In 1964, Jule Styne, riding high on the success of his legendary powerhouse score to Gypsy, the landmark biomusical based on the life and career of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee (considered by many to be the most perfectly written American musical in existence) was approached by producer Ray Stark to compose the score for another showbiz biomusical based on the life of his famous mother-in-law, actress, comedian, and Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice. Eventually paired up with lyricist Bob Merrill, a book by Isobel Lennart, and the breakout performance of a generation that launched newcomer Barbra Streisand into the stratosphere (as well as provided her with several still signature songs), Funny Girl became one of the last beloved musicals of what is considered the Golden Age of Broadway.
Streisand’s definitive Fanny, thankfully documented by her Academy Award Winning performance in the 1968 film version where she flawlessly delivers a score of iconic songs so perfectly that they seem to be written for her, has loomed so large over the piece for the 60 years since it debuted that it is the rare major hit musical that had never seen a revival. So it was huge news in 2022, amidst all the Broadway post-Covid uncertainty, when this production’s long-awaited return arrived in New York featuring a revised book by Harvey Fierstein, strong direction by Michael Mayer, and boldly cast an against-type Beannie Feldstein as Fanny. New York critics were not kind to the production (are they ever?), mostly due to Feldstein’s distinctly non-Barbra vocals. Producers cut her contract short and replaced her with Lea Michelle, who has basically spent her entire career auditioning for this role since episode 1 of Glee. She garnered more favorable reviews and considerably higher box office grosses, basically saving the financial investment of the producers’ and recouping the musicals $16+ million pricetag.
Never possessing the strong, absorbing book of Gypsy, centered on the strained relationship between a strong, loving, but controlling and smothering mother intent on giving her daughters the showbusiness careers she never had if it kills all of them, Funny Girl has, from the moment Streisand took center stage and uttered the immortal opening line, been a showcase vehicle for a strong, triple threat leading lady with great comic timing. So let’s address the elephant in the room. Who is Fanny and how is she?
Hello, Gorgeous. Headlining this sumptuous production is newcomer Katerina McCrimmon, an engaging young actor with only one Broadway credit to her name, but possessing a big, soaring voice, a voracious, enthusiastic energy, and a fun, engaging comic presence. She’s not Streisand, but who is? Neither were Mary Martin, Eydie Gormé, Anne Bancroft, or Carol Burnett, all of whom were attached to the original production at various points during its development. The good news is she doesn’t try to be Streisand. She chooses some of Streisand’s familiar inflections in her vocals and line deliveries but, where Streisand merely opens her throat and emits this once-in-a-lifetime lush, golden voice that just flows over the audience and across the scales, McCrimmon is a strong belter that gives new life to the familiar songs without sacrificing any of the intimate interpretational elements for the bigger sound. As a comedian, which was ultimately Brice’s strong suit, (even Streisand was notoriously underrated for her sublime comic skills; study the movie or her masterful performance in Peter Bogdanovich’s brilliant salute to screwball comedies What’s Up Doc?), McCrimmon excels from the brassy humor of a young, earnest Fanny trying to land a job or hijacking a Ziegfeld Follies extravaganza, to the subtle, anxiety-ridden humor of the underappreciated “You Are Woman, I Am Man” (bogged down by today’s politically over-corrective climate). Most importantly, she delivers huge on all the iconic numbers. There are a few unwritten rules of performing: at the top of the list is “Never sing Streisand”. Ever. Period. Non-negotiable. McCrimmon breaks that rule with gusto and croons a moving “People”, blends comedy with her belt on a list of first act showstoppers like “I’m the Greatest Star” and the newly arranged, underrated “Cornet Man” (cut from the movie), and then silences all worries when she blows the act 1 finale “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (the quintessential Streisand signature song) to the third balcony and back. This role demands a star to carry it, and McCrimmon gives all evidence of catching one on the rise as she delivers it all—the comedy, the vocals, and an engaging presence to draw the audience in and leave us with no comparisons to those who came before her. I had the good fortune to catch McCrimmon earlier in the tour last fall and it gave me a greater appreciation of the growth she has achieved in this role over the tour. She has become a significantly stronger presence–much more relaxed, infinitely more confident, and apparently less concerned about the huge shadow that loomed over her. There will be only clear skies ahead in the forecast for this parade. Katerina McCrimmon marches her own band out, beats her enormous personal drum, and undeniably makes this role her own with complete success.
