Connie Fisher to Star in London Funny Girl Revival?

The Guardian reports that a West End revival of Funny Girl might be London The Sound of Music star Connie Fisher's next project.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is among the producers of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium, said: "Connie would love to play the role and she would make a wonderful Fanny Brice. Connie is a major star and I believe she's going to be around for a long time."

The 23-year old Fisher was chosen to star as Maria in The Sound of Music through Webber and David Ian's reality talent search "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?"  Her contract with the hit Rodgers and Hammerstein revival ends in October, and Fanny Brice - the comedienne protagonist of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill's 1964 classic - might follow Maria on Fisher's expanding resumé.  Webber would produce.

Funny Girl, which follows Fanny's rise to fame in the Ziegfeld Follies and her tempestuous romance with gambler Nick Arnstein, legendarily launched Barbra Streisand to stardom (she was nominated for a Tony and won an Oscar for reprising her role in the film version).  Based on the real life story of Brice, Funny Girl features music by Styne, lyrics by Merrill and a book by Isobel Lennart.  The show opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on March 26th, 1964 and ran for 1,348 performances.  The film version, directed by William Wyler and co-starring Streisand and Omar Sharif, followed in 1968.  Its classic score features "I'm the Greatest Star," "Don't Rain on My Parade," and, of course, "People."

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