Starring in a Broadway show is a Herculean feat in itself, let alone when you’re a mom to two kids under 5 — but Lea Michele makes it look easy.
“I’m constantly learning and growing and asking advice from moms around me, working mothers, like, ‘How do you do this?’ and, ‘How do you balance it all?’” Michele, 38 — who is returning to the stage for her sixth Broadway show, Chess, this fall — told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting her Sick of Missing Out campaign with Lysol. “[I’m] really trying to prepare my family as best I can for me approaching my work and keep myself as present as possible when I’m home with my family, and then as present as I can be when I’m at work.”
The Glee alum welcomed her first child, son Ever, with husband Zandy Reich in 2020 following their March 2019 nuptials. The couple announced the birth of their daughter, Emery, in August 2024.
“It’s not about perfection, it’s about being present,” Michele told Us of her parenting philosophy. “That’s what I just try to remember as much as I can.”
The upcoming musical is the first Broadway revival of Chess, a cult-favorite from EGOT winner Tim Rice and ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Performances will begin on October 15 ahead of an official opening on November 16 at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.
Michele made her Broadway debut at just 8 years old in Les Misérables in 1995. Most recently, she starred in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl.
“I’m so excited for this show. I cannot wait,” the actress told Us of Chess. “Nick [Christopher] and Aaron [Tveit], my costars, are so unbelievably talented and we are really about to bring something very special to the stage, so I can’t wait for everyone to see that.”
The upcoming show is a full circle moment for Michele, as she’ll be performing on the exact same stage on which she made her debut.
“This is really an unbelievable and very exciting moment,” she added.
While it certainly won’t be easy balancing the responsibilities of being a mother of two while performing in eight shows a week, Michele is a seasoned veteran at this point.
“[Ever] had his first day of preschool on my opening night of Funny Girl, so I literally dropped him off for the first time that morning and then went and returned to Broadway that evening,” she told Us. “It was such a crazy, full circle day.”
She’ll likely have a similar emotional moment this fall, as Ever will be starting Kindergarten around the same time Chess kicks off. To prepare for back to school season, Michele partnered with Lysol for their HERE for Healthy Schools Initiative.
“As a mom and someone who has a 5 year old, germs are a very big part of the school year,” Michele said. “I’m making sure that I’m not only preparing by getting the lunchbox and the backpack, but also stocking up on my Lysol Disinfecting Wipes and Disinfectant Spray so that we can keep our home as healthy as possible to make sure that he doesn’t miss out on any of the fun moments throughout the school year.”
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