Ramin Karimloo on Romancing Beanie Feldstein in Broadway's 'Funny Girl' : 'I've Been Blown Away'

Hey Mr. Arnstein, here Ramin Karimloo is!

The Iranian-Canadian Broadway star is back on the Great White Way, starring as Fanny Brice's love interest Julius Wilford "Nicky" Arnstein in the highly anticipated revival of Funny Girl.

This marks the first time the Jule Styne and Bob Merrill musical has been on Broadway since it debuted nearly 60 years ago in 1964. Booksmart actress Beanie Feldstein steps into the shoes of Brice, a role made famous on stage and on film by Barbra Streisand.

"Beanie is this generation's Fanny Brice," Karimloo, 43, tells PEOPLE ahead of the show's April 24 opening. "We talk about the importance of representation all the time, and Fanny was a trailblazer. She had no template, no path; she became the mold. She showed people, if you don't see something, become that. And Beanie followed Fanny's path and opened her own sets of doors for others to follow suit."

Feldstein, 28, has been on Broadway before, playing Minnie Fay in the 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly! But leading a musical is a first for the American Crime Story: Impeachment star.

Karimloo knows that all too well, having played, among other roles, the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (a part that earned him a Tony nomination).

Karimloo tells PEOPLE he's been "blown away" by Feldstein. "Her commitment, her physicality, her endurance as a physical comedy actress — that's no denying she's carrying this show every night and it's so so impressive to see someone with that charisma just light up the stage," he says.

"It's a big deal, what she's doing by driving the show like this,," the actor continues. "And she's doing it with such grace and dignity and love. You couldn't ask for a better leader."

Below, Kaimloo opens up to PEOPLE about his unique take on Arnstein in Funny Girl, the secrets to his 22 year marriage, and how his two sons are making their own paths in Hollywood.

PEOPLE: This is such a landmark production, the show's first-ever revival. Were you intimidated thinking how people would compare it?
Karimloo: Well, it's been a slow burn for me, because I didn't grow up with Funny Girl. I'd never seen the film. Obviously, I knew of it and Barbra Streisand and how it influenced a generation of people, but because I didn't have any experience with it myself, I really got to approach it like a brand new show. People ask, "How is it different from before?" and I'm like, "I have no idea!" I'm coming to grips with Nicky on my own terms.

Well, you may not know the film, but surely audiences coming do! How have they been reacting?
It's been amazing. We're still in previews but every night the reaction has been incredible. I have not experienced anything to this scale. I'm like, "Maybe this is just an over-generous audience and it's nostalgia? Let's just see how the show goes. Let's not rest on any laurels."

There are differences to the way you're playing the role. For one, you're singing much more.
I'll be honest, when I first accepted the role, I hardly sang — and that's why I took the part! I was like, "Great, it's a non-singing role! I don't have to worry about my voice!" Yeah, that changed. [Laughs] But even though it's not like Jean Valjean territory, it's it's different style of singing; more jazz swing, so it's not necessarily in my wheelhouse. It's been a fun challenge.

Pretty sure Nicky also wasn't walking around shirtless before...
Oh, is that new? [Laughs] Yeah... well listen, when Fanny arrives, he's sleeping. He hears commotion and comes out. Why would he be wearing a shirt?

That's logical!
Right? But I'll tell ya, as a 43-year-old man now, the artist in me may be like, "Well this is truthful. This is what we do." But the ego's like, "This lighting better not be washing me out. I'm working hard at this body!" [Laughs] You're trying to check ego with artistic merit.

You're playing a fictionalized version of a real-life person. What research did you do into Nicky?
The more I read about Nicky, it was almost a disservice because so many people were painting him like this dastardly character and... I like Nicky! He's a good man; he's an honorable man. Yes, he's a gambler, but he also was a product of his time. You either were in this lane or in that lane, and he happened to be in this lane. But that doesn't mean he didn't navigate that lane with honor. He did the best he could with what he knew.

Hey, part of playing a role is empathizing with your character!
Yeah, and Fanny — she was a woman ahead of her time. She was a trailblazer. But a man in that era, it wasn't easy to sit back and let the woman be the provider. He felt emasculated, and I don't have to think he's right, I just have to understand him. He couldn't be what he knew.

