BWW Reviews: Keeping Scores' FUNNY GIRL in Concert

There are several valid reasons for Funny Girl to be so infrequently revived onstage, chief among them finding the right leading lady to play the iconic role of Fanny Brice. She needs to be an exceptional singer, a gifted actress, a brilliant comedienne and a hale and hearty soul - after all, Fanny sings 12 songs in the score and is onstage for all but some very brief scenes. Of course, the role has become synonymous with Barbra Streisand, making comparisons to her performance much too easy and far too commonplace.

Of course, one way around that theatrical conundrum is to take the route that director Scott Logsdon and Keeping Scores Concerts at Franklin's Boiler Room Theatre have embarked upon for three performances this weekend: Cast 12 different actresses as Fanny Brice, each one well-qualified to take on a particular song, allowing her to interpret, both musically and dramatically, the character of Fanny. And for support of the 12 actresses taking up the Fanny challenge, you'll need an amazingly gifted ensemble. The result? A wonderfully entertaining night at the theater, replete with outstanding performances from some of your favorite Nashville actors - and the chance to hear a beautiful, memorable score brought to life as it was meant to be heard by the team of composer Jule Styne, lyricist Bob Merrill and librettist Isobel Lennart.

Theater music has experienced quite the renaissance in Nashville of late, with cabarets and concerts added to the usual musical comedy offerings of the region's theater companies. Thanks to the efforts of Keeping Scores, which debuts its concert series at BRT with the SRO Funny Girl (and plans to follow it up with other musicals that are rarely produced here), showHOPE and Studio Tenn's annual presentation of Cinderella, the Enchanted Edition (which has played to sold-out audiences for two years running), and Street Theatre Company's concert series (which made its auspicious debut with the sold-out Chess in Concert this winter and continues in the fall with Ragtime in Concert), it's obvious that there is an audience for concerts like these - and that audience will continue to grow and partake of each company's offerings as they learn more about them. It's a definite win-win situation for everyone in Nashville theater, artistic types and casual theater-goers alike. So long as the quality remains at the level exhibited by these concert series to date, you can rest assured that new and enthusiastic audiences will be drawn to local theaters for all their shows, musical and otherwise.

Logsdon, aided and abetted admirably in his efforts by music director Jamey Green and choreographer Laurie Gregoire, brings Funny Girl to the stage in a well-paced, well-conceived production that delivers knockout scene after knockout scene, capitalizing on the splendid talents of his 12 assembled Fanny Brices, each of whom brings her own special sense of timing and nuance to the role. That's not to say the Funny Girl in Concert is perfect - there is definite room for improvement, but any missed cues or dropped lines can easily be attributed to opening night nerves coupled with the excitement of bringing the production together during an abbreviated rehearsal period

To his credit, Logsdon has cast Bonnie Keen as the first (and last) Fanny, who bookends the play's action (which is presented as memories recalled by the older and wiser star of the Zeigfeld Follies) with an unerring sense of dramatic portent. With scarce seconds to win the audience over with her performance, Keen - clearly one of the region's most gifted actresses - manages to craft a beautifully etched characterization, able to bring the audience to tears with the most subtle facial expressions or simple turn of phrase, then to bring everything to exquisite fruition in her performance of the final reprise of "Don't Rain On My Parade."

Among the dozen vocal renditions of the score's songs to be found in the production, Nancy Allen delivers what might be considered the best of the evening with her moving and evocative performance of "The Music That Makes Me Dance." Her elegant Fanny is vividly portrayed without even the slightest hint of false theatricality.

Stephanie Jones Benton is given the unenviable task of singing "People," arguably the best-known tune in the score, and delivers the goods with style and grace. Clad in a gorgeous brown satin gown, her red tresses upswept, she makes a striking figure during the number while showing a cool grace in her superb comic timing.

Lindsay Terrizzi Hess puts her comic chops on the line to excellent results with her performance of "You Are Woman, I Am Man" (which pairs her with the inimitable Bakari King, who cuts a dashing figure as the romantic cad Nicky Arnstein), looking for all the world like the physical incarnation of Fanny Brice herself. King's versatility shines throughout his charming portrayal of Arnstein, playing against the whole array of Fanny Brices with confidence and good humor, his occasional flashes of anger underscoring his performance to make it more gratifyingly real.

Among the other Fannys, each of whom is memorable and effective in her own way, Cori Laemmel distinguishes herself as the teenaged Fanny, singing "I'm the Greatest Star" with a blend of pathos and self-deprecating humor; Erica Lee Cantrell shows her comic abilities with her exquisite singing and dancing to "Cornet Man"; Catherine Mai Holder proves herself a deft comedienne with the always funny "His Love Makes Me Beautiful"; Laura Thomas Sonn, who it may be argued is too pretty to play Fanny Brice, nonetheless shows her tremendous comedy prowess when paired with King on "I Want to Be Seen With You Tonight" and Sondra Morton brings Act One to a close with her belting performance of "Don't Rain On My Parade."

In Act Two, Alex Maddox is given the opportunity to sing what I consider to be the score's best, yet largely unknown (probably because it was cut from the movie's score), song "Who Are You Now?" A tuxedo-clad Corrie Miller struts her stuff in high style, tapping and singing her way through "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat," while Heather Traubucco, as the newly married Fanny, performs the tremendously funny "Sadie, Sadie" with wit and charm. Both numbers show off Gregoire's choreography at its best with the talented ensemble (Jefferson Carson, Devin Clevenger, Thomas Harton, Sarah Margaret Huff, Emma Jordan, Elizabeth Lombardino, Darci Wantiez and Chad Webb) sharing the spotlight for two of the concert's highlights.

Brian Wlas, cast as Fanny's pal Eddie Ryan, gives a truly extraordinary performance, proving himself capable of anything the script throws his way, taking up the challenge handsomely and confidently. Frankly, if anyone could possibly steal the show from the assembled talent that is "Fanny," it is clearly Wlas.

Annette de la Torre gives Wlas a run for his money in that regard, bringing Mrs. Brice to life with humor and a meddling nature that is tempered with genuine love and affection. Her well-rounded performance is given ample support by the trio of women who portray her poker buddies (the wonderful Vicki White, Layne Sasser and Jama Bowen each give sparkling turns onstage) and Todd Rowan is effective as Tom Keeney, the showman who gave Fanny her first big break, and Will Sevier is in fine voice as the delightfully overblown Zeigfeld Tenor.

Corey Caldwell, cast as the consummate showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., cuts a striking figure (among all the men onstage, he probably looks most at ease in a tuxedo) while creating a strong characterization. Lucas Phillips is quite good as a variety of backstage functionaries, while Brandy Rogers brings Emma, Fanny's loyal assistant, to life with charm and conviction. And kudos to the members of the children's ensemble (Tyler Bond, Joshua Cleveland, Hayden Gill, Addison McFarlin and Kayte Miller), each of whom do their parents' proud with their charm and apparent stage presence.

- Funny Girl in Concert. Music by Jule Styne. Lyrics by Bob Merrill. Book/libretto by Isobel Lennart. Directed and staged by Scott Logsdon. Music direction by Jamey Green. Choreography by Laurie Gregoire. Presented by Keeping Scores Concerts at Boiler Room Theatre, Franklin. Through May 1. For details, visit www.boilerroomtheatre.com; for reservations, call (615) 794-7744.

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