Lea Michele announces on WWHL she wants to return to Broadway in FUNNY GIRL- Page 5

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 11:22pm

Ok, but Anne Hathaway totally deserved her Oscar.  Quality over quantity (of screen time).  She was only in about 15 minutes and she was by far the best part.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 12:19am

Is it possible LCT with would pursue Funny Girl with Ambrose again if MFL goes well? Also there's a lot of hate for a Lea revival which hasn't even be announced let alone happening. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 12:45am

LCT wasn't attached to the cancelled Ambrose/Sher production. It was to be a commercial production and the investors pulled out. But if My Fair Lady and Ambrose are a hit, maybe they'd dust the idea off. I, for one, was very curious and excited to see Ambrose's interpretation. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 12:57am

 I, for one, was very curious and excited to see Ambrose's interpretation. 

As was Barbra Streisand per an interview for USA TODAY:

Streisand also plans to revisit her theater roots in 2012, albeit as an observer. The first Broadway revival of Funny Girl, the 1964 musical that helped secure her stardom, is due next spring. Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under fame will step into Streisand's shoes, playing comedian/actress Fanny Brice.

Streisand hadn't been familiar with Ambrose, but she's curious: "I saw a clip on YouTube of her singing My Man," delivered by Streisand's Fanny in the 1968 film adaptation. "But it was uptempo, so I couldn't judge it. It doesn't matter because she doesn't sing it in the show."

Updated On: 10/15/17 at 12:57 AM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 1:31am

Y’all need to calm down.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 2:20am

She might be too old for it now, but does anybody think Idina Mendel could play Fanny?

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 2:59am

Soaring, I mean this with respect, but I would rather die than hear her screech her way through that score.  Also, Idina isn't a particularly great actress either.  Her voice really hasn't been in very good shape for quite a long time.  Also, she's just too old.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 3:08am

I know it would never happen, but she's been mentioned as a possibility for awhile. I do think her voice has been through some rough patches, but I think she still can sing without straining the way she does at times. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 3:21pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Lea-Michele-Says-Shes-Ready-To-Do-FUNNY-GIRL-on-Broadway-Ryan-Murphy-No-Longer-Holds-Rights-20171016

[sparepart973]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 3:27pm

Thank God. Except Sonia Friedman's version isn't thrilling or anything, and had the most unremarkable and wrongly cast leading lady in Sheridan Smith. 

[Londonskyguy]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 3:34pm

I really wish they would bring the London production over. It was a beautiful yet heart wrenching production. Sheridan Smith was amazing in the role. Comedic , yet she took you an emotional roller coaster of a journey.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 3:38pm

The West End production was a transfer of the very small sale Meiner Chocolate Factory production. If Freedman did decide to bring it to Broadway, I think they would likely embellish it's budget and production significantly

[gypsy101]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 3:54pm

lol that’s kind of hilarious. the girl waited too long.

there are several girls who could do it on broadway that i’d be interested in: Jessie Mueller and Stefani Germanotta being the top amongst them. Lea would be able to sing it out of the park but who knows how she’d act it. i just hope that London production doesn’t come over because Sheridan Smith cannot sing that score.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 4:07pm

I don't think producers would bring Sheridan Smith to Broadway with this project. I think they learned from the Elena Roger / EVITA experience that American audiences aren't as forgiving of imperfect vocals 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 5:12pm

This NEEDS Lady Gaga as Fanny.

No, it does not.

Having seen Sheridan Smith twice I really hope they'd go for someone like Sheridan if not Sheridan for the Broadway run. She was simply stunning. The heartbreak, the clowning, she was perfect as that outsider who became a star. 

Agreed.  Sheridan was perfection in the part.  I do wish she'd get a Broadway production so Americans get a glimpse of her genius.  Or at the very least, Netflix should get the rights to stream Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps in the US.  That show was the start of my obsession with her.  Legally Blonde, Cilla and Funny Girl were all brilliant performances.  I only wish I could have seen Flare Path, but I digress...sigh.

I do think it was bizarre that she won awards for her role in Les Mis because she had so few scenes.

Well, Patti LuPone won for the same role in the original London production ("I didn't sing one song then die.  And act one wasn't so damn long!".  If you think that was bizarre, watch Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love.  

