Unofficial but, Lauren Ambrose is rumored to be Fanny Brice.- Page 5

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 4:20pm

"Funny Girl" is the name. Really? Really? How old are you?

[ChiChi]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 4:24pm

I just don't feel that Lea possesses anything that sets her apart from everyone else. As to whether or not Lauren will either, I don't know.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 6:13pm

""Funny Girl" is the name. Really? Really? How old are you?"

MY age is irrelevant. Do you think it was throngs of teenagers that kept the South Pacific revival going?

Funny Girl is a known title- a classic, thanks to the movie and Streisand. It features two songs everyone knows- particularly older audiences, the ones who are more willing to go anyway. It doesn't need a big name to make money. And I doubt Lea Michelle can, at this point in her career, be enough to construct a production around.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 8:10pm

Oh wow if only that Shoshana thing were true I would be a happy man.

[beagle]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 8:30pm

I most likely will not get to see this revival if it does happen (I live too far from New York), but if I did, I would be much more inclined to see it if someone like Lauren Ambrose or someone else who was a major departure from Streisand was playing Fanny than if it were Lea Michele. I have nothing against Lea Michele, and I think she is talented, but if she were cast as Fanny it would give me no reason to see the show. I don't think she'd bring anything new to the role and it would just invite comparisons to Streisand, where I think it would be a much more intriguing production if they went with a complete departure. As has been pointed out, the role was taken over and played successfully by someone (Mimi Hines) who was nothing like Streisand. Since there are a lot of people now who know nothing about the original Broadway show, though, all they know (if they know the show at all) is the film and Streisand as Fanny. If anyone even remotely like Streisand was cast, not matter how good she was, she'd be inviting unfavorable comparisons. I think the best thing to do is to cast someone who would take the role in a completely new direction, and I really don't think Lea Michele is that person.

[Harold Mengert]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 10:22pm

I'm mixed on the revival of Funny Girl. But...I was also mixed about seeing Gypsy yet again when Patti LuPone brought it back to Broadway. It turned out to be thrilling and due to the actors' approach to the story, and Patti's mesmerizing performance, it was one of the most memorable shows I've seen in the theater.

I've thought in the past they would have to completely mix it up with a revival production of FG - make it completely different in some way, but using the original score. After hearing Barbra sing Don't Rain On My Parade multiple times, plus Linda Eder, Lea Michelle, Idina Menzel and even Patti herself - the song has been done to death. But based on the Gypsy experience, if someone is able to ACT the part as well as they SING the part, then maybe it would still be thrilling to hear it in the context of the story. The same could be said for Everything's Coming Up Roses which had become generic until Patti attacked the song with the energy of a new Rose, brought along by Arthur Laurent's direction and his renewed focus on the acting as much as the singing. Her performance of the song at the Tony's made it seem brand new.

Personally, I have thought Lea or Idina would do well in the role. But maybe they are too much like Streisand to make the much needed separation that a new production would need. An unknown with a killer voice and ability to make Fanny a real person might just be better.

Updated On: 7/27/11 at 10:22 PM

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 7/27/11 at 11:10pm

The problem with comparisons between "Gypsy" and "Funny Girl" is that "Gypsy" is one of the greatest shows ever written, while "Funny Girl" has some great tunes specifically tailored for one singer. Yes, both shows require strong lead performers, but the star of "Gypsy" gets a lot more help from the material.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/28/11 at 11:31am

Gypsy 9, I didn't mean to suggest that Babs' movie performance mirrors her stage performance. What I intended was this: the fact that there is a beloved (and, although it appears we disagree, phenomenal) movie of the show, with its original leading lady in a great performance, suggests that there is not as strong a need/interest in mounting/seeing a revival. We also disagree about the relative strengths of the show itself. Although I never saw the original production with any leading lady, I have seen several other productions and was once in one. As I said, Funny Girl, the show, has its charms, but is not what I would call one of the great musicals. Hence, my conclusions that a revival might be enjoyable, and that Ambrose as Fanny sounds great to me, while also concluding that it, is not in the same league as, for instance, South Pacific.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 6:53pm

Yep

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 6:55pm

OK, I'm a little surprised that this rumor is turning out to be a possibility.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 8:07pm

I'm also surprised and cautiously excited, I think this would be inspired casting and definitely the out of the box choice that won't lend itself as easily to comparisons as someone like Lea Michele, Idina Menzel, or other favorites on the board.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 8:15pm

True Ray, but as has been discussed already, it's also a casting choice that doesn't lend itself much to the characteristics of the actual Fanny Brice.

