West End's Funny Girl opens tonight — Page 2

My Man is a great song but so is The Music That Makes Me Dance which is one of Jule Styne's best songs so I hope they didn't cut that!

Is this the one that has the revised libretto by Harvey Feirstein?

I saw it with Hines as well.She is probably closer in stature and demeanor to the real Fanny than anyone who might have played her

So did anyone see the show?

ggersten said: "Hamilton22 said: "So did anyone see the show?

Was Sheridan Good OR MISCAST ?

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Yes. What else do you want to know?

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Mimi HInes has a CD out. Music That Makes Me Dance is on it.

I don't know if its difficult to get but its out there.

Kids, "My Man" is a standard. It was beautifully sung by Fannie Brice. Billie Holiday had a hit with it, as did Ethel Waters and various other singers. NONE of us has heard all the covers nor is qualified to say who sang it best.

It was originally Ray Stark's intention to use it in the stage show, but he couldn't afford the rights given the show's budget. (That it was so expensive should tell us all something about how well-known the song actually was before Streisand got to it.) Streisand did, however, end her final performance as Fannie with "My Man" and recordings of that event exist and have been linked here; yes, it worked on stage and whether one prefers it to the PARADE reprise is a matter of taste.

The film COULD afford the rights to the song and Streisand sang it in her own, unique and wonderful, way. But it didn't replace "Music that Makes Me Dance", which is sung at an earlier point in the plot. "Music" and "Who Are You Now?" were both cut and replaced with the title number, a different ballad. (Common Hollywood practice, but FUNNY GIRL was famous for the number of songs written, tried and cut even before it reached Broadway.)

Three years after the film, Diana Ross sang "My Man" while playing Billie Holiday in the bio film LADY SINGS THE BLUES. The Ross version is quite different, but also excellent.

Has anyone ACTUALLY seen the show?

RyanScholls said: "Has anyone ACTUALLY seen the show?

At menier? Yes, it's full of reviews on theatreforum.

Is her voice powerful enough to knock out those big bumbers like I'm the greatest star, People, Don't rain on my parade and such? I'm particularly interested in greatest star. The song doesn't work unless you actually believe you're listening to the greatest star. Is Sheridan the greatest star?

"At first preview she seemed to under sing everything until Don't Rain... "

Ah that's what I was afraid of. Elena Roger did the same thing in Evita (what a disaster). I hate when the audience consciously knows a performer is under singing to save her voice. I get why Sheridan was but THIS IS FANNY BRICE!. You have to be fearless when you're playing Fanny Brice. There's a reason why this show is never revived and one of the main reasons is because the score is so unmercifully challenging.

But you gotta go for it. Never under sing in a part like this. Patti Lupone belted her head off 6 times a week in Evita and she was scared sh*tless when she did it.....but she still did it. That's what separates the Legends from the knock offs.

Of course I'm not saying Sheridan is a knock off. It was the first preview after all so she get's some leniency. But man of man I hope she is the greatest star by press night.

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Updated On: 11/27/15 at 07:30 PM

I haven't seen Sheridan so I can't say...... but THIS is the type of theatre world we live in these days. Shows these days don't call for rare talents like Patti Lupone or Liza Minelli or Barbra Streisand anymore. These days, it's all done with such a machine like attitude. Just pop in the next girl who can hit a high C, and then the next and the next and the next and what you get is what I call "processed food". Sure it's fine, but it doesn't leave any type of mark or impression.

Sure 60 girls can sing Elphaba but that doesn't mean anything anymore. it's all the same crap. replacement after replacement of "good enough" quality for Broadway. No one sticks out anymore. There are no rare talents anymore because Broadway and the west end doesn't cater to it that like it used to.

Yeah you might be able to get through the role of Fanny Brice or Eva, but how many of them are living it like Patti and Babs did? Everything is so calculated on Broadway these days. You need a rare voice and talent for those kinds of roles and most girls they hire for Elphaba or Fanny can sing it, but they don't REALLY SAAAAANGG it. They don't really ACCCCT it.

The only recently new bonafide star we have on Broaday is Idina Menzel. She sticks out. She is exciting and rare. She isn't processed food. She is a legit bonafied star. She can sell a show. 90 percent of the girls they hire for Elphaba couldn't...

Besides Idina and some obvious talented ladies, no one else is really there.

It's sad. Broadway doesn't make stars anymore. At least not for Musical theatre women.

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Updated On: 11/27/15 at 08:17 PM

It's not the actresses fault though. Broadway is just a completely different machine now.