Lea Michelle as Fanny Brice

[WickedGinger]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:07am

I have just read that Glee Show Creator Ryan Murphy has plans to take Funny Girl to a Broadway theatre for REAL and Lea Michelle will play the title role.

What do you think? I personally would love this. She has nailed so many of the songs on Glee (and lets not forget the Tony's a few years ago) that I think this was inevitable.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:40am

Only if she does her own take on the role and not copy Streisand, then I have no problem with it. She definitely has the voice and stamina for the role and with good direction I think she could be worth watching. Oh and Murphy can't direct this.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:53am

I'd like to see a Funny Girl revival, but so far it does seem like the billing would have to be "Lea Michele as Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl." If she can somehow push through that and make it her own, then sure, why not?

[Patash]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:02am

I agree with the sbove. Last night she did "People" on Glee. Close your eyes and you'd almost think it's Barbra. What's the point? I'd love to see a different take on Fanny Brice. Actually I did, when Mimi Hines took over for Barbra in the original production. It was a fascinatingly different take on the role.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:09am

Hines was the "Funny Girl" my classmates and I saw on a school trip back in the day. I thought her feisty and chirpy, less smooth-sounding than Barbra on the OCR but very winning in a scrappier way.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:13am

You know, a lot of people (myself included) actually think Jessie Mueller should be Fanny Brice...

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:09am

Mimi Hines singing "Don't rain on my parade" at the closing night of Funny Girl: http://youtu.be/Q2p4wli1bdI

Mimi Hines singing "People": http://youtu.be/oGFC3UFw8pE


Mimi Hines discussing Funny Girl and Barbra Streisand being sick: http://youtu.be/tFe9IX3Kr9k.

She kept that show open for 18 months after Barbra left.


EDIT: I'm skeptical that this is the actual closing night of Funny Girl. Kinda sucks that she didn't sing the whole song of "Don't rain...". Allegedly Barbra didn't sing the whole song on Matinees, so I guess Mimi just followed suit. I'm guessing this is a Matinee performance and not closing night. Kind of a jerk move for matinee audiences.

Updated On: 4/2/14 at 10:09 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:19am

I was just about to ask how long the show remained open after Barbra left and Mimi took over. Thanks for the info ShakinBaconGirl.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:46am

LEA MICHELE'S "People" was brilliant i thought...great job...had me loving this song again...:)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 11:29am

I wonder how her "out of town" reviews were?

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 11:51am

I would love to see the revival with Lea. I love her voice. Her "people" on last night's episode of Glee was beautiful.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 11:54am

Lea Michelle as Fanny? Lea Michelle IS a fanny.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 12:20pm

Over my dead body. Lea Michele is the devil. Literally.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 12:48pm

Actually the best rendition of songs like "Don't Rain On My Parade" I have heard outside of Streisand is Linda Eder.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:10pm

I nominate this guy to be the next Funny Girl:http://youtu.be/HoQzt05O_mc

What a voice!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:44pm

Linda Eder couldn't act funny in a gazillion years. Lea Michele today is not able to land a joke in a million years, watch her performances in "comedies" like GLEE and NEW YEAR'S EVE, post-season 1 Michele hasn't been able to deliver a joke in any of the work she's done. And if your defense is going to be about how those shows have less than stellar writing, well, guess what, most people think the book of FUNNY GIRL is pretty weak in the first place, so yes, you need someone who can actually be funny in the context of a not-so-well-written show. People love to bring up "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "People" as the pinnacles of a good Fanny; if that was all that was needed for a good Fanny Brice, then we'd see revivals of the show left and right. Watch Streisand in the film, her performance goes above and beyond those two songs; yes, she gives a spectacular vocal performance but more importantly, she's very funny, often while being dramatic at the same time. That's what a good Fanny needs, and that's why it'd be so hard to find someone who can sell the role.

Updated On: 4/3/14 at 08:44 PM

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:50pm

You sound a bit angry. It's good to know FUNNY GIRL still has some passionate fans.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 8:51pm

I had to have a big meeting with a creative team I was working with on a production of Funny Girl. They were telling our Fanny to sing it just like Barbara. It was awful. They didn't understand why cloning a performance like that was a bad thing.

I can't see Lea Michelle dancing or doing the physical comedy well enough to pull off Fanny Brice.

[bwaydreamer]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:27pm

Lea Michelle is a terrible person who has a nice voice and no exceptional acting abilities. Everyone in the broadway community hates her and no one wants to work with her. Jessie Mueller or Leslie Kritzer have much more dynamic voices, better ranges, and MUCH better acting abilities.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 9:57pm

"Linda Eder couldn't act funny in a gazillion years"

I never said she could act the part, just stated she has sung those type of songs better than anyone I have heard outside of Streisand in her prime IMO. I am not positive but I don't believe Ms. Eder has been on Broadway since she did "Jekyll & Hyde".

Updated On: 4/2/14 at 09:57 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:08pm

Lea Michelle is a terrible person who has a nice voice and no exceptional acting abilities.

You actually put it nicely. More like despicable, horrendous, waste of a human being.

Updated On: 4/2/14 at 10:08 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:21pm

blaxx nails it. again.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:32pm

Blaxx,

But aside from all of that, do you like her?

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 10:55pm

Aside from that, she's ok.

[BobNC]

Posted: 4/3/14 at 7:27am

I totally agree that Jessie Mueller would be the ideal choice to make "Funny Girl" her own. The Glee girl is only capable of mimic and copying others especially Streisand. We need a new take on this role.