Tony Awards 2025: Nicole Scherzinger Gets Emotional Sharing How Broadway Changed Her Life
No one was going to rain on Lea Michele’s parade.
Indeed, the Glee alum detailed the surprising story of how she personally made her Broadway debut happen in 1995 at the age of 8.
“There was an open call for the Broadway show Les [Misérables] and my friend wanted to audition,” Lea said in an interview with Elle published Oct. 20. “The night before, her father had a heart attack and her mother called my mom and said, ‘Please, you have to take her on the audition.’”
Despite the harrowing situation, the now 39-year-old saw an opportunity, though her parents were unaware of her hidden talents.
“I said, ‘Well, I’m going to try out too. If we’re taking her, I’m going to go too,’” Lea recounted. “My parents said, ‘Well, you can’t sing.’ But they didn’t know. I hadn’t ever sung before.”
She added, “I practiced in my room a song. I sang ‘Angel of Music’ from Phantom of the Opera.”
After auditioning during the open call, the Spring Awakening star—who shares kids Ever Leo, 5, and Emery Sol, 14 months, with husband Zandy Reich—noted that the casting directors were taken by her.
“When we left, they said to my mom, ‘Who are you? Does she have an agent?’” she explained. “I had no headshot or anything. And when we left, I said to my mom, ‘I think I’m going to get this.’ And she said, ‘Things like this don’t happen to people like us.’”
But, it did happen for Lea, who added, “Two weeks later, I was performing on Broadway.”
Now, the Funny Girl actress is set to star in Chess, her sixth Broadway show, which happens to be in the same theater where she performed in Les Misérables.
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“I’m so grateful,” Lea said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else in my life. This is where I feel like I am meant to be.”
As for how her childhood friend has fared since that 1995 audition?
“She’s OK,” Lea shared through laughter, noting the two are still friends. “She’s good.”
Read on for a look back at Lea’s life over the years, including her romance with husband Zandy.
Lea Michele/Instagram
Sparks Fly
The actress is first romantically linked to the retail entrepreneur in July 2017. “They have been friends for a while and started dating recently,” an insider confirms to E! News.
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Seal of Approval
At the 2017 Emmys, Lea tells E! News exclusively on the red carpet that her new man is “The One,” at least according to Glee creator Ryan Murphy.
“So Ryan is like my family… one of the greatest friends in the world that I have, so when my boyfriend got the seal of approval from Ryan Murphy, that’s it. Yeah, my parents, friends, whatever, but Ryan Murphy, done deal seals the deal,” she gushes.
She Said Yes!
In April 2018, Zandy proposes to Lea with a 4-carat diamond ring. “They couldn’t be happier,” a source tells E! News at the time.
Happiest Place on Earth
Lea sends her hubby a sweet Valentine’s Day message in 2019, writing, “Happy Valentine’s Day Z. I love you!”
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Bride Tribe
Lea and her besties, which include Emma Roberts, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and JoAnna Garcia Swisher, head to Hawaii for an unforgettable bachelorette party in Feb. 2019.
Here Comes the Bride
Wearing a drop dead gorgeous bridal gown by Monique Lhuillier, Lea exchanges vows with Zandy on March 9, 2019 in Napa Valley, Calif. “We are so excited to be married and grateful to be surrounded by our friends and family. And most of all, we’re so happy to spend the rest of our lives together,” they tell People.
Honeymoon Stage
After tying the knot, the newlyweds enjoy a tropical honeymoon vacation. As for how they’re adjusting to married life, an insider shares, “They spent the first month on their honeymoon and basically reliving the best moments of the wedding. They’ve been going through photos and videos and just reaching out to thank everyone that was involved. They were so ecstatic about the entire weekend and just keep talking about how magical and incredible it was.”
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Ooh La La
Zandy and Lea make their first official appearance as husband and wife at the GLAAD Media Awards in March 2019.
So in Love
“My forever valentine,” she writes on Instagram in Feb. 2020. “love you z.”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for InStyle
Baby on the Way
In April 2020, a source confirms to E! News that Lea, 33, is pregnant and expecting the couple’s first child.
Lea Michele/Instagram
ForEver Grateful
Lea announces the birth of her and Zandy’s first child in August 2020, a son named Ever Leo.
She wrote on Instagram, :ForEver grateful for this true blessing.”
Lea Michele/Instagram
Shining Bright
Lea and Zandy welcome their second child, a daughter named Emery Sol, in August 2024.
She gushed on Instagram, “Our hearts are so full.”
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