Which is a essential, because as amazing as the score is lined up in the first act for her to tackle top to bottom, the second act of Lennert’s show, although definitely improved by Fierstein’s restructuring to incorporate more songs, is musically slight between opening number “Sadie, Sadie” and the 11:00 “The Music That Makes Me Dance” into the finale reprise of “Don’t Rain on My Parade”. Fortunately McCrimmon’s acting prowess and comic timing fills the void where Fanny experiences the darker side of fame and love as she grows to learn her own worth as opposed to her defining her value through a husband or a career.
Stephen Mark Lukas as love interest, professional gambler and “investor” Nick Arnstein, is saddled with a thankless role that basically asks him to primarily be beautiful, while also being shallow, unlikeable, and criminal. Fortunately, Lukas possesses the matinee idol looks that make Fanny melt, but brings a depth to him not written on the pages of Lennert’s script. We know he’s no good for Fanny, but he wins the audience over along with Fannie (the gratuitous shirtless entrance aids his cause). His solos are barely memorable, but he excels in the one song where it’s mandatory, exuding charm and matching wills with McCrinnon in the sexy and fun musical seduction “You Are Woman, I A Man”. (Spoiler alert: He wins.)
Grammy Award Winning singer/songwriter (and former Bette Midler Harlette) Melissa Manchester now adds “/actor” to her impressive descriptive moniker. She has been predominately featured in the bulk of the tour publicity, performing the secondary lead as Fanny’s mother Rose Brice. This child of the 80s would be lying if I said I didn’t spend the bulk of the season ahead of press night basically centering my whole intended marketing strategy for this review around her as the star name on the bill (#YouShoudHearHowHeTalksAboutHer, #IdRatherBeMidnightBlue). And then she sat out the Baltimore leg of the tour ill and I didn’t get to use any of it. Well #DontCryOutLoud, Solid Gold fans, Manchester does not disappoint, providing strong solid support to McCrimmon and the story, and continuing the tradition trailblazed by some of the strongest character actresses of the last 100 years in the underappreciated role, from legendary original Kay Medford (who also thankfully followed Streisand to the film version for preservation) to contemporary master Jane Lynch. And, unlike most celebrity stunt casting, it’s not a vanity performance. Manchester deliberately sits on her Grammy-winning, arena-filling pipes and gives an incredibly honest portrayal of Rose with the character voice the music and the role demands. Manchester is heartwarming as Fanny’s loving, protective mother, and shows without a doubt where Fanny got her sense of humor and impeccable comic timing in an excellent duet with Fanny’s longtime best friend Eddie Ryan in “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?”, wisely moved by Fierstein to the second act where it gets the attention it deserves instead of getting lost in the first act Henry Street segment. Conversely, her funny congenial Rose is also wiser than Fannie ever gave her credit when she shares her experience on balancing the delicate combination of being a good wife with being a good breadwinner.
As Ryan, a dancer who helps Fanny get her big break and spends a lifetime concealing the torch he has always carried for her, Izaiah Montaque Harris breaks out some amazing dance skills as an incredibly gifted tapper and gives the show a natural warmth that helps balance and ground the big emotional swings Fanny takes to make her relationship with another man work. Harris and Manchester also have a sweet chemistry as they team up to guide and support Fanny despite her questionable life choices. Eileen T’Kaye and (at this performance) Cindy Chang also provide fun backup support to Manchester as her Henry Street penny poker-playing cronies Mrs. Strakosh and Mrs. Meeker.
The technical aspects of this tour are, at the risk of overusing the word, gorgeous. David Zinn’s set pops right from the opening notes of the overture. His proscenium’s rims of concentric lights begin virtually dancing to the score, and displays its versatility throughout the show, shimmering, chasing, flashing, and changing colors depending on the feel of the number. (Special note about Styne’s overture: His previous one for Gypsy is also considered by many to be the most perfect of its kind. Hearing his follow-up here highlighting his powerhouse numbers to come live for the first time in my life, let me declare it is almost just as perfect.) Zinn fills his technically modern frame with beautiful, elegant, old-fashioned painted drops for a convincing meld of a show that takes place in flashbacks to the early decades of the last century. Nick and Fanny’s Long Island drop that appears in the transition of “Sadie, Sadie” is particularly impressive.