Ok, but Anne Hathaway totally deserved her Oscar.

On this, we agree.

I don't think producers would bring Sheridan Smith to Broadway with this project. I think they learned from the Elena Roger / EVITA experience that American audiences aren't as forgiving of imperfect vocals

1) Sheridan sounds nothing like Elena and Fanny is nothing like Eva...apple/orange
2) Watching Sheridan perform the role is entirely different than blindly listening to a cast recording
3) Rosalind Russell, Gwen Verdon, Thelma Ritter, Elaine Stritch, Vivien Leigh, Carol Channing, Lauren Bacall, Glynis Johns, Ann Reinking, Eartha Kitt, Tyne Daly, Liliane"> Montevecchi, Glenn Close, Tonya Pinkins, Natasha Richardson, Marissa"> Jaret"> Winokur...from quirky to thin to weak to "JESUS CHRIST!", Americans have a history of embracing imperfect vocals from Broadway leading ladies.

It was a beautiful yet heart wrenching production. Sheridan Smith was amazing in the role. Comedic , yet she took you an emotional roller coaster of a journey.

Precisely.  Hell, she even made me cry in Legally Blonde, something I NEVER would have imagined having already seen the inferior Broadway production.  And I am NOT a cryer.

i just hope that London production doesn’t come over because Sheridan Smith cannot sing that score.

Actually, she can.  Well, she doesn't just sing it, she fully performs it.  Brilliantly.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 5:14pm

CindersGolightly said: "Y’all need to calm down."

Retweet. How does this conversation keep... on... going...? Lol.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 5:34pm

Don't get me wrong, Matt. I think Sher is brilliant. What I meant in my comment is that I don't think American Audiences will easily accept someone as Brice who isn't a 'powerhouse' singer. 

I do hope Smith comes to Broadway someday - in something.  She's quite special

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 5:47pm

I saw Sheridan over in London while on vacation and thought she was horribly miscast.  She's a wonderful performer in the right role, but this was not the right role.  She gave a nice performance, but she wasn't Fanny Brice.  Also, I thought the production was a bit of a mess.

Also, I adore Gaga and she's a great singer, but she's not really right for this.  I would love to see her in Evita, though.

Jessie Mueller would still be my top choice.  It's one of her dream roles, she's the perfect age, perfect voice, and perfect look.  If not her then Annaleigh Ashford would be wonderful too.  I know some people on here kind of hate her for whatever reason but she's a great comedienne with a powerful voice.

[South Florida]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 6:40pm

Aw well SJB would have been perfect 10 years ago.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 7:20pm

Stephanie J. Block did FUNNY GIRL regionally back in 2001 in Wichita.  

https://youtu.be/iN9zy3N6CxE

[South Florida]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 7:56pm

Woulda liked to have been in Wichita that night.  Thanks Fosse.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 11:03pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Stephanie J. Block did FUNNY GIRL regionally back in 2001 in Wichita.

https://youtu.be/iN9zy3N6CxE"

I really wish this had happened on Broadway a few years ago. She'd be so good in this role. I wish she could even do it even now, but it might need a lot of theater magic to make her believable as young Fanny Brice.

Updated On: 10/16/17 at 11:03 PM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 11:18pm

While Evita is not the same range necessarily as Funny Girl, there IS lots of dynamics vocally needed. Fanny needs a killer belt for Parade, Music That Makes me Dance, Cornet Man, Greatest Star and needs a strong mix /head voice for Who Are You Know. Without looking at my copy of the score I think Fanny's range probably goes up to an Eb or E (E5) belt wise and then some. I'm sure Sheridan had something going for her, but honestly the score needs a singers voice. It takes me out of a performance when an actor is struggling vocally. And as for this thread a revival hasn't even been announced. I can;t imagine a revival with Lea happening unless Ryan gets the rights from the London producer so we should probably all chill.

[Speed]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 11:20pm

I've worked with Lea.  I think she's great.  I hope she gets to do Funny Girl.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 10/17/17 at 2:56am

Oh, Ryan doesn't have the rights anymore? Too bad, I guess. Ryan can probably get them back though pretty easily.