Lea Michele announces ‘Funny Girl’ Broadway cast album: ‘I’m so proud of it’
Lea Michele is in the process of casting the final Broadway cast of “Funny Girl.” In an interview with Broadway.com, the star of NBC’s “Glee” and the Disney Channel’s “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” revealed the album is being released, and it will include all the songs from the show.
“This is the musical version, so of course it has Broadway, and then of course it’s really just songs we’ve recorded,” Michele told the site. “I’m so proud of it. The album is a great reflection of where I am in my career. I’m the most honest person, and I’m the most vulnerable. I can take criticism. I never wanted to be more of a role model. I just wanted to work really hard, really hard, and that is what I did, and I’m so proud that it is this album.”
Michele took her singing career a step further as host of the 2010 U.S. TV singing show “The Voice,” which led to her making a surprise appearance on the 2013 Broadway musical “Annie” as Mame’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) mother, who gave her a copy of “Funny Girl” when she first made her Broadway debut with the show, and was subsequently chosen to sing it on the live tour.
Michele also sang “Mama Dottie on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2012.
In addition to “Annie,” Michele will also make her Broadway debut in the fall (September 13 – October 5, 2013) as Elaine Stritch in “The Who’s Tommy,” replacing Patti Lupone (who has withdrawn due to a family illness). Michele is also set to star in “The Phantom of the Opera,” replacing Patti LuPone who bows out in April. She will be joining the cast as Lady Macbeth in the upcoming production,