Lea Michele's Stellar Performance In 'Funny Girl' Shuts Down Broadway, Receives Four Standing Ovations

Former "Glee" star Lea Micheleearned several standing ovations for her first performance in Broadway's "Funny Girl" on Tuesday night. The actress, 36, made a spectacular comeback to the stage after a 13-year sabbatical, playing Fanny Brice in the musical revival.

Michele succeeds Beanie Feldstein, who left the revival in July. The mother of one was overcome with delight when she received the word that she had gotten the part, and she celebrated the occasion with her closest friend.

Michele added that she received a flurry of support from her colleagues in "Spring Awakening," her last stage performance before "Funny Girl," and that she also had her friends in the audience watching her as she made her debut in the iconic role.

Read on to learn more.

Michele gave the performance of a lifetime as Fanny Brice in the much-awaited revival of Broadway's "Funny Girl" on Tuesday night at New York City's August Wilson Theatre. The 36-year-old actress wowed audiences so much with her performance that she earned four standing ovations, indicating that she had fully satisfied the role which was originally done by the legend, Barbra Streisand.

According to Peoplemagazine, One occurred before the end of Act 1, the two during the show's second act, and the fourth occurred even before the actress and her co-stars dished out their performance. Apart from the fans cheering her on, Michele's friends and some of her colleagues were in attendance to support her, including her best friend Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher Jr., Gideon Glick, Zachary Quinto, and Ryan Murphy.

Michele took a bow center stage after her performance, to thunderous cheers from the audience. If she had any reservations about her performance at the time, it was evident from the overwhelming reception that her months of preparation for the showcase had not been in vain.

Michele hasn't been on Broadway since leaving "Spring Awakening" in 2009, a 13-year hiatus. Despite the lengthy break, the actress did not miss a beat on stage and has attributed her accomplishment to the overwhelming support she got.

Per People, the actress said that her "Spring Awakening group" chat colleagues inundated her with good wishes after the news that she'd be stepping into the revival made the headlines in July.

"Everyone is so incredibly supportive," she said of her Spring Awakening cast members. "I mean, literally, it's just a constant support for all of us."

Michele carried that cloak of support all through the moments of practice and was confident that her friends would be part of the audience when she took the stage.

"I know Jon [Groff] and John [Gallagher Jr.] are going to be there," she said ahead of the performance, per the publication. "So I have all of my people. It's wonderful."

Per People, Michele was filled with emotion when she received the call informing her that she had been cast as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl." At the time, she was feeding her child Ever Leo, whom she shares with her partner, Zandy Reich.

"I got the call from my agents that I got the part. I had no idea. They said, 'You are going to be Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.' And as I looked up, I start hysterically crying, and I'm like, oh my God.

After the rush of emotions, the actress celebrated the news with her best friend Groff over a bottle of champagne. "We just sat in the living room and toasted to that. But I also had a weekend where we went away together, and we celebrated. So we've had these mini little celebrations," she told the publication.

Two years before her debut as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," Michele faced backlash on social media after she was accused of mistreating some of her former colleagues from her hit show, "Glee." At the time, she issued an apology on Instagram, admitting that she may have acted inappropriately even though she was unsure of the circumstances.

"What matters is that I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people," she wrote on Instagram. "I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused."

Whatever issues she may have had were clearly addressed, as seen by how beautifully she interacted with her co-stars in the musical. With all now said and done, the actress's future holds great things as the accolades for her performance in "Funny Girl" keeps pouring in.