Official! Lauren Ambrose to Star in FUNNY GIRL!- Page 6

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 11:54pm

Jordan, I did not write "Fanny Brice is a tampon" on your locker.

Updated On: 8/3/11 at 11:54 PM

[noradesmond]

Posted: 8/3/11 at 11:59pm

Her "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" is pretty dang fabulous. She's got some pipes. I still think she is too pretty but it's the performance that will matter in the end. Getting really excited by the possibilities.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 12:25am

Two thoughts after reading through all this.

1) I'm glad they didn't cast someone reminiscent of Streisand, because that's an automatic losing situation. Nobody could beat her at her own game, because she invented it. She's an original. So this is good that they went another direction.

2) What's with all this "My Man" talk when it's not even in the show?

None of Fanny's original songs were in the stage show, because they couldn't afford to license them. They got Styne and Merrill to write substitute songs. When it came time for the movie, they put in the songs they originally wanted to use.

Will the revival include Second Hand Rose and My Man (among other Brice tunes)? Are they going to shell out the money for them this time?

If not, what difference does it make how wonderfully or badly she sings My Man?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 12:34am

Hasn't it been stated that Sher is doing major work on the second act? If so I assume they will put 'My Man' in the show, in some capacity.

I'd expect a revival closer to the film on stage rather then the 1964 production.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 12:36am

Besty, I hope this revival includes "Woman in love" and "Lazy Afternoon".

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 12:41am

And while they're buying rights and turning it into a jukebox musical, can't they put in Evergreen, too?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 1:00am

As a purist, I would be shocked if the Styne estate, or who handles it would allow other composer's work in a major revival of this show. The original ran over 3 years (exceptional for that time) the OBCR went Gold and made Streisand a SuperStar.
But they did it for the movie, so maybe I should know better.
Updated On: 8/4/11 at 01:00 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 1:02am

That song is so overused. But my friend told me at the end of the show Ambrose will now be run her fingers through Nicky's hair and tell him that his girl is lovely.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 1:11am

I'm not arguing that Lea would actually BE the best Fanny --though I certainly do believe she would be, despite her smells-like-ass performance of "Don't Rain on My Parade" on the Tonys (she would be directed in an actual revival of the show). But unless Lauren is perfection in the role she is not the choice to guarantee a long run. Lea easily would be. And speaking of Lauren-will-be-perfection-as-Fanny...I'm still not sure why most of you are convinced she would be. In arguing FOR her, no one has even mentioned the fine, subtle comedic work she is doing on "Torchwood" this summer, but keep mentioning her Clare from "Six Feet Under" (?) Is the pro-Lauren actually more of an anti-Lea sentiment? And if that's it, I think you're all freakin' nuts and should have your Broadway Appreciation rings revoked. Cause you gots no taste, y'all.

Updated On: 8/4/11 at 01:11 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 1:16am

"Come pet the kitty, Nicky..."

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 3:50am

NOW talk to me about tampons after THAT special image!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 7:49am

"And speaking of Lauren-will-be-perfection-as-Fanny...I'm still not sure why most of you are convinced she would be."

We're not. We're guardedly optimistic, uncertain and excited by the prospect of a great actress and, for us, superb singer taking on a great role in an iconic musical which is clearly a stretch for her. One that we believe is not insurmountable but will take great courage and hard work. We're fascinated by the transformation this actress will need to go through to achieve a character very much unlike herself and sell it.

In other words, we love the power of theater - that's why we're on this site - and are more interested in it than we are in entertainment that gives every appearance of being pre-packaged and predictable. We get enough of that at the movies these days.


Updated On: 8/4/11 at 07:49 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 7:52am

"In other words, we love the power of theater - that's why we're on this site - and are more interested in it than we are in entertainment that gives every appearance of being pre-packaged and predictable. We get enough of that at the movies these days."

^ I like this. And I agree.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 7:59am

What Henrik said. I wish I could write good like that.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 8:24am

I agree with Henrik - but I'd also add that I'm looking forward to the revival for another reason. Funny Girl was always a bit of the bastard stepchild to Gypsy. (One can only wonder what the show would have been like had Sondheim written the lyrics.) It shares a lot of similarities - a true life show biz story set in the world of vaudeville and burlesque (and the Follies, in the case of Funny Girl). Now, it's not as brilliantly written as Gypsy and has a problematic second act and an underwritten male lead. But the score (with 1-2 exceptions) is good, and more often great. The story of an underdog believing in her own talent and ability absolutely hooks me and, faults aside, I think it's a better show than it's often given credit for.

