Why No "Funny Girl"?

[stonewall2]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:45pm

There has never been a "revival"(Broadway) of this show, has there? Sure, the role of Fanny is identified with La Streisand. but if you could cast the show today, who would you pick?

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:50pm

It's because she is La Streisand. You can't cast that without having serious problems because it is Barbra's role. That is basically screaming "DANGER!".

Updated On: 6/27/05 at 09:50 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 9:50pm

The problem is that you need a somewhat unnattractive, preferably Jewish 20-something actress, with a multi-octave voice and a great gift for verbal and physical comedy. And in the present economic climate on Broadway, the actress also needs to be a pretty big "name" who can sell tickets for a production that would probably cost at LEAST $10 million.

There's not one actress who springs to my mind who has all of those requirements -- they're either are too WASPy looking, too old, not funny enough, don't have the vocal chops to pull it off or are not famous enough.

[cindy013]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:19pm

*cough* Stephanie J. Block *cough*

just listen to any recording of her singing it and you'll see(hear?) my point:)

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:22pm

Ana Gastyer

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:23pm

Shoshana said she would kill for that role/show. Though she sin't a NAME in all households

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:24pm

And I was thinking of Sara R. She's way too pretty but you could 'plain her up' with a good makeup job. Of course she isn't enough of a star yet but maybe Spamalot will help there.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:24pm

Stephanie J Block or Leslie Kritzer are the simply best choices to have a fantastic production. Just listen to Stephanie's Don't Rain On My Parade.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:25pm

Gasteyer is pushing 40.

Block and Kritzer aren't "names."

Updated On: 6/27/05 at 10:25 PM

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:27pm

The script for the Broadway edition went through so many re-writes that it really is a cut-and-paste job.

The screenplay for the movie improves on it a lot, but the screenplay is owned by Columbia pictures and you can't just put it on stage.

The movie also cut a few of the better Jule Styne songs like "Cornet Man" and "The Music That Makes Me Dance" but these were not at all in the Fanny Brice style.

Barbra's rendition of "My Man" at the end of the movie is also not the way Fanny sang it but it does have power.

Still I regret the loss of the 7 songs cut from the movie and don't find any of the new songs written for the film to be improvements.

FUNNY GIRL was a smash hit on Broadway for the 18 months Barbra stayed in it and did OK for another year with Mimi Hines, but the stage show is not as strong as its reputation and original cast album would lead you to believe!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:29pm

The show itself isn't very good, and nobody will ever erase the memory of Streisand's tour-de-force performance, so the possible producers figure that it is best to not even try.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:34pm

Erricfan is totally correct. The book for that show needs major work.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:35pm

Updated On: 5/4/06 at 10:35 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:37pm

I know I'm the only one, but I'd love for Ms. Menzel to do this.

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:41pm

I think Idina could do it too but they are all too OLD! Stephanie is too old, Ana Geyster is way too old and Shoshana isn't a big enough name.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:46pm

Leslie isn't....but this could be a star making role for her! She needs it. Stephanie ahs said herself she would love to do it though...

[stonewall2]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:49pm

I have to agree with the "too old" statements(and I am really hoping that Ana's make-up job in "Wicked" is a great one, because her age REALLY works against her as Elphaba).The lack of a potential "leading lady" for a revival of "Funny Girl" makes one wonder if Steisand was that "unique" or merely in the right place at the right time?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:53pm

I don't remember hearing a specific age in the movie...how old exactly is Fanny supposed to be?

[stonewall2]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:56pm

Fanny begins as a young girl;perhaps late teens=early twenties, I would say.....

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 10:56pm

She was THAT unique.

The role was very much tailored to exploit Streisand's unique combination of talents. In fact, before she had even secured the role, Styne (who always wanted Streisand for the role) rewrote certain songs increasing their ranges so that other candidates like Anne Bancroft and Carol Burnett wouldn't stand a chance of being able to sing them and they would only sound good with Streisand's voice.

The show is only very loosely based on Fanny Brice's real life. The songs and comedy bits are less Brice than Streisand (especially her club act at the time), which is why it's impossible for anyone to ever play the role and be able to completely escape her shadow.

Updated On: 6/27/05 at 10:56 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 11:02pm

Streisand was 21 when the show opened.

The REAL Brice was 18 when she joined the Ziegfeld Follies and 27 when she married Nicky Arnstein. Because of a bit of dramatic license, the character in the show ages from late teens to mid-20s.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 11:05pm

Maybe I'm just being ignorant, but it always seems narrow-minded to say that it is "impossible" for another person to play a certain role. Obviously, no one is going to perform something in the same way. It is always possible to have another actress play the role, but how she plays it will have its own unique style, but it can still work.

To say that is impossible is denying that there is undiscovered talent out there...even in the actresses we may think we know very well.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 11:10pm

RE-READ my post.

I didn't say it would be impossible for someone to play the role.

I said that it's impossible to play the role AND escape Streisand's shadow -- which is absolutely true. After 40 years, comparisons will be inevitable. Someone could play it very well, but every aspect of their performance will be compared to Streisand's Oscar-winning performance in the movie.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 11:18pm

Margo, I understood your post. Maybe I should've said things differently.

The comparisons are the case with so many things. Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls. On a smaller scaler maybe...The original cast of Rent. Idina Menzel in Wicked. SO many. It's just natural for anyone to compare someone playing a role they've already seen someone else do, especially if the actor or actress has made his or her mark. The difference here is that it is one particular actress. It is on a grander scale...there is no denying that.

Comparisons to the original should not stop a new actress from playing this. And how are we to know if one is funny enough or right for this role unless we see how someone new does it?
Updated On: 6/27/05 at 11:18 PM

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 6/27/05 at 11:22pm

I totally agree Margo. It will be impossible to escape her shadow. Just like it was to really stop being compared to Robert Preston in the Music Man. It is impossible to escape that.