Will we see a "Funny Girl" revival?- Page 2

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:59am

The score is just wonderful
and deserves to be sung as Block could.

[K2503]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 3:57am

There are strong hints this could be revived in London.

We had a reality casting show for the Sound of Music won by Connie Fisher. Despite all the negativity surrounding the circumstances of her casting, she is simply amazing in the role of Maria and blew all the critics away with her performance. I saw her a few months ago and she was simply stunning.

She, and Andrew Lloyd Webber have mentiond Funny Girl as her next vehicle on a few occasions, even as recently as last Saturday night on our Joseph reality show. I love this show, and would love it to come back, I think Connie Fisher would be amazing as Fanny Brice as she has the quirkiness the role requires. Who know perhaps she would then transfer to Broadway?

Lets hope so!

[dramarama2]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 4:03am

I absolutely love funny girl. It is by far my all-time favourite musical, but as much as I love it, i'm not confident there will be a revival

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 9:43am

Idina Menzel sang the role at a concert performance.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:01am

I'd love to see Ana Gasteyer as Fanny. Sure, she's too old, but Broadway has been very forgiving in that respect (Peters as Annie Oakley and Mama Rose).

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:12am

Even if they did find the right actress, excellent voice and excellent comic timing, is there a director around that can nail the vaudeville feel to the show. What makes Fanny's material work is that it was vaudeville material, something that is not really done today.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:28am

I just saw a semi professional production in Bloomington, MN, which ultimately proved that it can't be revived without Streisand. The woman playing Fanny was trying so hard not to be Streisand that she never became Fanny Brice; the Nick was very handsome, and he knew it. There was no chemistry between them. The Ziegfeld had no idea who the great showman was, so you never believed he could control a major production, much less lay a chorus girl. It was well staged, but there was no love for the material.

We are better off enjoying the Broadway cast recording and watching the movie again, because it won't ever be done any better.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:31am

I'm sorry, but I've heard Block perform numerous songs from FUNNY GIRL and she massacred them all with her jackhammer vibrato. I'll take Kritzer or Murney, please.

[Dark Gable]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:40am

Shoshana Bean said in an interview (about a year or so ago) that she'd like to do it. When news got back to this site, all hell broke loose.

I really couldn't picture her in the role, but I still would have paid to see it.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:40am

Casting aside - and I belive there are a number of perfomers who could carry it - FUNNY GIRL is not relly revivable because the script is actually quite poor. The screenplay for the movie is heavily re-written. Check out local libraries for the original and you'll see what I mean.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:45am

"FUNNY GIRL is not relly revivable because the script is actually quite poor."

The music definitely carries this show.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:49am

It wasn't Block's vibrato that ruined her Fanny Brice for me. Vocally, I thought she was pretty spectacular. The thing that bothered me was her chronic phrasing issue (the way she makes everything she sings sound as if it's being done in a British accent.)

Shoshana Bean has the right presence and comedic ability to pull of the role (and the vocal talent too,) but she's too much of a riffing, "show off" singer to make this role work.

Gasteyer would have been ideal around the time she did the show at Pittsburgh CLO a few years ago, but she's a bit too long in the tooth now.

Julia Murney would be my top choice if the show was brought back. Her "People" at the Actor's Fund Benefit was a show stopper to say the least, and I think she'd do wonders with the full score.

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 10:49 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:01am

Caroline O'Connor could do this justice, perfect comic timing and a killer voice.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:09am

I actually think Menzel is the only one mentioned so far who has anything of a significant enough following to sell more than a couple hundred tickets. I happen to think she'd be quite good, mostly because she possesses that sort of quirky humor and she'd be so completely different from Streisand, I'm not sure how you could compare the two.

I don't anticipate Streisand's fans being very fond of the idea though.

None of the other ladies mentioned have anything more than a small following, and I just don't think the show is good enough to sell on someone who's hardly known. I think Murney would probably be the best in the role, though.

