icecreambenjamin said: "
Love me some Chip Zien and there are many things he can do. But he's 70. That's more than a little long-in-the-tooth for Eddie. He could play Ziegfeld, maybe.
Jeez, how is he 70? I always thought of that part as being kind of ageless. Is the part supposed to be played by someone younger?
Also, Roundabout's She Loves Me was far from sparse. Holiday Inn also didn't cut too many corners either, in fact it had a pretty large ensemble. I think we'd get a pretty lush production from them. I can't imagine us getting a commercial revival of Funny Girl right now, even with Jessie Mueller's name. I think Roundabout might be our only hope.
Yup, Chip Zien is 70.
Eddie is a hoofer, still active in the business. If I remember correctly, he does a big tap solo with the chorus in the "Private Schwartz" number, before Fanny enters to do the vocal. The character has been in the business a while, but 50 years older than Fanny seems way too much--he'd be a generation older than her mother! I always figured Eddie in his early to mid-30's.
I think Roundabout would do a lovely job. Their "Anything Goes" and "She Loves Me" stand up against most large-scale commercial revivals. Lincoln Center could also do it justice. Bart Sher was supposed to direct it when it came up on the radar a few years ago with Lauren Ambrose. I'd be happy to see him tackle this problematic piece, with Jessie as the star.
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