The former ‘Glee’ star took the stage at a Democratic fundraiser event in New York City on Thursday alongside Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Cynthia Erivo and Ben Platt
Lea Michele took the stage on Thursday for a performance that would mark a special milestone for her.
A day after revealing she was expecting her second child with husband Zandy Reich, the Glee alumna performed the Funny Girl classic “Don’t Rain on My Parade” at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City, for “An Evening with the Presidents” — the Democratic fundraiser event featuring Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
The appearance not only marked the public debut of Michele’s baby bump, but also the first time she has ever performed while pregnant, she said.
“Okay, so I’ve never sung pregnant ever before. And I just decided why not for the first time come to Radio City, one of the most amazing, iconic venues in the whole world to sing ‘Don’t Rain on my Parade?,’ ” Michele, 36, explained in a video shared to her Instagram Story ahead of the performance.
The singer wore a long white sleeveless gown, which laid perfectly to accommodate her growing baby bump as she sang the Funny Girl hit on stage. She accessorized the look with gold drop earrings, a gold bracelet and had her hair styled in a sleek bun for the performance.
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, shared a video of the Broadway star singing the climactic portion of her song. In the clip, Michele hit the high notes with ease, moving her arms to emphasize the lyrics of the song.
Michele performed alongside Lizzo, Queen Latifah and Michele’s fellow Broadway stars Cynthia Erivo — who sang “River Deep Mountain High” — and Ben Platt, who shared a rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
The event was hosted by Mindy Kaling, and saw the former presidents join together for a conversation with late-night host Stephen Colbert. An estimated $25 million was raised for the Biden Victory Fund, which aims to help President Biden win reelection in November.
For all you Glee Fans… Lea Michele !!! #BidenObamaClinton pic.twitter.com/o26TLMtM3p
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) March 29, 2024
On Wednesday, Michele shared her exciting baby news with fans on Instagram. Her news was announced with a picture of the star posing in a white shawl and underwear, smiling as she looked down and cradled her baby bump.
“Mommy, Daddy and Ever are overjoyed. ????,” Michele wrote in her caption, referring to their 3-year-old son Ever Leo.
Speaking with PEOPLE about her partnership with Carter’s in October, Michele praised her husband as the “most incredible in the entire world” for his support, noting, “The best day of the whole year was when my husband took my son to see Funny Girl. They came to a matinee and the two of them were in the audience. My son sat through the entire show and it was so so special for me to have him there and see his mommy.”
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Her hope is that Ever will one day recognize, “There might have been moments that I missed here and there throughout the year, but for him to see where I was and what I was doing and the hard work that I was putting in, it meant everything, so much to me.”
She added, “I’m so unbelievably grateful to be able to now say that I did that, and I did it well. Now it’s time to be just Ever’s mom for a little while.”
