FUNNY GIRL on Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 52

[joevitus]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 3:29pm

DAME said: "joevitus said: "Sutton Ross said: "ljay889 said: "QueenAlice said: "Are there many reports that her performance and voice have strengthened over the preview period?"


No.

"

The answer is actually yes, and you can scroll back and see that from people who have seen the show more than once, but some people are deep into throwing shade."



Was there a divine miracle in which the red sea parted and a change in voice was given to her? Because that is what it would take."

Not germane ot the actual OP or my response. The question was whether there have been any reports of her voice improving, and there have been multiple such reports on this very thread. No one is saying she's turned into Barbra. But according to people who have actually been to multiple performances (not commenters with an ax to grind who haven't been to any), she has improved vocally.

Updated On: 4/20/22 at 03:29 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 3:43pm

joevitus said: "DAME said: "joevitus said: "Sutton Ross said: "ljay889 said: "QueenAlice said: "Are there many reports that her performance and voice have strengthened over the preview period?"


No.

"

The answer is actually yes, and you can scroll back and see that from people who have seen the show more than once, but some people are deep into throwing shade."



Was there a divine miracle in which the red sea parted and a change in voice was given to her? Because that is what it would take."

Not germane ot the actual OP or my response. The question was whether there have been any reports of her voice improving, and there have been multiple such reports on this very thread. No one is saying she's turned into Barbra. But according to people who have actually been to multiple performances (not commenters with an ax to grind who haven't been to any), she has improved vocally."

And is this where our standards are these days?    Let me use that as the quote in front of the theater.  SHE HAS IMPROVED VOCALLY.  -J.V.-

 

No qualm here with you...  but look at the excuses that are being made.  I get what you are saying about those with a ax to grind.. but after seeing this.. I am applauding the honesty by many.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 3:51pm

And even if SHE HAS IMPROVED VOCALLY, that still doesn't mean she's any good.  You kinda expect the star of a beloved musical like "Funny Girl" to be, well, a STAR.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 4:25pm

¿Dónde está P. Murin? ¡Envía soporte Patti, por favor!

[je veux te voir]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 4:34pm

fbueller said: "After reading many of the initial reactions from early previews, it sounds like the 'Funny Girl' revival is going to end up like the 'Funny Lady' sequel film Babs made that was widely panned and viewed as nothing more than a cash grab. It will be really interesting to see what the initial critic reviews are next week."

Damn, do i love this comparison. 

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:33pm

Caught the Wednesday matinee from one of the high row $49 seats in the mezzanine. Bought the ticket on the first day of public sales several months ago.

Overall, I liked it. The show plays well from an upstairs view.

I liked Fanny’s story arc, Eddie’s tap dancing, Nick’s voice, and the neighborhood ladies who played cards with the winning Mrs. Brice.

Fanny’s voice was a full head voice, and I would easily fall for it if wasn’t for all the remarks on this thread. It’s good enough. Fanny Brice is a comedy act, not a singing act. The show is called Funny Girl, not Singing Girl. 

The musical comedy gold displayed in HIS LOVE MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL was swell.

Count me as a very pleased tourist.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:35pm

Sigh. So sorry to have to agree with so many of the criticisms already posted. So misguided.

At least Ramin was nearly shirtless?

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:38pm

BalconyClub said: "It’s good enough."

I can't wait for the reviews.  "Feldstein's voice is good enough."

 

[Lumiere2]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:46pm

BalconyClub said: "Caught the Wednesday matinee from one of the high row $49 seats in the mezzanine.
Overall, I liked it. The show plays well from an upstairs view. I liked Fanny’s story arc, Eddie’s tap dancing, Nick’s voice.

Fanny’s voice was a full head voice, and I would easily fall for it if wasn’t for all the remarks on this thread. It’s good enough. Fanny Brice is a comedy act, not a singing act. The show is called Funny Girl, not Singing Girl.

Count me as a very pleased tourist."

I was also at the matinee today, in the same seats (though I had to pay $69 for the tickets) and agree with all of this. The thoughts I most agree with are selected above from a longer post.

I'd even say Beanie F's voice was better than "good enough". It wasn't in the 0.001% of Broadway legends, but being in the top 0.1% still makes you a damn great singer. And she's such a great actor, dancer and comedienne all at once that she's still giving a dynamite performance. What's most important is that she's giving it everything she's got and leaving it on the stage, and given her full effort is that good is worth something. (I do agree she won't win the Tony, but she's still great.)

