Lauren Ambrose will star as Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL, in the first Broadway production of the musical since it originally opened in 1964. FUNNY GIRL, which features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, will be directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher.
FUNNY GIRL will play at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from January 15 through February 26, 2012 prior to opening in spring 2012 on Broadway.
FUNNY GIRL is the road-to-stardom story of legendary entertainer Fanny Brice, from her start in a Brooklyn music hall to her meteoric rise as a headliner in the Ziegfeld Follies. While her career soars, she falls in love with charming gambler Nick Arnstein, just as his own lucky streak is running out. FUNNY GIRL is an irresistible backstage drama, a heartbreaking romance and a classic musical comedy filled with unforgettable songs by the team of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill including “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” “The Music That Makes Me Dance,” and the iconic hit “People.”
The revival's shortcomings by no means rest entirely on Feldstein's shoulders. Neither director Michael Mayer nor script doctor Harvey Fierstein has solved the problems of the creaky book, which can't build Fanny's longing for offstage romantic fulfillment to match her professional success - and her eventual showbiz survivor resilience - into a robust through line. The show feels patchy and episodic and it needs a knockout, roof-raising lead to paper over the cracks... Feldstein gives a spirited, highly enjoyable performance, and her freshness drew squeals of appreciation from what seemed like a large contingent of very vocal young female fans on a recent press night. But she never quite makes the material soar, and this is a rickety vehicle that needs a supernova to put gas in its tank.
Truth be told, 'Funny Girl' is a star vehicle that is not much more than the leading role, as demonstrated by its weak and melodramatic book (which has been revised a bit by Harvey Fierstein) and the inferior quality of literally every song that is not sung by Fanny (many of which were cut from the film). Without an extraordinary lead performance, 'Funny Girl' doesn't work - which is unfortunately the case here. Vocally, Feldstein is strained and nasal and unable to handle power solos like 'I'm the Greatest Star,' 'People,' 'Don't Rain on My Parade,' and 'The Music That Makes Me Dance.' She also overplays the comedy and resorts to mugging. (I question how Feldstein could even be cast as Fanny in a high school or theater camp production.)
1964 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1966 | West End |
London Production West End |
1986 | Off-Off-Broadway |
Equity Library Theatre Revival Off-Off-Broadway |
2001 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
2002 | Broadway |
Actors' Fund Concert Broadway |
2012 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2015 | West End |
Menier Chocolate Factory West End Revival Production West End |
2016 | West End |
Menier Chocolate Factory West End Transfer West End |
2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
2023 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
Videos