Broadway Beyond Louisville Review: Broadway in Cincinnati presents FUNNY GIRL at The Aronoff Center

Funny Girl as a stage musical has been synonymous with Barbra Streisand since its premiere in 1964. So rarely does a specific performance really catapult a property to success, and since that original production, this is the first large scale massive American revival we've ever seen. Barbra Streisand lost the Tony to Carol Channing in 1964, but went on to win an Oscar for the film version where she reprised her infamous role as Fanny Brice. Since the film, the shadow of Barbra Streisand has loomed over the show, but that expectation has been partially broken with this new revival.

In 2022 the new revival opened on Broadway starring Beanie Feldstein who revived mixed reviews. The show was ultimately reworked when Lea Michelle joined later that year, and whose involvement ultimately saved the show and subsequently made it a hit. That production is now out on the road, where its current tour stop is in Cincinnati, OH at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

The tour stars vocally stunning Hannah Shankman as Fanny Brice, and there are many positives to her performance. I personally feel that Shankman handles the dramatic nuances of the role flawlessly, while sometimes the comedic moments felt as if they needed a little more gas in the tank. This isn’t to say she doesn’t land a lot of funny moments, but on the whole I was much more enamored with the heavier moments. Her renditions of “People” and “The Music that Makes Me Dance” were absolutely breathtaking, and made me understand just why she was cast. She is joined by Grammy Winner Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice, who I found to be absolutely phenomenal in the role. She brought a lot of fun energy to the show, and vocally was wonderful as well.

Stephen Mark Lucas plays Nick Arnstein and does a fine job as well. He’s got great charisma as well as chemistry with Shankman. In fact, the audience erupted with applause when the characters finally shared a passionate kiss. Izaiah Montaque Harris was also a standout as Eddie Ryan. He shows off excellent tap-dancing skills throughout the evening. 

The costumes for Fanny by Susan Hilferty were stunning, and quite opulent in specific scenes, but the costumes as a whole served the story well, while not always necessarily being stunners. The set is also fairly basic, but serves the story well. 

Overall, I think that this is as good an introduction to Funny Girl as any. While I did miss some of the “Funny” in Funny Girl, at the heart of it, Hannah Shankman provides a very emotionally dialed in performance that is just as admirable. This current tour of Funny Girl certainly makes for a delightful, if not always exciting, night at the theatre.

FUNNY GIRL

Now - December 1st

Aronoff Center For The Arts

650 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202.