”
Julie Benko, who has been getting high marks as the understudy since the revival began, was already scheduled to play the role on Thursdays. She filled in for the three weekend shows that Michele missed.
The standout has continued to stand-in for the ailing Michele.
Reps for the production did not respond to requests for comment.
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