Saw the show last night, and Lea pretty much knocked it out of the park. As Fanny, her acting is pitch perfect, giving the audience the characterization everyone wanted from the beginning. To me, her performance absolutely uses Barbra as a template, but she infuses with enough of herself to make it not sound like an imitation, mostly. If you listen for it, though, it's there, in her phrasing and pronunciation.
From the clips I'd heard and from now seeing it in person, her vocals aren't perfect, and anyone who says they are obviously isn't listening close enough, but it really doesn't matter. Julie's voice is more solid and dependable, but Lea goes bigger. She swings for the fences, and whatever doesn't quite land is overshadowed by how great her acting is. It also doesn't hurt that the big notes at the end of pretty much every song are drowned out by audience applause, which is extremely annoying, but not unexpected.
Now about the "I haven't read so many books" line. I had heard a clip of the audience response on Tuesday, and I didn't think it was a big deal. Mostly giggles with some scattered laughter. Last night, though? Full-on laughter and whooping that stopped the show for 20 seconds. It was ridiculous, but also f*cking hilarious, and I hope Lea realizes it's all in good fun. The audience loves her, and she has them eating out of the palm of her hand.
All in all, a really fun night at the theatre, and I have to admit that Lea's done it: she's finally made the revival of Funny Girl a must-see event.
Updated On: 9/11/22 at 10:30 AM