Funny Girl is a musical with a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedienne Fanny Brice featuring her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein. Its original title was My Man.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1964, starring Barbra Streisand and Sydney Chaplin. The production was a hit and Streisand won a Tony Award for her portrayal. The show ran for 1,348 performances and was later adapted for a 1968 film with Streisand and Omar Sharif. The show has enjoyed a number of revivals.
Synopsis
Act I
In New York City in 1910, Fanny Brice, a Jewish-American girl from a poor family, is performing in a burlesque show. Her father, Keeney, advises her to make the most of her talent, but her mother, Rose, wants her to settle down and marry a nice Jewish boy. Despite this, Fanny dreams of becoming a star of the Follies. Nick Arnstein, a slick gambler, enters the show and is taken with Fanny’s brassy energy. They continue to meet secretly.
Fanny is hired by Florenz Ziegfeld and is a hit in the Follies, receiving top billing. Nick proposes marriage, and Fanny, despite her misgivings about his lifestyle, agrees. The couple marry and have a daughter, Frances.
Songs
- Overture
- If a Girl Isn’t Pretty
- I’m the Greatest Star
- People
- Don’t Rain on My Parade
- Sadie, Sadie
- The Music That Makes Me Dance
- His Love Makes Me Beautiful
- Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat
- Finale
Reception
Funny Girl opened to critical acclaim. Clive Barnes of the New York Times wrote that “Barbra Streisand is the star we have all been waiting for” and that the show was “a brash, joyous, spectacular, an unqualified success”. Time Magazine called it “a bright, brassy show”.
Funny Girl won eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Streisand) and Best Direction of a Musical (Gower Champion). Streisand won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. The show was also nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.
Legacy
Funny Girl has been revived several times, most notably in 2012 in a production starring Lauren Ambrose as Fanny Brice. The show has also been adapted into a feature film and has become a part of the American musical theater canon.
Funny Girl is a classic musical that has stood the test of time. With its memorable songs, charming characters, and poignant story, it is a must-see for any theater-goer. It is a timeless tale of love, ambition, and show business that will have audiences laughing, crying, and cheering.
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