Have they revived Funny Girl since the 1st production with Barbara? If not, they should I'd love to see this done. But whoever would play Fanny would have big shoes to fill. Maybe thats why they haven't revived it. I think Sutton would make a good Fanny but it would be cool to find someone new to play the part just like Barbara was. I don't knwo I think it would be cool to have it revived, it has great music.
"Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread and a prince for... whatever!"
I think it's time for a Funny Girl revival too! I think people might be scared of Funny Girl with Barbra, though...maybe that's what's prevented it from happening.
Sutton would indeed be a great choice for it. I'd also like to see (and hear) Julia Murney have a shot at it -- for a totally different take.
Linda Eder singing that score would be unbelievable. She already sings "Parade" better than Barbra, in my opinion. She'd probably never touch the show however.
The truly beautiful should be lawfully restricted from wearing clothing; and the truly butt-ugly should be lawfully mandated from going naked.
No one's ever had the balls, and excuse me for being so crass, to play Fanny on Broadway since Streisand in the 60's. I don't think it's because she was *that* good more than it's because that's her signature stage/film role.
Oh, and Fanny must be played by a Jewish girl. No question about it.
There has been talk over the years about a revival -- featuring any number of people from Taylor Dane to Sandra Bernhard (who I think would have been fascinating in the role) but its never happened.
There was also the touring company with Debbie Gibson that quickly folded -- perhaps one of our posters can share stories on that one
The problem is that as much as people talk about the vocal demands of the part -- more importantly the role really needs the kind of quirky, unique Jewish personality that you don't see in many leading ladies in order to really work.
I just can't see someone as waspy as Sutton Foster being completely effective in the part.
Maybe in a couple of years they'll revive it with that chick on American Idol everyone says reminds them of Streisand, ha!
A few years ago Deborah Gibson played Fanny Brice at Papermill Playhouse, as well as on tour.
Funny Girl Trivia: The real Nick Arnstein, who died penniless, was in front of the Funny Girl theatre when it premiered on B'way, begging for money.
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
Although she'd be great in so many roles, Fanny is just not one of them. But she did sing the sh*t out of "I'm the Greatest Star" at the Actor's Benefit concert back in 2002.
I don't know what she was like in the role, but I like Darcie Robert's recordings from when she played the role at TUTS in Houston (available for listening on her website). Updated On: 3/21/05 at 04:42 PM
If a revival is planned, I think that an unknown will have to play the role - I don't think a "name" is going to touch it considering the iconic nature of the role and the woman who originated it.
The truly beautiful should be lawfully restricted from wearing clothing; and the truly butt-ugly should be lawfully mandated from going naked.
I hated him in the movie. I was angry with the movie because she kept going back to him. You're right he was a low-life - both in the movie and real life.
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
But it was romanticized for the movie. The real Arnstein was not a class act. Also Fran Stark didn't want her father portrayed as badly as he truly was and the real Nick threatened to sue the producers of the musical play so his role kept being whitewashed.
The truly beautiful should be lawfully restricted from wearing clothing; and the truly butt-ugly should be lawfully mandated from going naked.
Please remember that Streisand was NOT an unknown at the time of FUNNY GIRL. I believe she had already won a Grammy and, before the show opened, made her iconic appearance on the Judy Garland Show.
"I'm so looking forward to a time when all the Reagan Democrats are dead."
Streisand was only known on the coasts, she was hardly a household name when cast in the role. Additionally, the role became iconic after Streisand transitioned to "legend". It was not an iconic role at the time it was being cast or performed in the 60's.
In fact, the show continued on for another year after Streisand left with Mimi Hines in the role.
The truly beautiful should be lawfully restricted from wearing clothing; and the truly butt-ugly should be lawfully mandated from going naked.
But at the time of her being cast, Streisand was basically an unknown, except for the people who knew her cabaret work or perhaps saw I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE.
I personally don't care if they get a name or quasi name for the part as long as she's ideal for the role. I mean they could have revived the show in the 1970s with Bette Midler, and she would have been great.
You just have to have the right personality.
Updated On: 3/21/05 at 04:55 PM
The "Revival" tour with Deborah Gibson was supposed to go to B'way, but alas did not. The Isobel Lennart Estate had given Sammie Dallas Bayes, the director full reign to change the book. which he tried and failed miserably. The show was horribly directed and the design looked like a bad summer stock production. Deb sang the hell out of it and she was starting to "get" Fanny under her belt when it closed.
"It never bothered me that she called me a c*nt, it bothered me that I answered to it!" Carol Channing about Ethel Merman filming an episode of "The Love Boat"