Lea Michele as Fanny - Funny Girl - Page 7

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 6:33pm

AllThatJazz2 said: "Do we know if Lea would be performing Thanksgiving weekend (namely Friday evening) or if that’s a day Julie is scheduled on instead? The reviews here have me thinking getting a ticket.

And would Tovah be on regardless of who was playing Fanny (barring of course the usual unscheduled absences that can occur)?"

Julie is scheduled only the Friday matinee Thanksgiving weekend.

Updated On: 9/7/22 at 06:33 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 7:01pm

Can anyone comment more specifically on the new take on “Music That Makes Me Dance”?  Both times I saw the production (Feldstein and Aardema) the number was swallowed into the flies upstage and filtered through a dreamscape reverb.  It’s a gorgeous Styne torch that just needs, you know, a singer and a spotlight. Since it’s had its button restored, I’m hoping it’s less complicated and as a result richer in impact. Aardema sang it with power but fought staging; it feels diminished seated and relegated to an abstract piece of flown scenery. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 8:05pm

https://www.vulture.com/article/lea-michele-funny-girl-broadway-first-performance.html

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 8:32pm

[Piparoo]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 9:15pm

Well, all these comments have sold me. Don’t care for the show much (not this specific production but the show itself) but just booked tickets for early next year. Hoping to see something special. Is it too much to ask for electrifying?

[BJR]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 11:32pm

Auggie27 said: "Can anyone comment more specifically on the new take on “Music That Makes Me Dance”? Both times I saw the production (Feldstein and Aardema) the number was swallowed into the flies upstage and filtered through a dreamscape reverb. It’s a gorgeous Styne torch that just needs, you know, a singer and a spotlight. Since it’s had its button restored, I’m hoping it’s less complicated and as a result richer in impact. Aardema sang it with power but fought staging; it feels diminished seated and relegated to an abstract piece of flown scenery."

Those parts have been separated now. Instead of seeing Nick up on the stairs towards the end of the song, causing her to get emotional and sing the end of the song softer, in head voice, she now walks downstage and belts it. My date all but levitated from excitement, having been so dismayed at the head voiced ending.

And then, it's the Follies / dream ballet / dreamscape moment covering her costume change.

I wish she could stay on for even 2 more counts of 8 before leaving, to really connect all these dreamscape folks to what she'd thinking. It goes on for awhile to cover, and she's long gone for so long.

[Skip23]

Posted: 9/7/22 at 11:38pm

BJR said: "Auggie27 said: "Can anyone comment more specifically on the new take on “Music That Makes Me Dance”? Both times I saw the production (Feldstein and Aardema) the number was swallowed into the flies upstage and filtered through a dreamscape reverb. It’s a gorgeous Styne torch that just needs, you know, a singer and a spotlight. Since it’s had its button restored, I’m hoping it’s less complicated and as a result richer in impact. Aardema sang it with power but fought staging; it feels diminished seated and relegated to an abstract piece of flown scenery."

Those parts have been separated now. Instead of seeing Nick up on the stairs towards the end of the song, causing her to get emotional and sing the end of the song softer, in head voice, she now walks downstage and belts it. My date all but levitated from excitement, having been so dismayed at the head voiced ending.

And then, it's the Follies / dream ballet / dreamscape moment covering her costume change.

I wish she could stay on for even 2 more counts of 8 before leaving, to really connect all these dreamscape folks to what she'd thinking. It goes on for awhile to cover, and she's long gone for so long."

 

This afternoon, the audience went crazy for this version of "Music That Makes Me Dance" but I found it to be almost unnecessary.  I think they should get rid of her singing "Funny Girl" at the mirror and have her start singing "My Man" at the mirror and have it open up to her actual performance of the song in the Follies for a big finish.

 

SPOILER

 

 

Also in the new "I'd Rather Be Blue" scene, Harvey puts in a great little bit:  they're practicing the number and Fanny (I think) says something like "Eddie wants to put everyone on roller skates in this number.  That's a really bad idea! (or something like that).....  Cute.

 


 

 

Updated On: 9/7/22 at 11:38 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 12:05am

In this evening’s performance, Ramin almost dropped the blue egg and a few seconds later Lea broke the glass of sherry when she placed it back on the table. It was sooo funny to watch and of course both actors remained in character the entire time. Love love love theater!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 8:35am

"Those parts have been separated now. Instead of seeing Nick up on the stairs towards the end of the song, causing her to get emotional and sing the end of the song softer, in head voice, she now walks downstage and belts it. My date all but levitated from excitement, having been so dismayed at the head voiced ending."

 

Well, this is good news indeed, giving it a period. Yet it's intriguing still that an intended Follies numbers -- Styne's pastiche take on "My Man" (and please don't bring up his argument for the film, a different animal, and I get it; on stage, it was in the "My Man" place, as per the OBC recording) -- belongs on the New Amsterdam stage. But perhaps two Follies numbers is too much.

That's the problem with act two: it's too much of everything yet lacking genuine emotional suspense. We grind through a disintegrating marriage without surprises or a reprieve -- say, a "What Do the Simple Folk Do?," which gives Arthur and Guinevere a moment of poignant reconnection before the tragedy -- just a slow march to the last scene. So I understand why the song feels absolutely redundant emotionally. How many ways can she sing about being disappointed in love? It's Who Is My Man Now That the Music That Makes Me Dance Doesn't Let Me Be a Funny Girl." 

