Barbra Streisand was never back on Broadway after she made history starring in Funny Girl, but Streisand cosplayer-at-large Lea Michele is taking a different approach. Her storied and ultimately successful run in Funny Girl ends on September 3, and she apparently already has her next role lined up. “I am like Tinkerbell,†she once said as Rachel Berry on Glee. “I need applause to live.†Michele gave Variety two little clues about what the role might be, which of course means that we are going to speculate wildly. “You know it,†is the first, meaning it is another revival, she’s replacing a role in an already-running show, or she’s in Smash. “It’s very different musically,†was the other one, meaning she’s going to be rapping in a Lin-Manuel Miranda show, it’s some other contemporary option, or she’s in Smash. Our predictions include that she’s going to be:
1. Replacing Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton
2. Starring in a too-soon revival of War Paint alongside Beanie Feldstein
3. Playing Batboy in the revival of Batboy
4. Entering the rotating doors of current Sondheim revivals and playing a frog in The Frogs
5. Starring as Ivy in Smash (It’s probably this one … )
6. Starring as Karen in Smash (… And if not, it’s this one.)