Review Roundup: FUNNY GIRL Launches National Tour; What Are the Critics Saying?

The National Tour of Funny Girl launched earlier this month in Providence, Rhode Island. The highly-aniticipated tour is now underway, continuing on to more than 30 cities coast-to-coast, including engagements in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

The cast is led by Grammy Award®-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice and rising star Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nick Arnstein, Izaiah Montaque Harris as Eddie Ryan, Walter Coppage as Florenz Ziegfeld, Leah Platt as Emma/Mrs. Nadler, Christine Bunuan as Mrs. Meeker, Eileen T’Kaye as Mrs. Strakosh, and David Foley Jr. as Tom Keeney.

The full touring production cast will include ensemble members Vinny Andaloro, Lamont Brown, Kate E. Cook, Julia Grondin, Jackson Grove, Jorge Guerra, Dot Kelly, Alex Hartman, Ryan Lambert, Kathy Liu, Zoey Lytle, Meghan Manning, Bryan Charles Moore, Sami Murphy, Hannah Shankman, Jordon Taylor, Sean Thompson, and Annaliese Wilbur. 

Read the reviews below!

Photo Credit: Evan Zimmerman

Christopher Verleger, BroadwayWorld: From start to finish, the production is one show-stopping number after another, with eye-catching, intricate sets, magnificent dance routines, and finely detailed, colorful costumes that perfectly recreate the era. “Henry Street,” the dazzling show-within-a-show, features all the quintessential trimmings of a vintage stage act that would make Ziegfeld himself proud.

Kimberly Rau, WPRO: And since it’s Fanny’s show, the person who plays her has to be just as incredible as the character. This tour’s struck gold with the incomparable Katerina McCrimmon. Her voice is one of the best I’ve heard in 10 years of reviewing theater, and she has enough talent and chutzpah for at least three actors.

Marvin Heinritz, Revue: Katerina McCrimmon is a phenomenal Fanny—quirky, adorable, quick, clever, ambitious, and utterly romantic all at once. She’s an exquisite comedienne with an astounding vocal range and ability: she makes you laugh out loud with her timing and delivery of lines but also gives you goosebumps and makes you verklempt as she alternately belts out huge songs and soothes you with sweet ballads by Jule Style with lyrics from Bob Merrill.

Will Demers, Edge Media Network: That the producers went with a complete unknown only shows their confidence with McCrimmon who makes her tour debut (she previously appeared in the non-singing "The Rose Tattoo" on Broadway) with this role. You'll not often hear a voice as amazing as hers; she is most definitely a young actress who'll go places -- not only can she sing, her performance IS pure musical theater. "Hello Gorgeous" indeed! If you see at least one show this year, seek out this one in your town and you will be telling your friends what a time you had.

John Kissane, The Rapidan: Fortunately, Katerina McCrimmon (as Fanny Brice) has talent to burn. She’s staggeringly charismatic. She’s funny, yes. Given the title, she’d better be. But she’s achingly human, too. She sang so well that, more than once, I found myself shivering.

Susan McDonald, Providence Journal: From the slower sounds of “Who Are You Now?” launching the show to the soaring notes of such popular numbers as “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “People,” McCrimmon’s voice is clear and rich, transitioning the ranges easily and quickly. With her consistent grasp on a Jewish Brooklyn accent, there are moments when her voice harks back to Streisand’s, and her ascent to the last note in “I’m the Greatest Star” proves breathtaking.

Carmichael Cruz, Click On Detroit: Stepping up to the crimson plate is relative newcomer Katerina McCrimmon. With one of the strongest voices on tour right now and with her fearless attitude, McCrimmon puts every ounce of her on the stage: singing, dancing and making the over 2,000 patrons inside the Fisher Theatre laugh for almost three hours. McCrimmon is a star with the pipes to back her up. From character-driven songs like “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” to her softer side in “People,” McCrimmon navigates Fanny’s humanity effortlessly, toning down the zaniness in moments of realness. Lorne Michaels: if you’re ever looking for your next SNL cast member, she’s right here.

AniKatrina Fageol, BroadwayWorld: Katerina McCrimmon IS Fanny Brice in every way. Her bold brassy voice and her comedic timing make her a hilarious stand-out from the long-legged blonde chorus showgirls she is surrounded by. She excels at physical comedy and her facial expressions had the audience in laughter for the entire show. But she also captured the emotions of a melancholy wife just as well, which was a pleasure to see.

Penny Tannenbaum, BroadwayWorld: While McCrimmon belts every tune her larynx touches out of the park – and knows enough from Jewish to give her Fanny a slightly yiddishe ta’am – she doesn’t arrive with the name recognition of her Broadway counterparts. So the tour not only comes to us equipped with McCrimmon’s considerable verve and talent, we’re also favored with the presence of Melissa Manchester as Fanny’s mom, Rose Brice, a role that was juicy enough for Kay Medford to earn Tony Award and Oscar nominations back in the ‘60s.

Timoth David Copney, BroadwayWorld: This production is not quite as lavish as I was expecting, but the big, bold, beautiful cast more than makes up for any lack of scenery. Harvey Fierstein is credited with revising the book, and the music by Jules Styne and Bob Merrill holds up just fine. The songs are so familiar that the audience knows most of them, but there are a few surprises for those of us who have only seen the movie, which differs from the stage version in some significant ways, including expanded roles for some supporting characters.

Herb Merrick, MD Theatre Guide: Katerina McCrimmon played Fanny Brice with humor, pathos, and gusto. She has a very strong, powerful voice, an expressive face, and is a dynamo on stage. She sings and dances in more than half the musical numbers, her energy is boundless, and she has an arresting stage presence and comedic timing that are captivating. Hers is an astounding performance. Fanny’s mother, played by understudy Eileen T’Kaye in place of Melissa Manchester (no explanation given), did a superb job in her many scenes with her poker-playing friends. She has a wry sense of humor, a strong, clear voice, and handles well the difficult task of playing a “stage mother” with tenderness and compassion who is concerned for her daughter’s welfare and happiness. Stephen Mark Lukas, playing the con man Nicky Arnstein, has such a nice tenor voice and is so appealing that it took me as long as it took Fanny to realize what a disreputable snake he was.

Rick Karlin, OutSFL : Harvey Fierstein’s new book streamlines the action and new technology allows one scene to flow into the next in an almost cinematic fashion. Still erasing the image of Barbra Streisand playing the role, whether you were lucky enough to see it on stage or only know it from the film version, is a difficult task. Lea Michelle did it on Broadway by emulating Barbra while still making the role her own and Beenie Feldstein, well, enough has been written about that. Watching South Florida’s own Katerina McCrimmon in the production playing Fannie Brice I was skeptical, and never for once did I feel she was Jewish, but by the time she sings “I’m the Greatest Star” I was won over.

Average Rating: 86.7%