Kevin Adams’ lighting design also compliments his visually thrilling work assisting Zinn on the proscenium with beautiful stage lighting in a variety of settings and stage performances. Brian Ronan & Cody Spencer’s sound is particularly clear and balanced, although I’m quite sure when McCrimmon begins to wail we’d have perfect sound regardless.
Susan Hilferty’s costumes are bright and bold and cover an impressive array of styles from Fanny’s turn-of-the-century Brooklyn roots to the heights of Art Nouveau and Art Deco fashion as she becomes a legitimate Ziegfeld star. Her designs for the elaborate Follies numbers are particularly stunning, especially the mock bridal showgirl frocks dripping in beads, rhinestones, and pearls with high feathered headdresses (the silver rhinestone-encrusted groomsmen parading them around are equally as impressive).
Ellenore Scott’s choreography is lively and serviceable, considering the number of Follies numbers where it is deceptively deliberate but intricate, but what wouldn’t escape notice when tap choreographer Ayodele Casel steals the dance portion of the evening with exciting tap numbers executed by the amazing Harris with lightning speed and razor-sharp precision.
Even with Fierstien’s revisions, the book still shows a little of its age and leaves itself open for criticism in this overly sensitive era where modern audiences can’t judge a piece beyond its surface story. Admittedly, if ever a musical failed the dreaded Bechdel test, it would be Funny Girl, where the leading character, a strong, successful—and eventually very wealthy—woman continues to define her worth by her man, and not even a good man. Her opening night is ruined if Arnstein doesn’t show. Her biggest moment of the show belting the ultimate anthem of determination “Don’t Rain on My Parade” is sung in the context of her leaving her starring role in the current Follies Tour to follow her man on a gambling bender in Monte Carlo. The entire second act opening, “Sadie, Sadie” (immediately followed by the lyric “Married Lady”), is an elaborate glorification of marriage as the ultimate barometer of success (never mind her years as a Broadway and Ziegfeld star, or the fact that her prized husband more often than not jeopardizes her financial security than provides for it). To complicate results, that man is not only really not good for her—he gambles away his (and her) money, and can’t feel like “a man” if he has to rely on his wife for financial support (a fact her own mother drives home, from experience with her father; history repeats). Despite all these shortcomings that today reek of sexism, Director Mayer keeps a tight focus on all the strengths of the pieces and guides McCrimmon and Lukas through all the highs and lows of their relationship as we watch Fanny grow more successful, stronger, and, eventually, independent. He also does an equally admirable job in the more subtle relationships between Fanny and Eddie and her mother. But contemporary critics who may pounce on such “sexist” issues need to view the piece in context (a luxury we are rarely allowed anymore), because it is all par for the era when the roles of women, who were not even allowed to vote when the story starts, were evolving and changing, as Fanny does throughout the arc of the show. Again, depicting sexism—or any –ism—isn’t condoning it. Sometimes it’s cleverly used for parody or to make a point. Here it’s just, historically, sadly pretty accurate. #DontRainOnMyParade
But let’s, like Fanny, leave this review on a high note. While not the strongest story or ultimate showbusiness parable, Funny Girl does boast a grand score of big, old-fashioned showstoppers by Stein, who wrote some of the best ever (and fleshed out by an impeccable, brass-heavy orchestra that makes one long for more of these big old musicals), strong and engrossing performances by a great cast led by Katerina McCrimmon in a winning debut filling some pretty gigantic, intimidating shoes. One leaves feeling euphoric as we watch Fanny the duckling evolve into a full-on swan. Tonight, in the nations Capitol, she is indeed the Greatest Star.
All photos by Matthew Murphy of MurphyMade
The show runs 2 hours and 45 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.
Funny Girl runs through July 14, 2024, in the Opera HOuse at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at (202) 467-4600 or purchase them online.