FUNNY GIRL on Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 38

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 4:00pm

She did it well before SWEET CHARITY. One of the Ethen Morden books mentions a performance of NEW GIRL IN TOWN where she cut 4 numbers. But people have to remember that in the 1930s-1960s, Broadway stars were stars known nationwide (and beyond). It was likely much preferable to the producer to have the star go on in a truncated version of the show, than to have an unknown go on in their place. The star was the event and the show secondary in many instances.

[David10086]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 5:19pm

nasty_khakis said: "
I am in a pedicab in front of the theatre if you need a ride after the show! I am wearing shoes and socks."

I must confess, I've been laughing hysterically at this post all week. Thank you for this ! 

 

Continue...

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 5:26pm

Yeah, when Verdon cut the number* for Charity's second act, it did cause a stir. I recall an anecdote: someone wrote her complaining, and she sent a check with a refund fee, computed to cover the missing "Where Am I Going." If apocryphal, the story has always resonated. 

I'm learning here today. I always thought Streisand only cut reprises, not verses. Of course, as we've often discussed, she had a 12 number vocal load 8 times a week, and if you listen to the OBC, the full score is taxing. I revisited "Music That Makes Me Dance" yesterday. It's likely a harder number than "My Man," But I could be wrong. Tomorrow is the first two-show day for this company. Will be curious to hear reports. 

*Interestingly enough, the Michelle Williams Verdon performed it in the miniseries, though not in the show.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 6:04pm

We never saw Michelle’s Verdon perform on stage, aside from the snippet of “Who’s Got the Pain?” from DAMN YANKEES.  FOSSE/VERSON didn’t cover the original 1966 Broadway SWEET CHARITY, just the 1969 film adaptation and the 1986 Broadway revival.  

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 6:04pm

We never saw Michelle’s Verdon perform on stage, aside from the snippet of “Who’s Got the Pain?” from DAMN YANKEES.  FOSSE/VERSON didn’t cover the original 1966 Broadway SWEET CHARITY, just the 1969 film adaptation and the 1986 Broadway revival.  

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 7:03pm

RippedMan said: "It worked for Sheridan Smith. That show was a big hit in the West End. But, this is a very American, Broadway show. So I wonder if US audiences are more critical of her singing? I guess we will see.


Elena Roger in Evita was also a hit with audiences in the West End, but her vocal performance was crucified on Broadway and she was snubbed of a Tony nomination. Broadway audiences are definitely much harder to please when it comes to vocals. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 7:56pm

I saw Roger in London and in NYC, and while she never sang the role like LuPone, her vocals in London were significantly better than they were in NYC. I’m guessing vocal fatigue and some amount of damage singing the score were reasons. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 9:14pm

Williams sang “Where Am I Going?” for Joan Simon, if memory serves. I think in the bottle episode. I’ll have to look it up. But as I noted, never in the actual show. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 9:34pm

 

Here’s Mimi Hines doing the shortened version of Don’t Rain On My Parade for reference.

 

 

[NotThatSmart]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 9:46pm

How often do you all think Jane Lynch will perform, with as big a name as she is? She is who I am mainly going to the show to see. 
 

Did she perform a lot when she was in the Annie revival? 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 9:48pm

I discovered that Hines clip earlier this week. it's fascinating, the shortened ending actually works nicely, but who wouldn't want to hear the full song? 

I'm most intrigued by how Hine's interpretation sounds completely different from Streisand's. Her key is  lower, but she sounds great.  What an interesting replacement choice. Nobody could sing it like Streisand, so it made sense to go with someone with a completely different voice who could make it their own. If only we got that for the current revival. 

[OldTheatreLover]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 9:50pm

YettaTelebenda2 said: "Would producers risk so much money by going with an average talent?It sounds like audiences are loving her. I think they should have had an audition process, but whatever...

I saw Barbra Streisand in it in 1964, I still have that Playbill! I was not blown away. I remember thinking: where's the spark? I was however blown away by her TV special: My Name Is Barbra.

