Shoshana Bean to Star in Funny Girl

[Valentina3]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 10:51am

I'm surprised there hasn't been any reaction to this on the boards. Couldn't find an existing thread.

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/shoshana-bean-to-star-in-funny-girl

 

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:06am

I think it's brilliant casting, but nobody really cares because it seems to be a summer stock production outside of Boston. 

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:23am

LOL. North Shore Music Theatre is definitely NOT summer stock. Its a well regarded regional theatre about 35 min north of Boston. It also happens to be one of the highest paying theatres in Massachusetts for actors. Its a large theatre-in-the-round space with 1500 seats. 

Bean will be brilliant in this. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 11:23am

Yes but... Shoshana will be perfect! Wonder why the run is so small (only about 2 weeks?)


I really think it's high time the book was improved and brought back to NYC. I didn't get the impression that the current West End version is any better, but to be fair - I have never seen either stage productions, only read the original and read about the new one. Maybe they can do bring it back with Hello Dolly. That'd be a fun history revisit.

Updated On: 3/15/16 at 11:23 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 12:43pm

Excited to hear more about this production!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 12:55pm

All their runs are short. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 1:01pm

I'm sure Shoshana will be adding plenty of runs.

[tazber]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 1:04pm

I so want to see a Broadway revival of this show.

 

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 1:36pm

I so want to see a Broadway revival of this show

 

Seems only audiences do as the confirmed and highly anticipated Bartlett Sher directed 2011 Broadway-bound revival starring Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale was quickly canceled due to lack of investors.  Seems no producer feels confident the show can bring an audience. 

 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/theater/producer-explains-the-scrapping-of-funny-girl.html?referer=&_r=0

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 3:46pm

Surprised Roundabout or Lincoln Center couldn't get behind a revival. 

[evic]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 5:26pm

Plenty of money would be raised in a minute if it starred Idina.  Lea has no charm and would be awful in the role of Fanny Brice.  Besides, Glee is so yesterday and unlike Matthew Morrison, she doesn't have a big a following..

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/15/16 at 10:20pm

God, I would love to go see this but there are so many buses and trains involved in getting to that part of MA.

[ebontoyan]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:06am

I don't think Shoshana is the draw some people thinks she is. I saw her in Beaches (out of town tryout??) at Drury Lane Theater in Chicago suburbs last summer. It was a Saturday night and the entire right orchestra was empty and the center/left orchestra was also not filled up.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:08am

I don't think she is a draw for anyone outside of a small splattering of theatre fans but she should be excellent in the role!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:11am

She's got a stupid insane voice. I remember hearing her sing with Jason Robert Brown at 54 Below. She sang some of the Bridges songs before they became what they are. I'm surprised she doesn't work in NYC more. But maybe that's a choice. 

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:24am

the last few seasons at the big summer venues (why aren't we calling them summer stock?) haven't been all that exciting - although its great to see the guy who played Carmine on Laverne & Shirley working...anyway, having never seen a stage production of Funny Girl - this would be a great opportunity 

i saw rita moreno do gypsy at the north shore music theater

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:31am

I always thought summer stock was a situation where you basically had a rep cast come in for the summer, and they would rehearse one show during the day while performing another show at night, doing many different plays for about a week each of performances.  I don't think this really exists much any more.

 

North Shore is a regional theatre that is on par with La Mirada, Sacramento Music Circus, Music Theatre West etc. 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:34am

North Shore was considered a summer stock theater back in the day when there were such things.  Nowadays, any theater not in NYC is considered a regional theater by some, including community and church theaters.  I think the clasification has to do with whether you're a member of TCG, which North Shore is not.  Still a fine theater.  As for Funny Girl, I'd like to see Lady Gaga get a shot at it.

[Fan123]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 5:15am

Caroline O'Connor is also doing Funny Girl for a short run in Australia (not for the first time?), for those who care. They're casting the leads a bit older than usual I guess (not that I'm an expert on Funny Girl casting).

http://www.theproductioncompany.com.au/funny-girl/

[SweetLips]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 5:29am

RippedMan said: "She's got a stupid insane voice.

Now is that a Good or a Bad voice because  if it means Bad then isn't that what all this storm is about.

 

"

 

[Jazzinator]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 11:47am

I actually came to Shoshana through way of her unbelievably great album O'Farrell Street. Maybe she isn't a bigger draw because she isn't singularly focused on theater? I think her musicality is off the charts. Since I've now moved away from NYC, this is the first time I'm booking a place ticket to see a production. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:28pm

Stupid insane = brilliant 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 12:57pm

"I actually came to Shoshana through way of her unbelievably great album O'Farrell Street. Maybe she isn't a bigger draw because she isn't singularly focused on theater? I think her musicality is off the charts. Since I've now moved away from NYC, this is the first time I'm booking a place ticket to see a production."

 

I don't know if she's a draw to a lot of people but if this was more accessible for me, I'd totally go see it. And though I wish she'd do more theatre in NY, unlike other actors who try to do pop/rock albums, hers are actually pretty good. There are at least a few songs I like on each of her albums.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 3/16/16 at 1:19pm

QueenAlice is correct on summer stock. Those theatres cast a company of actors to perform a "stock" of shows. As an actor you would normally be cast in at least 2 productions. The shows are generally of a lower budget than larger regional houses and go up rapidly. While the number of these companies has gone down over the years, many still exist. I have plenty of friends who get cast in them through the big SETC audition (Southeatern Theatre Conference) as a majority of summer stock companies are now in that region. 

 

NSMT has no rotating or stock company like that. They also perform outside of the summer, their signature annual show being a particularly fabulous production of A Christmas Carol. 

 

For those Soshana fans interested in traveling there by train, you would have to take the Amtrak to South Station in Boston. Then either walk/subway to North Station and take the commuter rail to North Beverly. Its a roughly 20 min walk from that train station. A bit complicated as a day trip from NYC, but if one were to do a short weekend trip to Boston, perfectly doable from there.