In some ways, I thought that South Pacific couldn't be revived successfully. I never saw a professional production that wasn't glacial, in spite of all of the glories of the score and the writing. I thought Bart Sher and his team did amazing work on the Lincoln Center production and made it vital and alive again, probably something akin to what it was like to see it in 1949. More than whether Ambrose can sing and act Fanny (as I think she can), I hope the Bart Sher and his creative team are successful in building the case for all that is good and worthy about Funny Girl and the show's reputation is bolstered.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 8:25am

The actress/singer/comedienne who really would have been perfect for the part was the late and amazing Laurie Beechman.

The original "Star-to-Be" in Annie and the possessor of an astonishing trumpet-like voice, she went on to take over for Betty Buckley in Cats, and then took over as Fantine in Les Mis, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, in 1988, at age 34.

She then proceeded to re-define what cabaret performance was, much as Streisand had done, at the Bon Soir in the 1960s.



Here is Laurie Beechman showing what her Fanny Brice would have been like, singing "The Music That Makes Me Dance" and recounting a conversation with Barbra about singing other people's songs:

LAURIE BEECHMAN SINGS "THE MUSIC THAT MAKES ME DANCE"
http://youtu.be/JWGd4AbQ65U

We lost Laurie to ovarian cancer in 1998, at age 44. A memorial service was held at the Winter Garden Theater and the cabaret space at the West Bank Cafe was named for her.

But, oh, what a great Funny Girl she would have been!

"If you've been in extreme circumstances--
it doesn't have to be cancer,
it can be the death of a spouse, AIDS, anything--
and you've been lucky enough to survive,
it's incumbent on you to live the best possible life.
What's the point otherwise?"
--Laurie Beechman, The Washington Post, 1996

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 8:31am

^ Inspired and inspiring.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:10am

I'm just not all that fond of "The Music That Makes Me Dance."

It's an okay song at best, and a strange introspective, almost lethargic finale for the show. It has none of the dramatic impact, drive, or electricity of "My Man." I really hope they replace it for the revival, even if they don't license "Second Hand Rose," "I'd Rather Be Blue," etc.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:20am

They aren't planning on using the songs added for the film.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:22am

But, Besty, I don't think the song had ever sounded like that TILL Sreisand did it that way. I'd call Brice's version (Billie Holliday's, too, to take another example) fairly introspective.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:23am

"In other words, we love the power of theater - that's why we're on this site - and are more interested in it than we are in entertainment that gives every appearance of being pre-packaged and predictable. We get enough of that at the movies these days."

Oh, please. This is such bull****. You are on here to tear people and each other down. You are bitchy nasty people who have no real love of theatre. You have a real love of TALKING about theatre, you have a real love of bathing in group-hate and cyber bullying. The whole Lea thing shows that. Instead of celebrating a girl who through pure talent and tenacity, a girl from this realm of "theatre" you so supposedly love who somehow managed to become a TV and possible movie star, when this rarely happens, instead of holding her up you DERIDE her constantly. What is the matter with you? Though I think she is a casting mistake, I think we should embrace and welcome Lauren Ambrose, and applaud her for stepping onto that stage. But to hate on one of our own the way you people do is disgusting. And shows the kind of "love of the power of theatre" you have.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:25am

Somebody needs a nap.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:25am

I smell a meltdown.

[Owen22]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:32am

Yeah, sorry. A bit of a meltdown for sure. Its just all this Republican hypocrisy I'm seeing in the "real" world, when I see hypocrisy on here, I go off. Come to think of it though, there is a quite a Republican stench coming from a lot of these supposed, one would think, liberal theatre BW posters...

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 10:36am

LOL

Do we have to have another meltdown today? I was hoping to keep it in the "Warning" threads.

As for My Man, I completely agree that it didn't have that drive or that electricity before the film arrangement. But it always had enormous impact. It's Brice's own signature song for a reason.

As for The Music That Makes Me Dance, maybe they can spice up the arrangement to give it some much-needed excitement.

The problem is that many people, like me, were exposed to the movie before they saw the stage show. And that is a likely reason why I have such a "meh" reaction to the original Broadway song. It just doesn't cut it, by comparison.

And it will definitely be compared now. The majority of people who see the revival are going to ask "But where's "My Man?" Why isn't that in here?" It's like saying, "And I"m Telling You" isn't in Dreamgirls, because there was a different song in the original production. They won't care. They'll only notice the difference. And it's a big one.