I will tell you this: the best show I ever saw in my entire life was Hello Dolly, in 1964?, with Carol Channing. it was exhilarating. There were others who did it and were fantastic: Pearl Bailey, Bette Midler..."

I too saw Streisand perform and it wasn’t the first nor her last performance. She was positively thrilling so perhaps you saw an “off” performance. Dolly was a much better written show when compared to Funny Girl, so there’s that. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 10:09pm

ljay889 said: "RippedMan said: "It worked for Sheridan Smith. That show was a big hit in the West End. But, this is a very American, Broadway show. So I wonder if US audiences are more critical of her singing? I guess we will see.


Elena Roger in Evita was also a hit with audiences in the West End, but her vocal performance was crucified on Broadway and she was snubbed of a Tony nomination. Broadway audiences are definitely much harder to please when it comes to vocals."

Oh thanks ljay! That's a very solid point. I was so excited to see that revival and her acting was great, but it just wasn't powerful. Feel like that's what I want here too.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:01pm

ljay889 said: "I discovered that Hines clip earlier this week. it's fascinating, the shortened ending actually works nicely, but who wouldn't want to hear the full song?

I'm most intrigued by how Hine's interpretation sounds completely different from Streisand's. Her key is lower, but she sounds great. What an interesting replacement choice. Nobody could sing it like Streisand, so it made sense to go with someone with a completely different voice who could make it their own. If only we got that for the current revival."

For those who think Beanie’s keys should be taken down, Hines definitely demonstrated that the songs could be equally thrilling in lower keys. I once read that she did them in Barbra’s keys for something like half her run until they were altered to better suit her. I don’t know if that’s verifiable.

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:07pm

ljay889 said: "RippedMan said: "It worked for Sheridan Smith. That show was a big hit in the West End. But, this is a very American, Broadway show. So I wonder if US audiences are more critical of her singing? I guess we will see.


Elena Roger in Evita was also a hit with audiences in the West End, but her vocal performance was crucified on Broadway and she was snubbed of a Tony nomination. Broadway audiences are definitely much harder to please when it comes to vocals."

Not mentioned here, but Roger also took home the Olivier for her West End work, making her shutout from the Tonys even more noticeable.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:16pm

Having now watched Smith - and she won the Oliver as well right? - I'm surprised they didn't bring her over and instead opted to use a lesser singer? Interesting.

[Shower Singer]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:30pm

Auggie27 said: "Those of us who don't sing, and have no knowledge of how voices train -- both to land specific music and endure over a run -- would appreciate any information experts can share here.

Two narratives are emerging about Funny Girl: 1) it's early, and Feldstein will negotiate the score more successfully with more performances, better understanding of the demands, and acquired stamina; and 2) she's had months to train, weeks to rehearse, and she's using the instrument she's got: taxed thus, this is her Fanny. I suspect the reality is between these two poles, but would welcome any specifics about the mystery (to the rest of us) of singing. One can surmise that she's worked with a private coach -- maybe Fierstein sent her to industry's best, Joan Leder -- and the musical director on the matter of keys. Wouldn't keys be determined early? Adjusted as the show began to work in earnest?

How much can a singer "improve" simply performing a set of songs 7-8 times a week? It's a question, and a serious minded one. I return to the LuPone memoir, in which she explained in detail what it took for her to learn to sing Eva six times a week, never mastering it (to her own satisfaction or more importantly, comfort) until she played in Australia. She was taught to sing on "her interest, not her capital." But LuPone learning how to sing a score set in the passagio six times a week -- she had a stunningly agile instrument -- seems a very different issue than Feldstein's challenge. Again, a layman's guesswork and set of questions."

Auggie - The LuPone/Feldstein comparison isn't really apples to apples.  LuPone was in a show that was sung through from start to finish, so her challenge was pacing and endurance.  Her voice was already amazing, it just took her time and some coaching to figure out how to make it through six shows a week singing basically for two hours straight - much of it at full voice/belting (and often pretty high).  Her tone was very good to begin with and she wasn't suffering from pitch issues - it was about being in shape physically, vocally, and mentally to get through a much more grueling role than Fanny.

