The Six Feet Under star beat competition from Glee's Lea Michele to land the coveted part of Fanny Brice, played on stage by Streisand in 1964.

The production was due to debut in Los Angeles early next year (12), before moving to New York in April (12), but the show's bosses have now announced plans to halt the revival due to financial issues.

Producer Bob Boyett says in a statement, ""Given the current economic climate, many Broadway producing investors have found it impossible to maintain their standard level of financial commitment. This was not the right time to bring Funny Girl to the stage.""