Hopefully she gave one jaw dropping audition because that is one risky casting choice; one that Ambrose if she's been offered the role should also weigh carefully.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 9:39pm

MichaelBennett, I think the people who aren't really into the idea of Ambrose for the role have given a lot of solid reasons (and you clearly know the show and Fanny Brice herself much better than I do, so I completely respect your opinion). However, being a huge fan of Ambrose, and just seeing how ridiculously out of the box casting she would be, I think there's something about it that's almost bound to be fascinating to watch. No, I don't know that Ambrose can deliver the specific type of comedy required for the part, and no, she's most certainly never going to see the songs like Streisand (who would?), but she's also not going to be a copy of a copy of a copy; if this does end up happening (and I am still skeptical but perhaps because I'm trying not to get too excited yet) I can see her giving an entirely unexpected, vibrant and incredibly nuanced performance. She would not fall into the traps that the broad comedy that marks the show and the character pose the way that say someone generic like Stephanie J. Block would. They're going for an actress here, not a singing performer who can be made to deliver lines (again Block is the first one to come to mind here), and that could turn out to be very risky but to me, that's what makes the casting choice so interesting.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 10:12pm

I have peeked in on this thread but didn't look at any of the videos posted. I kept thinking, "I know that name". Well now I know who Lauren is and I had no clue she could sing. I would see her. I loved her on "Six Feet Under".

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:02pm

Is it FUNNY GIRL or FUNNY GOY?

Mark my words, but if Lauren Ambrose is indeed cast as Fanny, this show will not make it out of LA. The actress doesn't have to be jewish to play the role but she has to be a great vocalist and a great comedienne. Lauren is neither a great vocalist nor a great comedienne. She also reads as Irish Catholic- she's going to come off as Abie's Irish Rose.

In order for the show to make it out of LA to Broadway it will need to get great reviews from Variety (Bob Verini) and the LA Times (Charles McNulty). Both Verini and McNulty are savvy reviewers, and I don't see them giving a Hollywood starlet a free pass. This is a movie town and audiences will give a movie starlet a standing ovation; the reviewers won't, and that will be the kiss of death for the Broadway revival.

If I were the lead producer, I'd try and cast Laura Benanti as Fanny and Patti Lupone as Mrs. Brice- two real pros who will make the roles their own.

I can only hope that Lauren herself can come to her senses and realize that her vehicle for doing a Broadway musical is not the Funny Girl revival.

My other big concern for this revival- can Bartlett Sher direct comedy? He's done great work on Piazza and South Pacific, but his work on "Women On the Verge" was disastrous- talk about a musical comedy with no laughs. Funny Girl needs someone who's adept with comedy and is old enough to understand and appreciate jewish vaudeville humor- Jerry Zaks for instance or Joel Grey, whose background is in jewish vaudeville.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:04pm

This is according to Michael Musto. from RC in Austin, Texas
Lauren Ambrose Is Funny Girl

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:06pm

Great--another person has given their definitive opinion about a performer who hasn't even been officially cast in a show that won't even have a performance for months.

And seriously, you start your post by suggesting that Ambrose isn't Jewish enough for Fanny, then you suggest the two most Italian Catholic actresses I can think of for Fanny and Mrs. Brice? That makes so much sense.

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:08pm

I'm going to synagogue tomorrow AM and praying to g-d that this is not true.

"Baruch Ata Adonai she' lo bachar be' Lauren Ambrose le'sachek et Fanny Brice!"

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:12pm

If it does turn out to be true, what are you going to do? Convert?

[FanofGreen]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:30pm

Don't know about conversion - but praying would definitely be in order ... for the producers not to lose their shirts, especially their ruffled ones.
Updated On: 8/1/11 at 11:30 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:30pm

"...one that Ambrose if she's been offered the role should also weigh carefully."

Well, if she takes on the role, we'd all have to agree that she has plenty of chutzpah.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:32pm

Well, maybe its the red hair (which will no doubt be wigged) but Ambrose definitely looks Irish and I don't think its raining on her parade to say that Benanti and LuPone 'as is' are more instantly believable as New York jews than Lauren is.

And I do think Ray that as I've said a lot earlier (and am indeed sounding like a broken record) I do think the broad Yiddish comedy is a huge, huge part of not only Brice's legacy onstage but to the way the role of Brice is crafted in the musical.

To me, there is a difference between casting outside of the box and then casting somebody completely contrary to the role. As I've said I'm very very happy to be proven wrong, but casting Ambrose, on a surface level, to me feels contrary to Brice's (not Streisand's) legacy. My fear is that she in the role is going to come across as Alice Faye did in the thinly guised, ethnically reduced and heavily misguided attempt to bio-pic Brice's life in 1939 (for which Brice successfully sued Fox for defamation of character...)

I do agree with Broadway Baby that if Sher tries to make FUNNY GIRL some kind of dramatic play with music, the production will fail. Hopefully he not only understands comedy but the all but extinct world of comedy that Brice helped make popular.

And for sure, it goes without saying that this production will need really amazing reviews to make it out of CA without a Lea Michele level ticket draw. The Ahmanson has been pretty hit/miss in their Broadway bound productions the last few years.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:44pm

Yet, she has played Jewish in both Awake and Sing and on television in Loving Leah.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:48pm

And she even had red hair in AWAKE AND SING!

[Skip2]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 11:51pm

This is gonna be great. Sher will ruin ANOTHER one. SP was a fluke. Nothing original. And WOMENOTVOANB was an outright lead casting nightmare.

So, this one will be out on its Fanny.