Official! Lauren Ambrose to Star in FUNNY GIRL!

[Rob]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 12:48pm

Click Here to Read Confirmed! Lauren Ambrose to Star in FUNNY GIRL!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 12:55pm

A heartfelt mazel to Miss Lauren Ambrose. I wish her much success in this.

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 12:57pm

Good for her. I wish her all the best and sure she will do fabulous in this iconic role!

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 12:58pm

It's great to see great actors getting work fitting of their talent. I'm a huge Lauren Ambrose fan and could not be happier the rumors are true.

[Sauja]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:05pm

I have to say I'm excited to see if she pulls this off. I like that she acknowledges having a ton to live up to and seems excited by the challenge. Loved her on Six Feet Under, loved her in Psycho Beach Party, and thought she was stunning as Ophelia and Juliet. She has a range, and I feel like she's going to act the hell out of the part. The question mark is how her voice will handle the whole score. I'm damned excited to find out.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:06pm

Thank god all the speculation about Lea Michelle can finally be over!

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:13pm

"The question mark is how her voice will handle the whole score."

The bigger question mark is how she will embody the persona of Fanny Brice. This is a rasky, out-of-the-box casting choice, and I hope it's one that pays off. I'll be rooting for its success.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:16pm

Wow..I have to admit I was totally wrong. I can't quite imagine the this show with anyone but Lea (commercially, with the public, not the people on these boards). She will have to be exceptional, with a voice at least 35% better than that "My Man" video. I love Lauren Ambrose (not in Psycho Beach Party as someone mentioned...really?) and find her a strong actress (though thinking back, she didn't convince me in "Awake And Sing") but again, will a tourist who doesn't know who the hell Lauren Ambrose is see that poster and NOT think "Why didn't they cast that girl from 'Glee'? I'm gonna see 'Mamma Mia'.." She will have to be extraordinary, to have at least the Dan Radcliff buzz about her performance to pull this off. Crazier things have happened, and I admire her for her bravery. But I think Sher is crazy. But maybe with a name director like that he can convince Tyne Daly to do Rosie Brice?

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:18pm

This point was brought up in a previous discussion but I am appropriating it here as an accurate summary of my opinion: Angela Lansbury was not an obvious choice for the role of Madame Rose, and the Rose that appears in Gypsy is not very similar to the real-life Rose Thompson Hovick (at least according to statements by her daughters), and yet we are all aware how that turned out. Hopefully the theater community can put aside the ghosts of Brice and Streisand and be excited to witness what could potentially be an incendiary star-turn for Ms Ambrose!

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:22pm

She will have to be exceptional, with a voice at least 35% better than that "My Man" video.

People aren't expecting her to perform the song in the show the same way that she performs it with her jazz band, are they? That would be like expecting Betty Buckley to perform her half jazz, half tribal version of "Meadowlark" if she were cast in a production of THE BAKER'S WIFE.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:24pm

Ooh good for her! I love Lauren and I can't wait to see the revival once it makes its way to New York!

[once a month]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:32pm

I am agog with anticipation.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:34pm

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, for someone like Ambrose, who has no musical theater background, to take on an iconic role like this, in what will undoubtedly be a high-profile, highly anticipated revival, takes a lot of chutzpah.

[tkts]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:36pm

Two words....train wreck.

[dreaming]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:38pm

I think she's going to be great. I wonder if they'll end up giving her an alternate for the Wed./Sat. matinees, though, because I'm wondering if anyone's voice can handle that score eight performances a week.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:41pm

So let me get this straight...

You CAN do Broadway if you don't have any Jews?

[bryan2]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:42pm

I am so glad it is going to be someone who could not look less like Barbara....thank you for casting someone who will bring there own to it good or bad...I now am looking forward to seeing this!! She is a great choice!~

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:42pm

Yes, Babs and Mimi did 8 shows a week.
Good Luck to all involved.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:43pm

I do like this interview with Sher and Ambrose. On paper, at least, those are all the right things to say. Hopefully, they'll be able to translate that into something tangible.

Streisand and Hines both did matinees but also often performed a truncated version of the musical material, elimanating verses of "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "Music that Makes Me Dance" among others.

Having a matinee actor in the role is not a bad idea, especially given that Ambrose isn't really star casting.

[dreaming]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:46pm

I kind of think they might do it. Is she that seasoned of a musical actress? This is like Evita in its demands on the voice-and that role requires a matinee alternate.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:49pm

Ambrose is not a seasoned musical theatre actress, but she is a trained singer. And she'll almost certainly be working with a vocal coach.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:51pm

Isn't she a trained opera singer, of all things?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:55pm

Yes - she was a trained opera singer before she went into acting. She has a legit voice that is quite different from the style she sings in with her jazz band.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:55pm

^ According to IMDb, yes.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 1:57pm

Yes, Ambrose is trained in classical opera from what I understand.
I could not be more excited about this, I can't believe it is actually official now. I can't believe her name was never leaked by Reidel, wonder how long ago she was brought in to audition and was seriously considered. I also would love to know who their second choice was, I hope that Reidel or Musto come up with the scoop.
Either way, I think she's definitely an interesting choice which is as good as it can get for something like this.
Remember how much we hated on Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney when that was first announced? I feel Ambrose might prove a lot of nay-sayers wrong.......or the whole thing will never come to Broadway, but guess we will see come February.