Idina Menzel a 'Go' for Funny Girl?- Page 2

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 1/14/20 at 11:40pm

I agree in thinking she's too old and that they're are much better choices (mine would be Mueller or Bonnie Milligan), but it seems that this won't be produced without someone that has star power, which after Frozen, Idina has.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/14/20 at 11:42pm

This show is a BIG, old fashioned musical which means it’s EXPENSIVE. So that means they need someone who can guarantee ticket sales. As good as they are, talks of Bonnie Milligan, Lindsay Mendez, etc. is just silly.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/14/20 at 11:48pm

I get Greif and Mayer confused all the time!! My bad!!!

[JPeterman]

Posted: 1/14/20 at 11:54pm

I’d like to see Annaleigh Ashford do this.

 

Or if it has to be someone who is really famous, Emma Stone.

 

Updated On: 1/14/20 at 11:54 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/14/20 at 11:57pm

Mary Martin was 46 when she played a postulant in SOM.

Bette Midler was over 70 with HD.

Bernadette Peter was 51 when she started in Annie...Gun.

Mary Martin was 55 when she started in I Do I Do. Admittedly that was an over the years show, but she started out as a shy newlywed.

There are plenty of others.

Audiences will forgive age for talent and fame. To me, the biggest question is whether IM can do comedy.

[Someday]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:06am

It’s been awhile, but I thought she had a strong comic sense as Maureen in Rent

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:07am

Yeah I could see her doing well with the material. And she’s got star quality.

[FunnyBoy2]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 8:35am

Christina Bianco is currently playing Fanny in the Paris production of Funny Girl at the Marigny Theater. 

She is AMAZING in it and she is praised by the press (which, in France, is quite a thing, as musicals are not as trendy as in the US/UK). 

I have seen her twice already, and might go again before closing. 

[Claudia Draper]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 8:42am

If IDINA does this..  I do not want to hear one word about STREISAND doing GYPSY at 80.  Honestly, IDINA & BARBRA look the same age.  SO LETS DO THIS...

 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 10:59am

Claudia Draper said: "If IDINA does this.. I do not want to hear one word about STREISAND doing GYPSY at 80. Honestly, IDINA & BARBRA look the same age. SO LETS DO THIS...

Come on.  Idina looks in her 40s; and on the rare occasions when Streisand is ‘live’, I.e., award shows, she looks like she is pushing 80.  Of course, the hairdo doesn’t help.

"

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 11:30am

It's a terrible idea because Funny Girl is a terrible show. It has some good songs and it had Barbra Streisand. And that's it. And no one can sing those songs like Streisand, so the evening will be very bland. It's odd because Funny Girl wasn't conceived as a vehicle, but it became one, and will always be nothing but. And without a Streisand...imagine revivals of The King and I without Brynner but that also cut out the character of Anna Leonowens. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 11:40am

Someone suggested Emma Stone? My favorite thing is when people put out casting options with no perception of the vocal requirements.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 11:53am

Just echoing here that when she was Maureen in RENT on stage, Menzel was very funny.  

Fundamentally, I agree with Joevitus that when it comes to FUNNY GIRL as a musical, there really isn't much there to revive. People forget that the the original (troubled) production of FUNNY GIRL was essentially reworked during its development to become a vehicle to showcase Streisand and her gifts (some of which were similar to Brice).  And that's the reason its never been revived on Broadway.  

But Menzel is a name, and if they want to bring over that small scale production from London, she's a choice that makes some sense.  Menzel looks great for her age, and the show has always had the framing device of Fanny 'looking back' on her life, so I don't think she would seem that inappropriate.

Updated On: 1/15/20 at 11:53 AM

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 11:55am

As long as we’re throwing out names, how about Annaleigh Ashford?

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:11pm

I have zero idea if she can sing well, let alone sing at all, but my mind keeps suggesting Natasha Lyonne.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:29pm

The article seems to infer this would be happening expressly because Menzel wants to play the role.   And some producers feel she is a big enough name to sell tickets.  So its not really a typical BWW scenario of 'let's dream cast a revival of FUNNY GIRL."  

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:41pm

Idina has said in the past that FUNNY GIRL is the only revival she would be interested in doing. Other than that she exclusively wants to work on new material.

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:54pm

Wasn't the song "Funny Girl" written for the movie?  Is it one of those film songs that have been interpolated into revivals of the show after a film version's success?

Updated On: 1/18/20 at 12:54 PM

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 12:58pm

The question for is this: is Idina enough to fill a theater for a year? She barely did it with If/Then and the show struggled quite a bit when she wasn’t in it.

Now, her star has risen somewhat since then and Funny Girl can sell itself quite a bit...


As for age...screw it.

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 1:11pm

ChildofEarth said: "The question for is this: is Idina enough to fill a theater for a year? She barely did it with If/Then and the show struggled quite a bit when she wasn’t in it."

But wouldn't a proven show make a difference there? A lot of people went to If/Then exclusively to see her (as you said, attendance suffered when she was out) and If/Then was merely window dressing, so put her in something people want to see AND add her to the equation, then it seems like a better match.

Funny Girl seems more like a show that should put someone new on the map, but those days may be long gone?

[theblackumbrella]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 1:57pm

Really wanted Jessie Mueller and Ari’el Stachel in this.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 2:15pm

Oh I think its very safe to say that Idina Menzel is a much bigger name now that she was when IF/THEN premiered.  That was pre FROZEN hysteria, Adele Dazeem, the endless talk show appearances, etc etc.

Updated On: 1/15/20 at 02:15 PM

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 2:57pm

QueenAlice said: "Oh I think its very safe to say that Idina Menzel is a much bigger name now that she was when IF/THEN premiered. That was pre FROZEN hysteria,Adele Dazeem, the endless talk show appearances,etc etc."

Actually If/Then was post-Frozen hysteria as Frozen came out in November 2013 and If/Then premiered in March 2014.  It was actually rushed to Broadway in order to capitalize on Menzel’s newfound name recognition from Frozen.  I actually don’t think her name recognition has grown all that much since If/Then.  In fact, Adele Dazeem happened a couple days before the first preview on Broadway, so it was all very fresh.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 3:25pm

Just watched Sutton Foster sing Greatest star--so much mugging that was unfunny. And Shoshanna Bean highlights??-disaster.

The thing with Streisand was that her distinct and unique sound was something that only her throat could produce[obvious]. Listening to Ms Foster her voice was similar to hundreds of other talented young women.

I wouldn't put money into Funny Girl with any mentioned here. To make this sell out for a year at least you need someone like Renee Zellweger.

Updated On: 1/15/20 at 03:25 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 3:27pm

ChildofEarth said: "The question for is this: is Idina enough to fill a theater for a year? She barely did it with If/Then and the show struggled quite a bit when she wasn’t in it.

Now, her star has risen somewhat since then and Funny Girl can sell itself quite a bit...


As for age...screw it."

I on the other hand feel that If / Then proves that she can sell a lot of tickets.  The show got rotten reviews, audiences were bored, yet it ran almost a season.  When she was out, business plummeted.  That to me is the definition of a box office attraction.

Re prior posts, I would point out that FG ran for almost two years AFTER Streisand left, so it is not like Hugh Jackman in Oz.  I saw the original production with both Streisand and Mimi Hynes.  Hynes was not Streisand by any stretch of the imagination, but audiences liked her and the show.  Whether lightening will strike twice...who knows?  

I dont think NY audiences or Menzel will be satisfied with a cheesy production like the one in London.  It will need to be big or nothing.

Ofcourse, I would much prefer a revival of Mame.