Beanie's voice isn't anywhere near as good as Patti to begin with, so while she will likely improve a little with time (she'll figure out where to breathe, how to "cheat" notes when the chorus is singing behind her, and, like weight lifting, with repetition, she'll get stronger so will -hopefully- be able to better support all of her notes), changing her tone is much more difficult.  Having heard her on recordings pre-Funny Girl and then again at the performance Monday of this week, it does sound like she's not QUITE as nasal, but she still sings in the back of her throat and through her nose, making for a very "pinched" or "tight" nasal sound.  A good coach could probably make some headway with this but it would take a lot of time.  Hopefully she's working on it and will continue to improve, but it's very hard to retrain someone how to sing - particularly when someone has been doing it a certain way for so long.  Keep in mind that during previews they're still likely to be rehearsing a few hours during the day, then performing the show at night, so it makes for a long, vocally stressful day.  Once they freeze the show and they're not rehearsing during the day, she'll be able to rest her voice during the day and that may help a bit - but unfortunately won't change the nasal quality.

People keep commenting that they need to change the key of the score and I didn't see that as an issue.  She's not having any trouble hitting the notes - as a matter of fact, her "money notes" were better than most of the rest of the song.  The problem isn't with the key - they've been in rehearsal for weeks.  If the key was the issue, it would have been fixed before previews.

Will there be some improvement?  Probably - but it's likely to be minor.  Will it be enough to satisfy those who are looking for a crystal-clear tone and a strong belt (and will she ever be considered a great singer)?  Probably not.

Again, I don't think most people notice (although for anyone with even a small amount of musical training, it's pretty painful), so for the vast majority, it won't matter, but for those of us who expect more from Broadway, it's a disappointing outcome.

[Shower Singer]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:39pm

RippedMan said: "Having now watched Smith - and she won the Oliver as well right? - I'm surprised they didn't bring her over and instead opted to use a lesser singer? Interesting."

She was out a LOT in London and was having "family issues" (which from what I understand were not really family issues).

Also, she's a national treasure in the UK but completely unknown here in the states, so is even less known than Feldstein is in the US, which would have made the box office even tougher.

That said, based on the performances I saw of both productions (both early previews), she was better than Beanie.

[stranger411]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:45pm

I apologize if this was mentioned already earlier in the thread (searched pretty thoroughly and couldn’t find any posts) but someone mentioned Beanie had some scheduled absences in May. Anyone know the exact dates? Thank you in advance!! 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:54pm

stranger411 said: "I apologize if this was mentioned already earlier in the thread (searched pretty thoroughly and couldn’t find any posts) but someone mentioned Beanie had some scheduled absences in May. Anyone know the exact dates? Thank you in advance!!"

April 29th to May 1st

[Shower Singer]

Posted: 4/1/22 at 11:59pm

stranger411 said: "I apologize if this was mentioned already earlier in the thread (searched pretty thoroughly and couldn’t find any posts) but someone mentioned Beanie had some scheduled absences in May. Anyone know the exact dates? Thank you in advance!!"

April 29, 30, and May 1 - There's a note on the Seat Geek Ticketing site

[YettaTelebenda2]

Posted: 4/2/22 at 12:23am

Shower Singer said: "Auggie27 said: "Those of us who don't sing, and have no knowledge of how voices train -- both to land specific music and endure over a run -- would appreciate any information experts can share here.

Two narratives are emerging about Funny Girl: 1) it's early, and Feldstein will negotiate the score more successfully with more performances, better understanding of the demands, and acquired stamina; and 2) she's had months to train, weeks to rehearse, and she's using the instrument she's got: taxed thus, this is her Fanny. I suspect the reality is between these two poles, but would welcome any specifics about the mystery (to the rest of us) of singing. One can surmise that she's worked with a private coach -- maybe Fierstein sent her to industry's best, Joan Leder -- and the musical director on the matter of keys. Wouldn't keys be determined early? Adjusted as the show began to work in earnest?