Updated On: 9/8/22 at 08:35 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 10:22am

Auggie27 said: ""Those parts have been separated now. Instead of seeing Nick up on the stairs towards the end of the song, causing her to get emotional and sing the end of the song softer, in head voice, she now walks downstage and belts it. My date all but levitated from excitement, having been so dismayed at the head voiced ending."



Well, this is good news indeed, giving it a period. Yet it's intriguing still that an intended Follies numbers -- Styne's pastiche take on "My Man" (and please don't bring up his argument for the film, a different animal, and I get it; on stage, it was in the "My Man" place, as per the OBC recording) -- belongs on the New Amsterdam stage. But perhaps two Follies numbers is too much.

That's the problem with act two: it's too much of everything yet lacking genuine emotional suspense. We grind through a disintegrating marriage without surprises or a reprieve -- say, a "What Do the Simple Folk Do?," which gives Arthur and Guinevere a moment of poignant reconnection before the tragedy -- just a slow march to the last scene. So I understand why the song feels absolutely redundant emotionally. How many ways can she sing about being disappointed in love? It's Who Is My Man Now That the Music That Makes Me Dance Doesn't Let Me Be a Funny Girl.""

I love your last sentence.  I haven’t even seen the show — Will on my next trip after seeing comments on Lea’s performance — and I thought they were out of their minds to introduce yet another down song.  If they ever did introduce My Man, I’d say to eliminate Who Are You Now AND Funny Girl…do everyone a favor.

[bwaydreamer]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 10:59am

Saw the show last night and still did not like it.  Lea is better than Beanie but I am truly baffled as to why she is getting this response.  Her voice is strong but nasal as hell and her acting is stifled.  To each their own I suppose but she was not for me.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 11:06am

Will be interesting to see if there are any confused patrons tonight at Julie's first scheduled alternate performance. Either way, hope they stick around and see Julie's wonderful performance.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 11:06am

I'm not in favor of adding "My Man" simply because it's not a Julie Style song and though it comes at a slightly different moment, "The Music that Makes Me Dance" IS Styne's answer to "My Man." Including them both would be totally redundant in sentiment.  But having her sing a reprise of "Funny Girl" also doesn't really make sense, especially after "Music that Makes Me Dance". Not only do the lyrics to "Funny Girl" not specifically echo what Nick says to her in that final scene, the song itself is also self deferential and a sudden step backwards in Fanny's character development when they should be driving to her final catharsis.

They should just cut the reprise of "Funny Girl" and end the show with the reprise of "Don't Rain on My Parade." It would be the cleanest, easiest way to make the show not feel like it has three false endings.

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 11:12am

QueenAlice said: "I'm not in favor of adding "My Man" simply because it's not a Julie Style song and though it comes at a slightly different moment, "The Music that Makes Me Dance" IS Styne's answer to "My Man." Including them both would be totally redundant in sentiment. But having her sing a reprise of "Funny Girl" also doesn't really make sense, especially after "Music that Makes Me Dance". Not only do the lyrics to "Funny Girl" not specifically echo what Nick says to her in that final scene, the song itself is also self deferential and a sudden step backwards in Fanny's character development when they should be driving to her final catharsis.

They should just cut the reprise of "Funny Girl" and end the show with the reprise of "Don't Rain on My Parade." It would be the cleanest, easiest way to make the show not feel like it has three false endings."

That's it! That's what was bugging me about the addition of "Funny Girl" but I couldn't quite put it into words. 

I wish "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Reprise) wasn't cut as it gives Fanny and the show a much stronger finish.

 

Updated On: 9/8/22 at 11:12 AM

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 11:16am

Wait, the Parade reprise was cut? or are saying you hope it's not cut? 

[lkerr2]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 12:36pm

New marquee? Someone on reddit posted this

[lkerr2]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 12:55pm

From Broadway World's IG. 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 1:18pm

To Queen Alice's astute point (partly discussed in my post above), the 2nd act is so overstuffed, so clotted with emotional redundancy in its cascade of ballads and reprises, it feels like water treading. Everything grows insular and ruminative, and again, with too much commentary on a collapsing marriage rather than dramatized efforts to rescue it, the show begins to feel narrated.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 2:45pm

Not that the second act isn't always emotionally overwrought, but it certainly isn't helped by this production adding "Temporary Arrangement" and a reprise of "People" (not to mention the new Fanny/Rose scene). In the original production, Nick sang maybe 16 bars of "Don't Rain On my Parade" and that was all he sang the entire act. Adding a trunk song that should have stayed in the trunk didn't really help this production fix a problematic second act - though I will say I think the original version is miles better that what this production uses.

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 2:49pm

jkcohen626 said: "Wait, the Parade reprise was cut? or are saying you hope it's not cut?"

Parade reprise was cut for this revival 

[Emma_Pillsbury]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 2:50pm

lkerr2 said: "From Broadway World's IG.

"

That is a terrible attempt at Photoshopping an image. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 2:59pm

Aw, I love it even though it looks like it came directly from Kinkos.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 3:37pm

What's the significance of the yellow rose? Is there a reference in the show? Is there a reason it looks like a hat? 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 4:10pm

RippedMan said: "What's the significance of the yellow rose? Is there a reference in the show? Is there a reason it looks like a hat?"



 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/8/22 at 4:47pm

Is there a reason it’s so poorly photoshopped on top of her head?