FUNNY GIRL on Broadway - Reviews & News Thread — Page 34

DAME said: "Auggie27 said: "She will not be recast. That's a 100%. But keep your eyes on Julie Benko, "the luckiest standby in the world," as she proclaims on Twitter. She goes on for at least three performances at the end of the next month. If the performance load proves vocally taxing for Feldstein (think of Lauren Ambrose -- ironic! -- who gave up one of the Fair Lady performance, even with a lovely sound), it's possible to imagine a Tuesday night or one of the matinees given over to the other actor. And then, well, audiences will have a choice. It happens -- and not that rarely."

If I were Julie Benko I would have my publicist work overtime for those performances and get it somehow reviewed. Didn't someone else do that? Was it Shirley Maclaine for Pajama Game?"

I’ve only watched a couple clips of Julie Benko, and my immediate impression was that she sounded very similar to Beanie in terms of vocal tone and power. I would guess they would not want her cover to be someone who might overshadow her.

bwayphreak234 said: "All I want to know is what in god‘s name the producers and creatives were thinking with going her. When this was first announced, I had reservations, but part of me thought that just maybe she would surprise us and turn in an unexpectedly great performance for the ages (my reason for this thinking being why else would they cast her unless she’s really something special and unexpected?). Sadly, this is not the case.

The fact that a group of theatre professionals got together and decided that Beanie Feldstein was the best fit to headline the first ever Broadway revival of Funny Girl (presumably after hearing her sing) is mind boggling to me."

Great comment.

Would a Father dump a daughter? Wonder what her bestie Evan Hanson is telling her?

SweetLips22 said: "Would a Father dump a daughter? Wonder what her bestie Evan Hanson is telling her?"

I'm still confused about where this idea that her Father is producing came from. Are shadow producers a thing on Broadway that I didn't know about? I don't even think he is a producer at all! All I've been able to find that he does in entertainment is that he is/was an accountant for Guns N' Roses.

Ok. You're totally right. Definitely a powerful guy with lots of connections (and I wouldn't be surprised if his kids use those connections).

That being said, he's not listed as a producer on this show according to the Playbill, so I'm still confused why there are all of these allegations that he's somehow a puppetmaster controlling this revival.

Saw this tonight.

Not a disaster. Glossy, efficient production. Some interesting stage pictures, lighting: totally professional.

Libretto is still a problem. Sections just aren't very interesting and the romance/relationship in the second act is sketchy and baffling (especially with this casting).

Choreography is sometimes fine, sometimes head-scratching. "Sadie, Sadie"??? Nick's "Bullets Over Broadway" rant-dance.

Casting is a sh*t show. Only believable performer paired with her role is Toni DuBuono as Mrs Strakosh. Jane Lynch may be off-handedly (that word!) humorous, but she seems to skit around the role of the ultimate Jewish Mother (!!!!!) rather than landing on obvious mannerisms. Which, in this case, would have been refreshing to revisit. Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan (???) doesn't work. Nice tapping, but the racial switch adds nothing to the character. There's really no reason for it other than filling a quota.

The big head-scratcher is, of course, Beanie as Fanny. She's loud, physically domineering, lacking minimal subtlety. She delivers her comedy in an off-handed, modern sit-com-y way, totally forgetting Fanny was steeped in Vaudeville. The romance with Nick is barely there. Again, she treats it very off-handedly (may be the fault of the Director). We never buy it. Ramin comes across as a bit ratty and Herbie-ish. Hen-pecked rather than a rake.

And then there's Beanie's voice. 3 levels: loud, REAL loud for the finish of many songs, and a soft tone with a fluttery "vibrato". No color, nuance or thrill.

Would I go back? Probably not, even for a better understudy. And those prices kill the thrill.

RippedMan said: "Again I say. Wrong director. Hence the wrong casting."

This coming after Michael Mayer’s production of Little Shop has me thinking he no longer thinks it necessary for leading ladies to be able to sing their scores. I’m going to be skeptical about every musical he does for awhile.

Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said:

"Not Loretta Swit?"

I vote for Loretta to replace Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice. We need more Loretta Swit in our lives."

Uh ... Loretta Swit is 84. Fanny's great-grandmother?"

UH...IT. WAS. A. JOKE.

CarlosAlberto said: "Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said:

"Not Loretta Swit?"

I vote for Loretta to replace Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice. We need more Loretta Swit in our lives."

Uh ... Loretta Swit is 84. Fanny's great-grandmother?"

UH...IT. WAS. A. JOKE."

But like all of dollypops tired "jokes" it isn't funny. Hence the confusion.

This coming after Michael Mayer’s production of Little Shop has me thinking he no longer thinks it necessary for leading ladies to be able to sing their scores. I’m going to be skeptical about every musical he does for awhile.

I disagree, again, it's worth noting that Blanchard had been nominated for 2 Tonys before Little Shop and they were both for musicals. She had the experience and skill to get her through- she was also magnificent in the Judy Garland bio pic that was on ABC in the 90's. Her performance in Little Shop, though divisive, I found refreshing, she's the first actor I've seen humanize Audrey and go beyond a character voice, a push up bra, and vocal pyrotechnics. She's a more grounded Audrey and not the cookie cutter Audrey we've seen 1,000 times. There's not really a need to bring other performers into this discussion to compare. As others have said, I think this was a production built around the choice of "star"- I highly doubt Mayer and Company had any say in who would lead the production. I also think there is 0 chance of replacing her at this point- have you seen the marquee, marketing, and merch? Her face is literally all over it- yes, stranger things have happened, but at this point this is where we are.

Ke3 said: "This is her voice after months of extra training. Whatever they heard was even worse, and they gleefully pulled the trigger. "

Fair point and a sobering perspective. They also approved that terrible art so I don't know about their judgment.

I don't know why there's an assumption that Julie Benko will be the Fanny Brice people want for this revival when she was cast by the same folks.

Julie Benko just posted the following on her Twitter account

Was anyone there last night? I went, and having no real familiarity with the Streisand version of this character, I thought Beanie was very winning but yes--of course--the vocals were never going to hit those towering highs. That said, I thought she sounded really strong...at first. The strain and tiredness was evident in act 2. Her comedic chops, unparalleled. She makes Fanny an incredibly winning underdog through her sheer gumption, but because her singing isn't otherworldly, it makes Fanny's meteoric rise feel that much more disjointed, rushed, and confusing.