Julie was OK, but I feel the show overall just isn't up to Broadway standards, certainly not worth a trip to NY.
We drove to NY for the weekend, mostly to see Notre-Dame de Paris, which was amazing. I was planning to catch Company, but my wife is a huge Ramin fan and she heard Julie would be on, so we decided to get matinee tickets to Funny Girl. The orchestra had at least one brass instrument out of tune or somebody playing drunk during the overture... just listened to the overture from 1964 to make sure it wasn't supposed to be discordant just to be funny (plus they had strings and xylophone coming on early, much better orchestra in 64). Julie was unconvincing in "I'm the greatest star" and the show got off to a slow start, but it improved once Ramin came on, he has such good vocal support, such a great voice. Julie and the show overall improved through the first act and she really nailed "Don't Rain on My Parade". A couple of Julie and Ramin's songs together were very good, but my wife didn't think they had much chemistry together, nothing like Ramin and Karen Olivo in Chess, nor another leading lady she saw him with that I didn't. Second act went downhill again. My advice, don't pay full price for this show, it really isn't worth it. Not sure it's worth standing in line at the TKTS booth either. I've had no luck with the lottery, but didn't score Book of Mormon or Company tix either, which are easier.
I don't blame Julie Benko, maybe the show itself just isn't that good, Ramin was great but didn't really shine as much as he normally does, there really isn't enough meat in the role of Nicky for anybody to win a Tony with it. Maybe it'll get better toward the end of Julie's month as she grows into the role, maybe she is just a little young to pull off the older Fanny, maybe it'll get better with Lea Michelle, more likely she'll take over, it will still be a kind of "meh" show, and it'll close.
I was disappointed that the theater didn't require masks, Lincoln Center the previous night did. There were lots of empty seats, but still huge bathroom lines at intermission, small crowded theater.
Updated On: 7/18/22 at 09:05 AM