So who will play Fanny?- Page 2

[ChenoKahn]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:02pm

If only Laura Benanti weren't so pretty...

[Katia2]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:07pm

Yeah, Nina Arianda can sing, it's just a matter of how well. I doubt she's good enough, but who the hell knows.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:10pm

Someone give Ellyn Marsh her much deserved big break. She is SOO hilarious. Updated On: 7/2/11 at 11:10 PM

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:49pm

I heard it's going to be shared between Marla Mindelle, Natalie Weiss, and a tape recorder with a wig on it.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:55pm

Shrekster- I was in the front row at Sister Act. There were no nuances. There was no subtlety. There was nothing.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 7/2/11 at 11:58pm

I think it should be Jan Maxwell, so she can maximize her chances of putting a Tony in her bag.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 12:16am

I'm praying it's Leslie Kritzer. But I'd be fine with anyone other than Idina or Lea for that matter.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 10:09am

I agree that anyone other than Lea or Idina would be something to cheer about.

But I'm curious:

No one seems to agree with me that Anna Kendrick would be great as Fanny? As this is a discussion thread, I'm really curious why that is. Polite responses welcome.

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 10:22am

Nicole Parker. Tony Yazbeck as Arnstein. Andrea Martin as Rosie.

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 12:51pm

Is Ana Gasteyer too old for this part? She would be great!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 1:27pm

I think Nina Arianda is the best suggestion thus far (assuming she can sing).

[MusicalBoy]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 3:41pm

I have never understood why everyone seems to hate Lea Michele? What's wrong with her?

Her vocals are amazing - as shown by numerous un-autotuned performances, and her acting in Spring Awakening was great, I thought.

Besides the fact that she looks like she could be Barbara Streisand's daughter, and the publicity that it would get from her singing most of the score on glee, this seems perfect, no?

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 8:05pm

"Is Ana Gasteyer too old for this part?"

Gasteyer is 44, far too old for Fanny. In fact, if they went with a young Fanny, Gasteyer could play her mother.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 12:03am

So Arianda can actually sing? If she can sing, they need to cast her in this, even if she doesn't have the belt of say Stephanie J. Block or even Kritzer herself, she would act the hell out of the part in such a way that no one's gonna notice her vocals. Can you imagine her during "Sadie, Sadie" or "I'm the Greatest Start"? She'd be a knock-out.
I love the Anna Kendrick suggestion actually, I hadn't thought about that but she'd be pretty great, IMO.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 12:38am

I suggested Nina in one of the earlier threads, but did anyone read the profile of her in the Times before the Tonys? It sounds like Billie Dawn gave her a lot of vocal troubles with the speaking, so even if she's secretly sitting on a killer belt, I don't know if something as hard to sing as Fanny would be the next step.

HOWEVER, I would probably be giddy with excitement if she played the role anyway.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 9:29am

I don't hate her, at all. but beside the fact that I was embarrassed by her performance of Don't Rain on My Parade on last years tonys, I find obvious casting to be a bore.

So, once again, for your consideration. Anna Kendrick.

Hilarious, strong-voiced, oscar-nominated, tony-nominated star on the rise, like Fanny in the business since knee high to a grasshopper, not exactly an American beauty rose, not an obvious choice but merely an ideal one, Anna Kendrick.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 9:30am

I don't hate her, at all. but beside the fact that I was embarrassed by her performance of Don't Rain on My Parade on last years tonys, I find obvious casting to be a bore.

So, once again, for your consideration. Anna Kendrick.

Hilarious, strong-voiced, oscar-nominated, tony-nominated star on the rise, like Fanny in the business since knee high to a grasshopper, not exactly an American beauty rose, not an obvious choice but merely an ideal one, Anna Kendrick.

[Trish2]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 11:02am

in Sunday's NY Times.....
Curtain Down, Heads Up: Readers Cast ‘Funny Girl’

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 1:03pm

I vote for Sally Struthers-now and forever.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 1:11pm

Parphrasing J. K. Rowling on The Simpsons:

"Who will play Fanny in Funny Girl... (sigh) You will. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

[appleric]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 2:44pm

How about Lauren Ambrose?

[North2009]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 4:19pm

Am curious as to how many people out there have actually seen FUUNY GIRL on stage? Have seen a few productions of it, and can I find it to be pretty flimsy material without a powerhouse in the title role. The material outside of Fanny's songs is just not that interesting - at least to me.
Just saw parts of the film the other day on TCM and felt that the producers of film cut almost everything not having to do with Fanny directly. So it sort of comes off as a one woman show.
Which sort of poses the question - why revive this show at all?
Side note - most producers who have done this show on a professional level have always seemed to have an actor in mind for Fanny before announcing show.
Any chance revival's Fanny is already cast and all this "searching" is to built interest in project.
Any thoughts?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 4:26pm

I believe the original producers did have a star in mind. Anne Bancroft, who turned it down.

Being that as it may, I think you are absolutely right. Funny Girl is certainly not a bad show, and has a few charming moments without Fanny, especially when there is a good Mama Rose(ie), but it rises or fails on star power. I've seen it and was also in it once, both non-professionally.

[North2009]

Posted: 7/4/11 at 7:07pm

Unless there is a drastic rethinking of the show - adding back cut numbers for Nick, Rose, Eddie (that were taken out to focus more on Streisand), and few numbers and scenes to even out the playing field, you have a star vehicle without a star. And yes granted Streisand was not a star when she started rehearsals but who can deny the fact she was most likely after opening night?

Are there any other shows so obviously tied to one performer?

Updated On: 7/4/11 at 07:07 PM

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 7/5/11 at 5:06am

Someone mentioned Linda Lavin. I guess they were trying to be funny. It isn't funny. I saw Lavin in the Tyne Daly GYPSY when Daly was away from the show for awhile. She was not good as Rose. She would not be good as Fanny's mother, either. Kay Medford in both the stage musical and the inferior movie was terrific as the mother. ( And she was absolutely hysterical in the OBC of BYE BYE BIRDIE as Albert's mother, Mae.)

FUNNY GIRL is problematic because the second act is not written very well. Scenes with Arnstein tend to be tedious because he is not an interesting character, IMO. Granted, the second act production numbers and "Don't Rain on my Parade" are superb, but there is that weak writing which can spoil one's enjoyment of the show as a whole.