Official! Lauren Ambrose to Star in FUNNY GIRL! — Page 9

For what's it's worth, this anecdote from Wiki would indicate the song was always for Fanny:

As they worked to develop the character of Fanny Brice, they needed to write a special love song depicting her feelings towards Nicky. According to the book, "Jule: The Story of Composer Jule Styne" by Theodore Taylor, "Jule turned to his collaborator Bob Merrill, 'You told me the other night to work on [the lyric] "a very special person." I think I've got a helluva melody for it.'...'Great,' Merrill yelled. 'But now it's not gonna be just a "special person." Listen.' Then he ad-libbed, while Jule played the melody again: 'People, people who need people'...The song 'wrote' in thirty minutes..." Ironically, "People" nearly did not get included in "Funny Girl" during early try-outs as the producers did not like it. Bob fought to keep the song in and finally one night, Barbra was allowed to sing it on stage. It stopped the show and history was made.

SMaxie's link to the Barbra Streisand file resulted in my spending a happy hour with all of the great material available. The comparisons of the stage show and the film, scene by scene was particularly interesting to me because it demonstrated why I was so disappointed in the movie. The fact that several songs from the stage show went unused in the film or were replaced by what I consider inferior numbers was the main reason for my dislike of the film.(Omar Shariff's wooden acting matched Sydney Chaplain's " walking through his part" on stage). One example of an inferior number in the film replacing a great number in the stage show: "The Swan", a poor song and a boring, unfunny if elaborate ensemble ballet number contrasts negatively wih the up-beat "Rat Tat Tat Tat" ensemble number with a special pure Streisand take on Private Schwartz from Rockaway--it was an hilarious number. Each number takes place without Nick Arnstein in the audience--he was too busy gambling, a plot point.

Also from the file is juicy information of Chaplain's unprofessional behavior toward Streisand, eventually resulting in his contracted salary being given him while singer Johnny Desmond took over the part. I like Chaplain in the recording of SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING, but don't think much of his singing in either BELLS ARE RINGING or in FUNNY GIRL where I saw him walk through his role.

"My Man"', which to me was so very effective to close the film, stands virtually no chance of being used in this revival, for reasons already stated. Styne, according to the file, felt that its inclusion ruined the film(!).

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The "My Man"/"Music That Makes Me Dance" conundrum sure is a tricky one! I seem to recall a story about a cab driver telling Jule Styne that the only way to fix Funny Girl was to put "My Man" in the show.

In terms of story, "Music" followed shortly by the "Don't Rain On My Parade" reprise makes a bit more sense. "Dance" is about being fulfilled by Nick's love, even in spite of all the danger signs of a troubled romance ("I know that he's near by the thunder I hear in advance"). They part ways and then the "Parade" reprise goes from resignation ("guess we didn't make it") to a feeling of triumphing over failure ("that's life in the theat-tah!").

The thing with "My Man" for me anyway is that the song lyrics about "crawling on my knees" for a man don't really match what's happening between Fanny and Nick. It works, I think, because Streisand acts and sings the living hell out of it in cinematic close-up. The vocals are so powerful, so soaring, that it's about the performer and the character triumphing over heartbreak. I've not seen a production use "My Man" in place of the show ending, so I don't know if it would ever work in the stage production. But it would take a hell of a performer to do everything that Streisand does with the song in the movie - and to do it eight times a week on stage, after singing 11 or 12 other numbers before it.

So - I think as much as I'm a "My Man" fan, the combo of "Music That Makes Me Dance" and "Don't Rain on My Parade" as the ending for the stage musical probably make the best sense, both dramatically and for the welfare of the performer!

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 10:43 AM

You have to remember that one of the reasons "My Man" was included in the film is because Fanny Brice was still a recent memory to most film audiences. She had only been dead 12 years before the musical hit Broadway and that song to most audiences was synonymous with her. Its the same reason why "Second Hand Rose" and "I'd Rather Be Blue" were thrown in there.

But those songs today are more synonymous with Streisand than Brice, whose talents most current audiences aren't likely to be very familiar with.

For a production trying to distant itself from memories of the film and Streisand it makes the most sense to stick to the Styne/ Merrill score without the Brice (Streisand) signature tunes.

Michael Bennett, I think that's a very good point.

Even though I'm aware of them as Brice numbers, I really only know Streisand's versions.

Updated On: 8/5/11 at 02:40 PM

A link to the live recording of "Music That Makes Me Dance" from Streisand's final performance on Broadway. I think this song in the context of the play is definitely at least, if not more, exciting than "My Man."

Barbra's Final

Updated On: 8/5/11 at 03:52 PM

But the Brice songs were intended to be in the play initially. It was only after producer Ray Stark (Brice's son-in-law) realized he couldn't secure the rights without paying out big bucks that he balked and asked Styne and Merrill to write "substitute" songs. They filled in the score, a score that was originally to be written around those Bruce tunes. Ultimately, Stark went back to the original plan of including them when the film was made (and the budget was much bigger).

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 04:02 PM

I think the original idea was for it to be more a play with music (Brice's music). But I think its safe to say that once Styne/Merrill were hired those plans were dropped in favor of doing a completely original score. If the plan had always been for the play to include those songs, Styne likely wouldn't have made the comments he made about the inclusion of those songs 'ruining' the film version.

He also called Shirley Temple a "nasty nasty little girl". He had some bitter pills, but I think its safe to say his estate will likely honor his feelings and not include the Brice stock numbers in the revival.

If they want to honor his wishes and feelings, then yes. And I doubt they have a choice.

But Sher still has to face audiences who are very familiar with the movie and "that big number at the end," which I maintain is the reason Streisand took home her Oscar (tied with Hepburn). Without "My Man," and those final moments, I don't think she would have won it.

I also think Sher is very inventive, and I do think he can take the existing material and do something with it to make it have a similar power and impact. The "Music" song is just too wistful, introspective, and slow, interpreted in the same slow way by virtually everybody who's ever recorded it (Streisand's version being the best). He'll have to do something fresh with it if he wants to match the raw power of those final moments in the film. And I do think it can be done (remember Bennett's staging for I Am Changing?).

It can make the difference between an "enjoyable" evening at the theatre and an "electrifying" evening at the theatre.

I hope they try, for everyone's sake.

... and I have no reason to think that they won't. But these comments that "it's just fine the way it is" ... I have to disagree. The show fizzles out (as written) at the end, especially by comparison, and unfortunately that's what the audiences will be left with as they're walking up the aisles.

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 04:31 PM

I hope they're from "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol."

This isn't a "multiplex" audience either, MB. And people know it better than Oliver! because of Streisand and her career. It's ranked #16 on the AFI top musical movies of all-time.

But whether they know the Striesand film or not, and I venture to say that most of the 35-year-olds who will pay their money to see this on Broadway probably do know the film, the ending as written still fizzles dramatically. They can make it better. I hope they will.

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Updated On: 8/5/11 at 05:09 PM

Yes, please!

I love that score. When I lived in L.A., early on (in the late '80s) I knew a woman who was Jules Styne's secretary at the time. Back then, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol had all but fallen off the radar. It had a timid VHS release (which eventually gained momentum combined with repeated TV airings). She said he was surprised when anybody remembered it, and he was very proud of that score.

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Updated On: 8/7/11 at 05:31 PM

100 percent agree.

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