Covid Symptoms Sideline Lea Michele 'Funny Girl' Debut; Julie Benko Goes On Again

Good thing Julie Benko didn't quit "Funny Girl" when Lea Michele joined the company this week. Benko had gone on as Fanny Brice for most of August after Beanie Feldstein, who starred in this revival when it opened last Spring, left the show early. And this weekend she is on again after the announcement that Michele, who has replaced Feldstein, was to take over the role. She started performance this week with great fanfare when her first performance was greeted with multiple standing ovations.

On Saturday Michele wrote on Instagram that she was developing early signs and symptoms of Covid-19, she will not be allowed to perform today as part of the production's safety protocols, according to Broadway World.

"Julie is going to crush it today as Fanny- as are all of our amazing understudies who stepped up so incredibly this week while we battle a very intense Covid outbreak in our theatre..." wrote Michele.

"Following additional testing, an announcement will be made about future performances," adds Broadway World.

While the conflict raged backstage with the change in personnel, Benko remained the show's anchor. She also is its breakout star, with profiles on the Today Show and CBSMornings that followed the terrific word of mouth for her performance. Asked by CBSMornings how she dealt with all the Feldstein/Michele drama, she said: "I've learned to tune out a lot of the noise because it's not helpful. And I try to remember that I'm doing this because I love."

Married to jazz artist Jason Yeager, the couple released their first album "Hand in Hand" this week, which includes "People." She also recently completed an engagement with Yeager at the NYC jazz club Birdland.

As for her ongoing "Funny Girl" role, Benko technotrenz.com, ""All of a sudden, I feel like I'm standing in for all the greatest stars to come. There are so many dedicated people out there who work hard and make sacrifices for the arts, but there is no assurance of a big break. That has also been me for the majority of my career."

At the time of the interview, Benko had yet to work with Michele, whose past backstage antics precede her. She did reflect on what she learned from Feldstein during the run. "Beanie gave me a lot of little nuggets, like, 'Unzip your jacket while you're walking upstage in this moment or you won't make it through your quick-change in time,' and she also introduced me to Angel Cards, which are little slips of paper that list words like 'delight,' 'honesty' or 'risk.' She'd pick one before each show and give it to the other cast members as 'the word of the day' to reflect on while performing. She left her Angel Cards to me, and I carry on the custom. It's a very useful technique to maintain performance[s] and nerves each night."

She also addressed the genesis of her album with her husband. "Jason and I started a livestream concert series called 'Quarantunes' from our living room at the beginning of the pandemic, where we'd play a mix of songs we'd prepared and requests from the audience. Our cat, Thelonious Monk, was famous for "helping" by "taking solos" by pacing across the keyboard. He was named after the renowned jazz pianist. After playing "Quarantunes" live for over a year, Jason suggested that we record them."