Understudy Joined: 10/20/09
I was thinking Lea Salonga!??
I'd like to see an actress of color in this role.
It implies that only a gay man would know what to do with this story...that's very stupid..backwards, almost...
Talent is Talent...Anyone seen "Beyond the Candleabra"?
Straight director....straight actors....
Even Tarantino could direct this and have it be entertaining...bloody but entertaining...
Is it just me or do the people in the interview come off as very green and not that smart? I also love how they say they went to Lea Michele just because that's the more commercial option, no praise of her acting or singing. The whole thing sounds like a soundbite and not like anything that would actually happen. At least I hope not.
Frankly it sounds like a bunch of guys from Florida who bought this in hopes of "breaking into the biz"...and...some pants...
if you know what I mean..
"Hey, I'm the producer of the Streisand flick starring Lea Michelle and directed by an openly gay director...You would make a great Sydney Chaplin...are you an actor?"...
Anth, that's exactly how it came off, and I'm from FL so I'd know!
Anth, I agree with you on Sodonberg, I though he did a spectacular job with Candelabra.
how about instead of lea michele we get someone who isn't lea michele
I think that's be best idea I've heard all day.
Why do I think they will ultimately dub her with the actual Streisand tracks, just like they did in their Judy Garland biopic?
I love me some Babs, but I always think a biopic when the person is still alive to be a bit....obnoxious. I'm not talking about a person that is getting a movie about them because of a specific achievement/event in their lives...but one that just glorifies their life.
Just my two cents. (And even though I'd have little interest, please no LM.)
But seriously, does it seem almost scary how Lea Michele "stalks" Streisand's career? She's spent years campaigning for a role that she'll never get, talks about Streisand every time she opens that huge gaping hole she calls a mouth, and now this? It really seems like she has no interest in making a name for herself, but more in being a drag impersonator. If I were Babs, I'd get a restraining order ASAP.
In this case, never mind Lea.
Who the eff are "the writing and producing team of David A. Lee and Daniel Vaillancourt"? They have two credits on IMDb: The GLAAD Media Awards and Undressed (...?).
They optioned the rights and wrote a spec script. That's all.
They "talked" to Lea Michele. Uh, okay. What does that mean? Her agent? They accosted her at a party?
I don't think we'll see this come to fruition.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/5/11
This clearly isn't going to happen.
Barbra would throw a lot of weight against this..
Lea knows that....
Once, when asked if she had read a rather fair honest biography about her, Barbra replied "No"..
When the interviewer said to her that she would like it...
Barbra replied.."God could write my biography - I wouldn't like it"...
Lea should not do the biopic. I wouldn't mind if FUNNY GIRL did happen with her under the RIGHT direction.
Remember when threads use to actually be about something?
A few folks have mentioned Babs fighting this. ARe you referring to a film being made at all or LM being cast? If it's the latter, why do you feel that way?
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/5/11
This is probably a really dumb question but What exactly Makes The character of Fanny Brice so wanted by many actresses?
It's a true tour de force kind of role. It requires EVERYTHING: singing, dancing, comedic acting, dramatic acting.
Yea, it's a great role (Funny Girl). Juicy, showy, awards bait.
Apart from being one of the most iconic roles in the history of musical theatre, there's also the fact that no other actress has played her on broadway since the original production, more than four decades ago and since it's the role that catapulted Barbra into an icon, I guess any actress that were chosen to play Fanny would hope it would do the same for her.
And of course the glorious score doesn't hurt either. For me the show is the quintessential star vehicle.
Just to have the chance to sing all those songs would be great, it's one of my all time favorite scores, to go from "I'm the Greatest Star" to "Cornet Man" to the rest of the songs ("People," "Don't Rain on My Parade," "Sadie, Sadie," etc) must be one of the most challenging and most thrilling things for an actress.
She would fight against a movie being made...
The role of Fanny Brice is (and I include "Evita" in this equation) the single hardest musical comedy role ever written for a woman.
“Funny Girl” rises and falls solely on its leading lady. It matters little if the Nick is good or hell, even present. It matters little what the rest of the cast do or don’t do. A Fanny Brice is needed on stage almost 90 percent of the show.
The score was written for Streisand, that includes Streisand’s belt, phrasing, passagio and pianissimo. As Streisand is one of the greatest singers of the last 100 years – it’s no easy feat singing this score.
It requires at least two numbers with fairly complicated movement – meaning a Fanny must, at the very least, have rhythm.
The acting ranges from slapstick to flat out heartbreaking…sometimes within the scope of the same scene.
The character must go from a girl of (it’s assumed) about 18 years old to a woman nearing thirty.
It’s almost impossible to pull off…
And in my opinion the greatest review any performer has ever received on Broadway to this day is the one Barbra got opening night:
“Magnificent, sublime, radiant, extraordinary, electric. What puny little adjectives to describe Barbara Streisand in “Funny Girl”. It’s almost like falling in love with someone and perhaps I have. – Cue Magazine
That says it all..
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/5/11
Thanks Jazz and AnthVoice2010. Sounds like a Tour de Force role. Reminds me of EVITA.
Updated On: 6/26/13 at 02:05 PM
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