Although she received widespread acclaim for her performance as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, Lea Michele was not eligible for a 2023 Tony Award.
The musical revival, which originally starred Barba Streisand, opened on April 24, 2022, with Beanie Feldstein in the lead role. After Feldstein left the production two months early, the Spring Awakening star assumed the iconic Funny Girl role.
As per the Tony Awards Rules and Regulations, “To be eligible, an actor or actress must perform in the role on the production’s opening night and must perform in the minimum number of performances to which the producer of such production must invite and make tickets available to Tony voters.”
Having joined the show months after it premiered, the 36-year-old actress was ineligible for a Tony Award.
Lea Michele arrives at the 2023 Tony Awards despite not being eligible for nominations (Credit: M10s / TheNews2 / Cover Images)
Michele told New York Times that she was not concerned about losing her eligibility for the Tony Awards when she took up the role in September 2022, saying, “You might think that’s the biggest piece of bulls*** that I’m going to say to you all day, but I really don’t care about that at this point. It’s just about being able to play this part.”
Despite being ineligible, Lea Michele and the Funny Girl cast closed out the evening with a showstopping rendition of Don’t Rain on My Parade.
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Earlier, the Scream Queens star graced the red carpet in a gorgeous white and red floral gown by Emilia Wickstead, a New Zealand-born London-based fashion designer who has become a favorite of the Princess of Wales.
Hailing from the Resort 2023 collection, the sleeveless maxi dress highlighted her trimmed waist with its cinched bodice that flowed into a voluminous, softly pleated full skirt.
It also had an elegant square neck and was decorated with beautiful prints of red blooming roses, giving it a romantic finish.
Lea Michele hits the Tony Awards red carpet in a white and red floral dress from Emilia Wickstead’s Resort 2023 collection (Credit: Janet Mayer / Startraksphoto)
Her go-to stylist Brian Meller kept Lea’s accessories simple to allow her feminine ensemble to do the talking. She wore a pair of gold and diamond “Aura Sphere” earrings by Briony Raymond and added a thin gold bangle by Jemma Wynne.
Meller’s other celebrity clients include Julianne Moore, Shay Mitchell, and social media influencer Bretman Rock.
As for her glam, Zandy Reich’s wife accentuated her brown eyes with dramatic winged eyeliner and fake eyelashes. She also added a swipe of matte pink lipstick with matching blush care of Allan Ponte.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Yepez parted Lea’s brunette hair to one side and styled it in a straight bob.
Lea Michele parts her tresses to one side and wears dramatic eyeshadow and fluttery eyelashes to highlight her brown eyes (Credit: Janet Mayer / Startraksphoto)
Originally contracted to Funny Girl until June, Michele stated on Live with Kelly and Ryan in March that she has extended her stay until September.
“I really didn’t know how this was going to all sort of feel and be for us as a family and being back in New York. But I’m having such an amazing time, and we have the most amazing cast, and it is just such a beautiful experience,” she told hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.
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