How much can a singer "improve" simply performing a set of songs 7-8 times a week? It's a question, and a serious minded one. I return to the LuPone memoir, in which she explained in detail what it took for her to learn to sing Eva six times a week, never mastering it (to her own satisfaction or more importantly, comfort) until she played in Australia. She was taught to sing on "her interest, not her capital." But LuPone learning how to sing a score set in the passagio six times a week -- she had a stunningly agile instrument -- seems a very different issue than Feldstein's challenge. Again, a layman's guesswork and set of questions."

Auggie - The LuPone/Feldstein comparison isn't really apples to apples. LuPone was in a show that was sung through from start to finish, so her challenge was pacing and endurance. Her voice was already amazing, it just took her time and some coaching to figure out how to make it through six shows a week singing basically for two hours straight - much of it at full voice/belting (and often pretty high). Her tone was very good to begin with and she wasn't suffering from pitch issues - it was about being in shape physically, vocally, and mentally to get through a much more grueling role than Fanny.

Beanie's voice isn't anywhere near as good as Patti to begin with, so while she will likely improve a little with time (she'll figure out where to breathe, how to "cheat" notes when the chorus is singing behind her, and, like weight lifting, with repetition, she'll get stronger so will -hopefully- be able to better support all of her notes), changing her tone is much more difficult. Having heard her on recordings pre-Funny Girl and then again at the performance Monday of this week, it does sound like she's not QUITE as nasal, but she still sings in the back of her throat and through her nose, making for a very "pinched" or "tight" nasal sound. A good coach could probably make some headway with this but it would take a lot of time. Hopefully she's working on it and will continue to improve, but it's very hard to retrain someone how to sing - particularly when someone has been doing it a certain way for so long. Keep in mind that during previews they're still likely to be rehearsing a few hours during the day, then performing the show at night, so it makes for a long, vocally stressful day. Once they freeze the show and they're not rehearsing during the day, she'll be able to rest her voice during the day and that may help a bit - but unfortunately won't change the nasal quality.

People keep commenting that they need to change the key of the score and I didn't see that as an issue. She's not having any trouble hitting the notes - as a matter of fact, her "money notes" were better than most of the rest of the song. The problem isn't with the key - they've been in rehearsal for weeks. If the key was the issue, it would have been fixed before previews.

Will there be some improvement? Probably - but it's likely to be minor. Will it be enough to satisfy those who are looking for a crystal-clear tone and a strong belt (and will she ever be considered a great singer)? Probably not.

Again, I don't think most people notice (although for anyone with even a small amount of musical training, it's pretty painful), so for the vast majority, it won't matter, but for those of us who expect more from Broadway, it's a disappointing outcome."

Most people in an audience do not analyze "the instrument" or the keys like this forum does. They go to have a good time and be entertained. Beanie will be fine and honestly, it will be enough to recall the music and enjoy the experience. 

This will receive mixed reviews and Beanie will get a Tony. She got the part... so let's see. 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/2/22 at 6:16am

RippedMan said: "Having now watched Smith - and she won the Oliver as well right? - I'm surprised they didn't bring her over and instead opted to use a lesser singer? Interesting."

No, Sheridan Smith lost the Olivier to Amber Riley in Dreamgirls.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 4/2/22 at 6:34am

YettaTelebenda2 said: "Most people in an audience do not analyze "the instrument" or the keys like this forum does. They go to have a good time and be entertained. Beanie will be fine and honestly, it will be enough to recall the music and enjoy the experience.

This will receive mixed reviews and Beanie will get a Tony. She got the part... so let's see."

I think my issue is that it being just good "enough to recall the music and enjoy the experience" should not be a standard that Broadway audiences should stoop to accept. As many others have pointed out in this thread... 1) this is BROADWAY, and 2) this is one of, if not THE, most anticipated Broadway revivals in a long time. Those two facts combined should have resulted in a much better casting choice for the iconic leading role.

Also, just because she "got the part" doesn't mean a darn thing when it comes to the Tonys.

 

[Dolly80]

Posted: 4/2/22 at 7:47am

If she’s as bad as everyone says- she ain’t winning a Tony.