Funny Girl- Page 2

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:03pm

I dnk keggs... I love Sutton, but I heard her "I'm The Greatest Star" from the benefit and.. I didn't think she pulled it off.

[keggss23]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:13pm

I haven't heard her version, I didn't even know there was one out there.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:15pm

You can listen to a bit of it here at www.myspace.com/suttonfosterspage

[keggss23]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:31pm

Thanks for the link! That was rather disappointing, but I really think that given the rehearsal time and in an open ended show (vs a one night only concert) she could pull it off. But like I said, I don't think anyone could even come close to Barbra's brilliant portrayal.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:42pm

Foster as a "bagel on a plate of onion rolls?" As the ugly duckling described in "If A Girl Isn't Pretty?" I think she's simply way too whitebread and attractive to play Fanny.

[keggss23]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:55pm

Good point, Margo. I completely overlooked that aspect.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 4:58pm

WonderBoy has the Lainie Kazan story almost right--except she DID go on for That Streisand Woman. Twice. I vividly remember reading the review on page one of the New York Times.

Also, That Streisand Woman didn't show up at the theater. She merely read the Times review and had Kazan fired.

That was around 1965.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 5:05pm

Can Maggie Wheeler sing? I could actually see her as Fanny.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 5:19pm

DollyPop, did Lainie get a good review?

I remember seeing an interview with Streisand on The Rosie O'Donnell show, and Rosie was telling Streisand how Lainie said she only went on once, and Streisand denied it and said she never went on at all.

[Adjie]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 6:22pm

Popular - that is hilarious!!! I echo your thoughts!!!
FYI - I'm also an Italian Jesus lover!!!!!!

[Scottie310]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 8:14pm

Despite her age, Ana Gasteyer would make an incredible Fanny. She has the comedic ability (as her many years on SNL has proved), she has an amazing voice that has a wide range and she has that strange sort of look to her. Dont get me wrong I think she is really pretty, but in an unconventional way that works really well for the character

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 9:34pm

Saw it on Broadway with Mimi Hines/Phil Ford & Johnny Desmond

The movie gutted the score but is still enjoyable none the less

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/17/06 at 9:48pm

There was another amazing story in "Funny Girl": what went on behind the scenes. Ray Stark, the film agent and producer and Fannie Brice's son-in-law, decided to do a musical about his M-I-L and had the show commisioned. He needed money to mount the show, so he hooked up with David Merrick, who had money, a theater and - Streisand. Apparently, after the show was mounted, Stark and Merrick had a falling out and Stark bought Merrick out. THEN he discovered that Merrick never signed Streisand to a contract, At that point, Freddie Fields, another agent, entered the picture as Streisand's agent (Freddie went on to be one of the biggest agents in Hollywood. He helped found ICM and won the Academy Award as producer of "Glory".) Imagine how Stark must have felt when he realized he had a show built around one woman and no solid contract with her. Ouch. Apparently, things suddenly got a lot better in the Streisand-Gould three-story cold-water walk-up flat....

[Starlight2]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 4:03am

Popular--your comment was too funny!!

I agree...

An Italian Jesus lover would be PERFECT to play Fanny!!!

[pjsings]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 5:07am

Put Sutton Foster in the role=amazing....a great show

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 11:21am

I love Sutton Foster. I think she's amazing. So talented. But her name is Foster, and you should see where I'm going from there. Fanny Brice was one of the most Jewish of Jewish commediennes. Having her played by a woman whose name is Foster, who's brother's name is Hunter, forcryingoutloud is just SO inauthentic. You can fake the accent but the soul is missing (as I thought it was in Fiddler with Alfred Molina).

[MadelineKahnFan]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 12:21pm

Cyndi Lauper even though maybe a bit too old for the part would be great as Fanny Brice. Love ot hear her sing all those classic Funny Girl songs.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 6:23pm

Hello. For a detailed story of the intrigue and backstabbing (mostly by B.S.)during the original Broadway run of "Funny Girl", check out the book: "Barbra: The Way She Is" by Christopher Andersen. p.131 --- Kazan: "I swear, ten minutes before the show, Barbra walks in. I was completely devastated. I walked up the five flights to my dressing room and cried and cried". p. 132 --- "....in the process, Barbra strained her voice even more. The next day, Barbra had no choice but to stay home. Since it was Wednesday, this time Kazan was able to fill in for both the matinee and evening performances. The reviews (of Kazan) were solid enough to land Kazan a lucrative record deal and a nightclub contract virtually overnight." There is SO much more... It's a great book. from Roman in Austin, Texas

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 7:16pm

Thanks for all the replys all! Shoshana would be entertaining as well. But yes, Steph Block sang the HELL out of DROMP.

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 7:17pm

oh and also...
I read in Chenoweth's resume, that in a concert benefit, she sung as Fanny Brice. Miscast anybody?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 7:31pm

Well, not really. It was a huge Actor's Fund Benefit Concert where very few if any of the participants would have been able to play Fanny in a fully staged production. It was great hearing them sing the music, though. Here's a list of the Fannys:

-- Carolee Carmello
"The Music That Makes Me Dance" Fanny Brice

-- Kristin Chenoweth
"His Love Makes Me Beautiful" Fanny Brice

-- Sutton Foster
"I'm the Greatest Star" Fanny Brice

-- Ana Gasteyer
"You Are Woman, I Am Man" Fanny Brice

-- Whoopi Goldberg Fanny Brice

-- Spencer Kayden Fanny Brice

-- Jane Krakowski
"Sadie, Sadie" Fanny Brice

-- Judy Kuhn
"Who Are You Now?" Fanny Brice

-- LaChanze
"I Want To Be Seen With You Tonight"; "Nicky Arnstein #2" Fanny Brice

-- Ricki Lake
"Nicky Arnstein #1" Fanny Brice

-- Andrea Martin
"Funny Girl" Fanny Brice

-- Idina Menzel
"Cornet Man" Fanny Brice

-- Julia Murney
"People" Fanny Brice

-- Bebe Neuwirth
"Rat Tat Tat" Fanny Brice

-- Alice Playten Fanny Brice

-- Lillias White
"Don't Rain On My Parade" Fanny Brice

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 7:38pm

my bad! Now that I think of it, almost all of my fav. actresses have "played" Fanny, and I thought that it was fishy. Thanks.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 9:27pm

Why not Steven Brinberg? He does a mean Babs! And it would be the funniest thing ever.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/18/06 at 9:36pm

I think out of that list, only Gasteyer and Murney could even attempt it, and only Murney would do it justice.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/19/06 at 2:17am

Don't think of doing it in her lifetime. It's just so wrong. Create a new show or breathe life into a stinker but leave the few immortal moments of theater we have in our lives alone.