Holy wow Jared Grimes - he deserves to win a Tony Award. His singing, dancing, acting, comedy, showmanship - and his DANCING. All of it. He's the best part of the whole show.

FWIW - my fiancee also loved the show. She has a degree in vocal music and re: Beanie singing, "Beanie isn't trying to make her the bombastic belter she's been in the past. Her voice is more subdued and has a sweetness to it - that hasn't been seen in this character before but it really works. Her voice didn't take me away from Fanny, it actually made me fall in love with her more."

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:56pm

BalconyClub said: "Fanny Brice is a comedy act, not a singing act. The show is called Funny Girl, not Singing Girl."

I haven’t the seen the production so I can’t weigh in on if Beanie’s good or bad, but this is just plain wrong. The role calls for strong comedy and strong singing. It’s literally considered one of Broadway’s most vocally demanding roles.

Also, the title argument holds no water. It’s not like Les Miserables calls for people who sing just good enough so long as they act miserable.

[Lorna Joe]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 7:08pm

Trish2 said: "Lorna Joe? One of the Petticoat Junction Bradley sisters? Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, Bettie Jo, and now Lorna Joe? "

Lorna Joe is a reference to GOLDEN BOY, (Lorna Moon and Joe Wellington, with Paula Wayne and Sammy Davis Jr.) which I saw in probably 1965.

Oh I also saw FUNNY GIRL in 1964 with Barbra Streisand it was nothing special.... the best show I EVER saw was HELLO DOLLY with Carol Channing in the early 1960s (the dates elude me).

Updated On: 4/20/22 at 07:08 PM

[Trish2]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 7:21pm

Thank you, Lorna! You made my day.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 7:21pm

I’m amused with the few that keep suggesting FUNNY GIRL isn’t about the songs.  The original Broadway production was structured around Barbra Streisand, who at the time was primarily known as a singer.  She had 3 hit albums, an Emmy and Tony Award nomination and months after FUNNY GIRL opened, she was a multi-Grammy Award winner.  The role was created FOR a singer and this casting note has always been a requirement not an exception.  Mimi Hines who replaced Streisand WAS a singer and Marilyn Michaels who led the touring production was a renown comedian who specialized mimicking female vocalists, including Streisand, so even she had the vocals the role demands.

Beanie isn’t a singer.  Never has been.  She’s an actress who enjoys singing.  The songs in FUNNY GIRL were written for strong vocalists who can interpret lyrics and melody.  It’s not just about belting the notes.  You have to be presentational in the soft moments up to the strong belting sections.  Again… Beanie isn’t a singer.  She doesn’t know how to use her vocals to interpret.  She sings the songs, she doesn’t “act” them.

I saw the 2nd preview.  I loved the show.  Including Beanie but noticed, putting her head voice aside, I noticed she was singing the songs.  There was no character interpretation of the lyrics.  There was zero life to the lyrics.  That’s when I noticed she has zero idea how to interpret a song.  She just sings them.  Glenn Close, though not equipped with the best sounding singing voice, understands how to interpret a song AND this is why those who saw her in SUNSET BLVD still rave about her live on stage performance. 

[Papi2013]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 7:22pm

 "It’s good enough. Fanny Brice is a comedy act, not a singing act. The show is called Funny Girl, not Singing Girl."

 

Good enough?  Good enough?  OY VEY!   Jule Styne and  Bob Merrill must be rolling in their graves.  Seriously.. some of the reasoning here is tragic for all musical theater lovers.  

 

 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 9:23pm

We've seen "good enough" as an acceptable standard over the years for many different performers in many different productions.

Reasonable people can differ about which roles they think only require "good enough" singing. 

A fair number of posters in this thread do not see Fanny Brice as one of them. 

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 9:49pm

I also saw the matinee today, and I think "good enough" is acceptable when the characterization is strong (see Sheridan Smith), but, alas, Beanie's isn't. I thought she was out of her depth in the book scenes, and her portrayal, on the whole, never clicked for me. She had some good moments, but they were so few and far between that I wasn't able to connect with the character. I never really liked or cared about Fanny, and that's a problem.
 

Updated On: 4/21/22 at 09:49 PM

[OldTheatreLover]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 3:06am

BalconyClub said: "…It’s good enough. Fanny Brice is a comedy act, not a singing act. The show is called Funny Girl, not Singing Girl."