Alright, we'll be nicer to Nicky!
Hey, look at Phantom. People say, "We love the Phantom" and I'm like, "The Phantom killed two people!" [Laughs] So at least Nicky didn't kill anyone!

Let's talk about Beanie. You said earlier you've been blown away by her. Obviously, she's going to be compared to Barbra, but this is really Fanny Brice's story, not Barbra's. What makes Beanie so good at telling that story, in your eyes?
Beanie's just.... she is Fanny Brice. When you come to see the show, you see Fanny Brice. And it's all her own. She's very understated with her comedy. She has these little nuances that still make me laugh, hours after I get off stage. She's very grounded in that way. It's different. And Beanie's not necessarily purposely different; she's just playing it truthfully to Beanie Feldstein and her cadence, her physicality, and her voice.

How's she been handling it?
She spoke a lot to me about how she was a big fan of the movie, how it changed her life since she first saw it. She's been playing dress-up as Fanny Brice since she was 3 years old, and now to be there where she can dress up professionally as Fanny Brice and see her achieve her dreams? I just love that.

Are you enjoying romancing her on stage each night?
We're having a lot of fun. Doing theater, you just never know what pitch is going to be thrown your but you know the ball's coming, and what I love about Beanie as a scene partner is she plays moment-to-moment. She just always has this glint in her eye. It's a very intimate relationship — between you, your costar, and the audience in the room that day — and Beanie's always right there, very present, ready to play. We trust each other.

Speaking of romance, you and your wife Mandy have been married a long time.
This year will be 22 years!

What's the secret?
Look, it's not been easy. People in long relationships always pretend like, "It's perfect" but we've hit some real rocky times. We've almost called it a day a few times. But there was a turning point for us where we sat down, without ego, and worked through it. I remember, we were advised, "Celebrate that you've had these two amazing boys, and just be mates. Work on that." So that's what we focused on. And now, six years later, we're strong than ever. We learned to expect nothing, give everything, and be friends. The rest will take care of itself.

That's wonderful. And you have two kids, Jaiden, 17, and Hadley, 14 — both with birthdays on the way.
Can you believe that? They've grown so fast.

Are they in the States with you?
No, everyone is back' back home in England. My wife and I made a decision a long time not to uproot the family so every time I come to New York to work, they'll stay there and just come visit. Especially during tech and previews, I'd never seen them anyway. This really helps us assure that when we're together. we're really together as a unit.

Do the kids want to follow in your footsteps and go into the entertainment industry?
They already are. Jaiden produces rap and does melodic rap, so he's trying to find avenues for that now — TikTok, SoundCloud, etc. — which I'm like, "I have no idea about that world so good luck!" [Laughs] And Hadley, he's just got into acting this year. He spent six months filming with Harrison Ford doing the new Indiana Jones movie.

Wait, what?!
Yeah, Indiana Jones 5! It's crazy, right? He was the walking acting double for the lead kid! It was his first audition, too!

How did this even happen?!
They called and said, "Does Hadley want to act?" And I was like, "Hadley, do you want to act?" And he said, "Sure!" So I did a self-tape for him. I told him, "Don't act, just be you. How would you react to this?" Next thing I know, he was hired! They ultimately went with someone who's got a slightly different look for the role, but kids can only do so many hours, so they brought him on as the acting double. And it was great because whenever they did Harrison's takes, Hadley stepped in. I was like, "That's the best job! There's no pressure and you're learning by working with Han Solo!"

The plot of this movie is so hush-hush. What's his part?
That's the thing: I don't even know! I didn't get a script, I'm not privy to it. He didn't tell me!

So you're completely in the dark?
Completely. He'd phone me daily. "Oh, Harrison did this on set! Oh, Phoebe Waller-Bridge said this, I met Antonio Banderas today!" I couldn't believe it! They were all staying at the same hotel, and Boyd Holbrook — who has his wife and kid with him — were like, playing games with Hadley. I'd be like, "Thats the star of Narcos! I'm a big fan! How is this happening?"

That's unbelievable.
He then ended up shooting another quick scene in a new TV show with Michael Sheen on the BBC. So he's starting to rack up credits quicker than me! I'm like, "Can you get me in?"

Funny Girl is now in performances at the August Wilson Theatre