www.broadwayworld.com: This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she'd never be a star, but then something funny happened-she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.
2 comments:
I have really wanted to see this production, because I love Beanie Feldstein because of how versatile and funny she is, especially in Booksmart. In Funny Girl she has really big shoes to fill, as the role was previously done by Barbra Streisand. Fun fact, Streisand was only 21 when she did her iconic performance. It seems that reviewers are mixed on Feldstein’s performance; it seems that a lot of people feel she has charisma and star power, and brings a fresh interpretation of the character, but perhaps her voice is not as polished as people expect from a leading role. When compared to Streisand, she is held to a very high standard so I understand why people feel strongly about it. Not many of the reviews mention design elements like the set or costumes, so I am assuming that the designers’ choices were somewhat similar to the original production, or at least did not drastically change.
I’ve been following the Funny Girl revival process since they announced it and was particularly excited when I found out about Beanie Feldstein. Since it just opened this week, I hopped at the chance to read reviews. I think the New York Times said it best when they said “This is why a Funny Girl revival hasn’t happened yet.” It’s just extremely hard because there are huge shoes to fill, most notably Barbra Streisand. The show requires a powerhouse with personality and reviews came back that although good Beanie just couldn’t live up to that. Additionally, I love the theory that Ryan Murphy masterminded this entire thing so then Lea Michelle would have her redemption arc once and for all. The downfall of Beanie leaves room for Lea Michelle to come and play her dream role. Do I think this is real? I don’t know the full extent of Ryan’s power.
Post a Comment