Some musicals get revived again and again and again. Certainly this is true of classics from Sondheim (cough, Gypsy, cough Sweeney Todd) and of course, Rogers and Hammerstein (cough, Sound of Music). But some shows are so tied to a particular artist that they are very hard to revive. You’re unlikely to see a revival of the Tony-award winning The Magic Show for that very reason—no one can duplicate Doug Henning. For the longest time, Funny Girl was in that category. Funny Girl put Barbra Streisand on the map. The songs “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” create her voice in your head. They thought Funny Girl couldn’t be done without Streisand.
I certainly thought so back in 2016, when we saw a very rare production of Funny Girl at the Colony Theatre (the inaugural production, in fact, of Conundrum Theatre Company). Back then, I wrote: “There was talk of a Broadway revival starting at the Ahmanson a few years ago, but that petered out. There was a [2016] West End revisical that was well received; it is unknown if it is coming across the pond.” It never did.
Finally, in 2022, a revival opened with Beanie Feldstein in the lead. It did so so, and there was loads of backstage issues. Many wanted Lea Michele (of Glee fame) for the lead, but she was unavailable. She had done a number of songs during Glee. Evenually, Michele replaced Feldstein, and the show went on to success, and then went on tour. The tour has hit Los Angeles, and we saw it today.
One advantage of having seen a show somewhat recently is that I don’t need to rewrite the synopsis: I can past what I wrote before (presses Control-V):
As the show itself hasn’t been around much since the 1960s, you likely are unaware of its plot other than it starred Barbra Streisand. Funny Girl tells a highly fictionalized version of comedienne Fanny Brice’s romance and marriage to gambler Nicky Arnstein. It does this by presenting Brice on a stage awaiting Arnstein’s release from prison. The bulk of the show is a flashback telling of the story, returning to the present at the end. It begins with Brice’s first appears at the Keeney Theatre. It shows her first meeting with Arnstein, her transfer to the Ziegfield Follies, her subsequent marriage, and then the failure thereof. In some ways, this foreshadows the story Streisand would play again in her movie A Star is Born. She rises in fame, eclipses him, and his ego and traditional male roles doom everything. You can read a much more detailed synopsis on the Wikipedia page.
However, this is a very fictionalized version of Brice’s story. She wasn’t the innocent when she married him (he was her second marriage); they actually lived together for six years before getting married. He had been to jail before the marriage, and actually sponged off of her for the entire thing. His jail stints were longer, and her performance history was quite differently. But in the theatre, the story becomes the reality; the truth of the story be damned.
In any case, the book is what it is (although Harvey Fierstein — who loves to doctor shows — doctored the West End version). It has its structural problems — the first act is far too long; the second doesn’t have the energy of the first. It was troubled in development, and like Mack and Mabel, does not end happily ever after. It is also a star vehicle, and requires a fairly unique mix of talent to be successful. Most actresses cannot carry it off. It requires a mix of physical comedy, comedic presence, dance, a belting voice, and the correct ethnicity. This is not a Kelli O’Hara show. It was ultimately built for Streisand, and there are few like her.
You’ll note I made a comparison to Mack and Mabel there. Mack and Mabel, which came after Funny Girl, has similar problems but with the genders reversed. You have a very funny very ethnic girl who builds a career off of comedy, and a love relationship is formed with a significant man (in this case, Mabel Normand and Mack Sennett). The relationship is doomed, and the second act gets bogged down in that doom and gloom. However, the score is glorious (it is viewed as one of Jerry Herman’s best); the book doomed the show. Funny Girl has similar structural problems: It is built around a famous ethnic comedian, who gets involved with a man that is no good for her. The second act gets bogged down in doom and gloom when he embezzles and loses his money and is exposed for the fraud he is. Like Mack Sennett, she never stops loving him, but the show ends on a down note. Subsequent productions have tried to fix the book, but it has never quite worked.
One other thing hit me in comparison with the 2016 production, in particular. The woman sticks with slimey handsome man narrative had nary a second thought in 1965. It didn’t really have a second thought in 2016. But now, we’re after “#MeToo”, and Nick’s behavior is much more creepy. A modern-day Fanny might have kicked Nick to the curb much quicker.
So, setting the problematic book aside, the performances are what make or break the show. In the original productions, these shows made Barbra Streisand and Bernadette Peters into stars. They elevated their leading men, Omar Sharif and Robert Preston. Once things settled down, the 2022 revival had similar stars: Lea Michele as Fanny Brice, Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, and Tovah Feldshuh as Mrs. Brice. But tours seldom get the stars. In Los Angeles, we have Katerina McCrimmon as Finny Brice, Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice, Stephen Mark Lukas as Nick Arnstein, and Izaiah Montaque Harris as Eddie Ryan. If you’re going “Who?”, you’re probably not alone.
Luckily, they cast well. McCrimmon knocked it out of the park: She had the voice, she has the comic timing, she could play up the pathos—she was the entire package. Manchester, whom you may know more as a singer/songwriter, brought the right ethnic and comedy to the part. Lukas had the required suaveness and a lovely voice. And boy, could Harris tap up a storm. About the only “alas” is that the actors behind the Brices weren’t Jewish. So rest assured you’ll be entertained by the performances, and McCrimmon was spectacular on “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”.