Haha, what a ringing endorsement. Fanny Brice was a comedienne AND a singer. Funny Girl is about Fanny Brice. Funny Girl is a MUSICAL!

[Rudy2]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 3:13am

BrodyFosse123 said: "I’m amused with the few that keep suggesting FUNNY GIRL isn’t about the songs. The original Broadway production was structured around Barbra Streisand, who at the time was primarily known as a singer. She had 3 hit albums, an Emmy and Tony Award nomination and months after FUNNY GIRL opened, she was a multi-Grammy Award winner. The role was created FOR a singer and this casting note has always been a requirement not an exception. Mimi Hines who replaced Streisand WAS a singer and Marilyn Michaels who led the touring production was a renown comedian who specialized mimicking female vocalists, including Streisand, so even she had the vocals the role demands.

Beanie isn’t a singer. Never has been. She’s an actress who enjoys singing. The songs in FUNNY GIRL were written for strong vocalists who can interpret lyrics and melody. It’s not just about belting the notes. You have to be presentational in the soft moments up to the strong belting sections. Again… Beanie isn’t a singer. She doesn’t know how to use her vocals to interpret. She sings the songs, she doesn’t “act” them.

I saw the 2nd preview. I loved the show. Including Beanie but noticed, putting her head voice aside, I noticed she was singing the songs. There was no character interpretation of the lyrics. There was zero life to the lyrics. That’s when I noticed she has zero idea how to interpret a song. She just sings them. Glenn Close, though not equipped with the best sounding singing voice, understands how to interpret a song AND this is why those who saw her in SUNSET BLVD still rave about her live on stage performance."

It’s so damn refreshing to hear from someone who understands that merely standing there and singing doesn’t equate to an acting performance. It accomplishes the opposite.

It is this very quality about so many musical theater performers that keeps me from seeing lots of musicals. I’m reminded, by your crystal clear remarks, of so much mediocrity I’ve seen through the years.

One reason Sondheim is the master - god, was…it hurts to say was - is that his songs are so damn character specific that they either demand triple threat acting or force mediocre actors to rise to the material by design. You cannot stand and wait for your cue and sing over (as opposed to inside) the material with him. 

Updated On: 4/21/22 at 03:13 AM

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 8:44am

TaffyDavenport said: " . . . Having said that, I have a backup seat for next Tuesday night 4/26 that I'm going to be returning, but, if anyone is interested in buying it, let me know. It's mezzanine A 14, $110.04 with fees, and I can transfer on SeatGeek."

@TaffyDavenport - I'm in a similar boat.  Can you explain what you meant by a ticket that you are "going to be returning"?  Is there a mechanism to request a refunds for tickets I purchased through the official channel (SeatGeek) and don't plan to use?  I thought the only option was to attempt a resell on their site and hope for the best.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 8:50am

Rumpelstiltskin said: "TaffyDavenport said: " . . . Having said that, I have a backup seat for next Tuesday night 4/26 that I'm going to be returning, but, if anyone is interested in buying it, let me know. It's mezzanine A 14, $110.04 with fees, and I can transfer on SeatGeek."

@TaffyDavenport - I'm in a similar boat. Can you explain what you meant by a ticket that you are "going to be returning"? Is there a mechanism to request a refunds for tickets I purchased through the official channel (SeatGeek) and don't plan to use? I thought the only option was to attempt a resell on their site and hope for the best."

Tickets for performances through 4/30 can be returned up to 48 hours before:

https://www.jujamcyn.com/help/#refunds-exchanges

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:05am

Here are the scheduled dates for Beanie’s standby: Julie Benko.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:17am

This is how you make up for not having a great singing voice:

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:37am

Sheridan Smith is a good example regarding song interpretation over just singing a song.  Beanie has zero understanding of song interpretation.  In FUNNY GIRL she’s just singing the songs.  

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:42am

Correct. Beanie is dead in the eyes during every song. No feeling, no passion, no command of the songs. 

[Patty3]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 11:20am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Here are the scheduled dates for Beanie’s standby: Julie Benko.



I have tickets for one of these shows and it was a happy accident. I didn't realize Beanie would be out when I bought the tickets. I only know Beanie from the Impeachment: American Crime Story series and I didn't like her in that. I was relieved when I found out Julie would be in. Updated On: 4/21/22 at 11:20 AM