[mikewood]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:16am

ATTENTION: BROADWAY BELTER:

Brief spelling lesson:
(Point 1)Defintion is spelled DEFINITION
(Point 2) People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


Brief Grammar Lesson
(Point 1)
Incorrect: Norm Lewis was just casted in Les Miserables!
Correct: Norm Lewis has just been CAST in Les Miserables.
(Point 2)
Incorrect: It's to late to see Carrie, it closed.
Correct: It's TOO late to see Carrie, it closed.
Defintion of Casted: A collar that is made from an aluminum mold. This type of collar normally costs more, but is more durable.

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 11:16 AM

[Benzy92]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:03pm

I think its stupid to say that they will never revive Funny Girl because it will be compared to Barbara.. hell, look what happened with the Dreamgirls movie!

All I know is I'd love to see a revival, and Kritzer or Shoshana get my vote.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:06pm

Kritzer would be wonderful. If she pulls off the new show...I would say she has a good shot of getting Fanny.

There is a wonderful clip of shoshana on the site that can be named sometimes and she actually does not riff in it. it is a wonderful clip from the Katrina benefit.

edit..ok there is some riffing lol...actually im not sure if the katrina one is up but there is 2 other ones.

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 12:06 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:06pm

"I think its stupid to say that they will never revive Funny Girl because it will be compared to Barbara.. hell, look what happened with the Dreamgirls movie!"

"Dreamgirls" is completely different. While Jennifer Holliday was a big part of the show, she no means "anchored it" or gained legendary association with it forever like Streisand (who also went on to become one of the entertainment industry's biggest stars.)

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 12:06 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:20pm

The thing about Barbra Streisand is that "Funny Girl" did not make her. She was already a rising star before the Broadway show. She had performed several times on major tv shows. People already recognized her as a major talent. She would have been big without doing Funny Girl.

Someone like Jennifer Holliday needed Dreamgirls to "make" her.

[stella985]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:24pm

Not that it matters, but because I'm sure it will come up, and because I'm curious: is Julia Murney Jewish?

[SahDu]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:31pm

I dont know the show all that well, but didnt Sutton perform the role in a concert at one point or another? Did anyone see her? How was she?


Updated On: 2/15/14 at 12:31 PM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:37pm

SahDu, Foster sang "I'm The Greatest Star" at Seth Rudetsky's Actors Fund Benefit version of the show. Though opinions on her rendition may vary, I for one found it to have fallen flat.

Updated On: 6/4/07 at 12:37 PM

[Parks]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:02pm

Idina? Really? Have you HEARD/SEEN the clip of her singing at the benefit concert? Her voice is completely wrong for the part--I'm sort of an Idina fan--but DEFINITELY would not want her in the role. She is too...head voice. I think of Fanny as having a powerful, full voice.

Sutton has a great voice, but would not work either. She seemed too cutesy in the benefit concert (from what I've seen)... She tried very hard. For some reason, her voice doesn't seem mature enough to me.

Stephanie seems great to me--somebody just needs to get her to not (as somebody said earlier), sing everything like she is British. She has an INCREDIBLE voice--and she's a teriffic actress, in my opinion, but she needs to sort of...be a little less proper when she sings sometimes to really get the character down.

I would LOVE to see a revival of the show as well!

[wickedfan]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:20pm

My dream team for this show would be: Michael Blakemore as director, Rob Ashford as choreographer, Robin Wagner for sets, William Ivey Long or Martin Pakledinaz for costumes, Peter Kaczorowski or Christopher Akerlind for lighting, and Harold Wheeler for orchestrations.

Cast wise, I still hold my ground and say that Leslie Kritzer was born to play the role. I would also like to see Troy Britton Johnson or Tom Hewitt as Nick Arnstein, Christopher Fitzgerald or Bobby Steggert as Eddie, and Mary Testa as Mrs. Brice.

[Craig]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:25pm

Two people in my book

Leslie Kritzer

and

Nicole Parker