Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Broadway: “Funny Girl,” Barbra Streisand’s Famed Musical, Will Be Revived, With Rosie O’Donnell, Without Lady Gaga

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It’s exciting news for Broadway, but not for Lady Gaga fans.

The star of “A Star is Born” will not be playing Fanny Brice on stage, even though there were reports like this yesterday.

Yes, the musical is being revived, and for the first time ever. Michael Mayer is directing. Rosie O’Donnell will play Fanny’s mom.

But Gaga is not making a career of playing Streisand roles. What would be next? “The Main Event”? “The Way We Were”?

It’s enough that Lady G. is playing Streisand’s character in “A Star is Born” right  now.

“Funny Girl” has never been revived since its 1964-67 run that made Streisand a star. For a while a few years ago there was talk of Lea Michele of “Glee” toplining a production. But that’s passed. I could see Ariana Grande giving it a shot. We’ll see.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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