Official! Lauren Ambrose to Star in FUNNY GIRL!

As speculated about online and confirming BWW's previous reports that the actress was in negotiations, it's now official that Lauren Ambrose will indeed star as Fanny Brice in the new revival of FUNNY GIRL. The show will open in LA at the Ahmanson Theater on February 1, 2012, and is expected to transfer to Broadway thereafter. The new production will be directed by Bartlett Sher. 

Ambrose is perhaps best known for starring as Claire Fisher in HBO's Six Feet Under, In 2006, Ambrose made her Broadway debut in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Awake and Sing!. In 2007, she appeared as Juliet in The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, to great critical acclaim. She appeared as Ophelia in the 2008 performance of Hamlet for Shakespeare in the Park.

Ambrose recently returned to Broadway in Exit the King (by Eugene Ionesco) at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Broadway, opposite Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon. Ambrose provided the voice of monster KW in Where the Wild Things Are, which was released in 2009. She can currently be seen in Starz' Torchwood: Miracle Day.

The all-new production of "Funny Girl" opens February 1, 2012, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Previews begin January 15 and the production continues through February 26, 2012. 
"Funny Girl" has music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, book by Isobel Lennart, and direction by Tony Award®-winner Sher, who has reassembled the acclaimed creative team behind his ravishing production of "South Pacific" (the winner of seven Tony Awards and presented at the Ahmanson last summer). 

From the streets of New York's Lower East Side to the bright lights of Broadway, "Funny Girl" is the rags-to-riches, road-to-stardom story of legendary entertainer Fanny Brice - a pioneering female entertainer as well known for her oversized personality as she was for her unmatched talent.

A love story packed with unforgettable songs ("Don't Rain on My Parade," "I'm the Greatest Star," "I Am Woman, You Are Man" and the international hit "People"), irresistible backstage drama and a heartbreaking romance, this classic musical takes theatregoers back to the Golden Age of Ziegfeld and the height of burlesque. Part show-biz spectacular, part timeless love story, "Funny Girl" is pure Broadway legend.

Tickets for "Funny Girl" are only available by subscription at this time. For information and to charge season tickets by phone, call the Exclusive Season Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. To purchase subscriptions online, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

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