“Funny Girl” star Lea Michele says she’d “black out” if the musical’s original lead, Barbra Streisand, attended one of her performances on Broadway.
During an appearance on Friday’s episode of “The Tonight Show,” Michele told host Jimmy Fallon that she wouldn’t be able to take it if Streisand went to see her.
“I’ll die!” said Michele, who replaced Beanie Feldstein in the role of Fanny Brice for the musical’s latest run last year.
“It’s funny. This is the first show I’ve ever done where I love knowing that people are there,” Michele said — but that wouldn’t affect her reaction to spotting Streisand. “The other night I saw a woman that I thought was her, and I felt like my mouth got dry and it was just like I started hearing ringing in my ears.”
Michele also discussed a letter she received from Streisand, saying that it made her cry.
“Literally it was like a gold envelope. It flew in on doves,” Michele joked.
“Everyone’s like: ‘Are you going to frame it? What are you going to do with it?’ I actually just put it in my safe at home,” where it resides with hair from her son’s first haircut, Michele said.
“Funny Girl” has been a smash hit on Broadway and twice broke the box office record at the August Wilson Theatre over the past few weeks.