No rain on Glee's Lea Michele's parade as she wows the audience at the 2010 Tony Awards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPZjWLLcYQendofvid
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By Georgina Littlejohn

Glee-ding lady: Lea Michele, who plays Rachel Berry in Glee, performs Don't Rain On My Parade to the Tony Awards audience at Radio City Hall in New York


There might have been a torrential amount of rain falling on the red carpet outside.
But the wet weather certainly wasn't going to dampen Lea Michele's spirits as she performed to an enthusiastic audience at the 2010 Tony Awards last night.

The actress, who plays Rachel Berry in Glee, treated the star-studded audience to a rendition of the aptly chosen song Don't Rain On My Parade.

The 23-year-old performed the song, from the Barbra Streisand musical Funny Girl, to the crowd in Manhattan's Radio City Hall.

Dressed in a pretty floor-length white gown, Lea showed off her amazing set of lungs that landed her the role as the annoying, over-achieving Rachel.

And it was also the song that her character performed on the 13th episode of the hit series, when the showchoir club perform - and win - the sectionals part of the national Glee competition.


Don't tell me not to fly, I've simply got to: Twenty-three year old Broadway veteran and Glee star Lea belts out the Funny Girl song as she walked down the aisle at the Radio City Hall


Tour de force: The actress reprised her performance from an episode of the hit show in front of a star-studded audience


Lea followed her Glee star Matthew Morrison's Tony Awards performance.

Morrison, 31, who plays Spanish teacher and Glee club New Directions coach Will Schuester, treated the audience to his rendition of All I Need Is the Girl, from the musical Gypsy.

After his bow, the spotlight went to Lea, who proceeded down the aisle singing Don't Rain On My Parade.


All singing, all-dancing: Glee's Matthew Morrison is joined by backing dancers as he performs All I Need Is The Girl


Take a bow: Lea and Morrison soak up the applause after their performance


It's is fast becoming Lea's signature song, not just because she performed it on Glee but reports in the US are suggesting that she is first in line to be considered as the lead role of Fanny Brice for the revival of Funny Girl which is expected to hit Broadway in spring 2012.

Glee had its season finale a fortnight ago in the US and will broadcast on E4 in the UK tonight at 9pm.

Series two is expected to return to our screens this autumn and will introduce three new cast members.


A vision in yellow: Lea arrives at the Tony Awards in a strapless taxi-cab yellow dress, very fitting for the New York ceremony


In the meantime, Lea is set to lend her voice as the lead role of Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, a new animated 3D movie opening next year.

Last night, as she walked singing down the aisle, she stopped and sat on actor Jonathan Groff's lap.

Groff, 25, and Lea have been friends since the age of 14 when they starred on Broadway together in the musical Spring Awakening.


Good friends: Lea and Groff, who accompanied each other to the awards, pose on the red carpet alongside Morrison


He was also her date for the awards and they posed on the red carpet together, Lea looking stunning in a strapless, taxi cab yellow dress by Zac Posen.

Speaking to showbiz website Just Jared, she gushed, We're just a perfect match.

We're such polar opposites, that's why our friendship works so well.'

But Groff also joined his old friend and the Glee cast halfway through the first season as Jesse St James, Rachel's love interest but the head of the New Directions' rival showchoir Vocal Adrenaline


Teacher and pupil: Morrison as Will Schuester and Lea as Rachel Berry in a scene from Glee
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