A few additional notes. This production, more than most, shows the old stage technique of scenes that are there to allow the scenery to be changed behind a curtain. I can’t remember how Conundrum handled those scenes, but they stood out in this production. I also think the lighting design was a bit weak: in particular, they overused the proscenium arch lighting in such a way that it became distracting.
So, should you see this production? I think so. You’re not going to see a lot of regional revivals of this show (although I may be proven wrong). If you want to see what made Streisand a star, this is your chance.
Funny Girl runs at the Ahmanson Theatre through April 28, 2024. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box office; discount tickets may be available through TodayTix.
P.S.: We know we’re back to regular theatregoing. For the first time since COVID, we were at a Red Bucket performance for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. We gave. You can give too.
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Funny Girl. Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Bob Merrill; Book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart. Revised book by Harvey Fierstein. Special Material by Margaret Styne. Originally produced for the Broadway Stage by Ray Stark. Original NY production supervised by Jerome Robbins. Original production directed by Garson Kanin. Original production orchestrated by Ralph Burns.
Cast (strikethrough indicates folks not in our performance): Katerina McCrimmon Fanny Brice; Melissa Manchester Mrs. Brice; Stephen Mark Lukas Nick Arnstein; Izaiah Montaque Harris Eddie Ryan; Walter Coppage Florenz Ziegfeld; Leah Platt Emma, Mrs. Nadler; Cindy Chang Mrs Meeker; Eileen T’Kaye Mrs. Strakosh; David Foley Jr Tom Keeney, Actor; Lamont Brown Ensemble, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kate E. Cook Ensemble, Virginia; Julia Grondin Ensemble, Bubbles; Jackson Grove Ensemble, Piano Player, Tenor, Porter, Cornet Man; Alex Hartman Ensemble, Vera; Dot Kelly Ensemble, Maude; Ryan Lambert Ensemble, John, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Man; Kathy Liu Ensemble; Meghan Manning Ensemble; Sami Murphy Ensemble, Mimsey; Jordon Taylor Ensemble, Polly; Rodney Thompson Ensemble, Cornet Man; Sean Thompson Ensemble, Paul, Porter, Bartender, Mr. Renaldi; Swings: Vinny Andaloro; Brian Charles Moore Dance Captain; Emily Anne Nester; Annaliese Wilbur Asst Dance Captain. Understudies and alternates: Hannah Shankman u/s Fanny Brice. At our performance: Vinny Andaloro Ensemble, Cornet Man; Brian Charles Moore Ensemble, Paul, Mr. Renaldi; Emily Anne Nester Ensemble, Maude.
Orchestra (◊ indicates local): Elaine Davidson Music Director / Conductor / Keyboards; Christian Regul Assoc Conductor / Keyboards; Mark E. Oates Trumpet/Flugel; Tansie Mayer Reeds; Sam Kurzontkowski Bass; Paul Hannah Drums / Percussion; ◊ Jen Choi Fischer Violin; ◊ Grace Oh Violin / Viola; ◊ David Mergen Cello; ◊ Dan Fornero Trumpet 2; ◊ Wendell Kelly Trombone; ◊ Laura Brenes French Horn 1; ◊ Sal Lozano Reeds 2; ◊ Glen Berger Reeds 3; ◊ William Johnson Bass; ◊ Robert Payne Contractor; ◊ Brad Gardner Keyboard Sub 2; Kimberlee Wertz Music Coordinator; Emily Grishman, Adriana Grace, and Alden Terry Music Copying; Phij Adams Music Technology; Randy Cohen Synthesizer Technician; Abel Garrida Music Dept. Assistant.
Production and Creative: Directed by Michael Mayer; Choreography by Ellenore Scott. Other production and creative: Ayodele Casel Tap Choreography; David Zinn Scenic Design; Susan Hilferty Costume Design; Kevin Adams Lighting Design; Brian Ronan Co-Sound Design; Cody Spencer Co-Sound Design; Chris Walker Orchestrations; Alan Williams Dance, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arrangements; David Dabbon Additional Arrangements; Carme Dean Additional Arrangements; Luc Verschuren for Campbell Young Associates Wig and Hair Designer; Jim Carnahan CSA Casting; Jason Thinger CSA Casting; Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman Production Props; Johanna McKeon Assoc Director; Jeffrey Gugliotti Assoc Choreographer; Torya Beard Asst. Director; Dre Torres Asst. Tap Choreographer; Jovon E. Shuck Production Stage Manager; Mariah Young Stage Manager; Rachael Wilkin Asst. Stage Manager; Justin A. Sweeney Company Manager; Ryan Mayfield Assoc Company Manager; Gentry & Associates General Management.
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Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.
Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending):
- April: ◊ Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu at Canyon Theatre Guild; ♦ Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre; ♣ Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks. Possible: ♦ Head over Heels – The Musical at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center – COC.
- May: ♦ Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; ♦ Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (⊕)
- June: ♦ Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ A Strange Loop at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Mrs. Doubtfire at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ You Can’t Take It With You (⊕) at Group Rep; and potentially some ♦ Hollywood Fringe Festival shows, although June is pretty well booked already.
- July: ♦ Peter Pan at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ The Sound of Music at 5-Star Theatricals;
- August: ♦ Clue at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; ♦ Company at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages;
On the Theatrical Horizon:
Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.
