Review: FUNNY GIRL at the Segal Centre is a Spunky and Sassy Success

The "Barbra Question" can often plague theatre companies when the idea of producing a Funny Girl musical is brought up. How can one produce the show in a way that even comes close to the iconic version that Streisand led in her breakout role?

They face the additional obstacle of satisfying audience members who have the same question on their mind; audiences who are predestined to be resigned to the fact that the musical won't be as enjoyable as the first time around, that is, the version that included Barbra tripping and schmaltzing her way into their hearts.

The Segal Centre has managed to pull it off though. Their rendition of Funny Girl sports a talented cast, lead by their very own "Greatest Star" and extra-funny girl, Gabi Epstein.

The shows critically-acclaimed Canadian director, Peter Hinton, reimagines the show as a memory piece. The curtain opens on Ziegfeld Follies star, Fanny Brice, sitting melancholically in her dressing room at the height of her career. As the show progresses Brice reflects back on how she has gotten to this point in her life. You see a young Jewish girl who, despite her uncomely appearance (which everyone in the show is intent on reminding her of), dreams of making it big on Broadway.

When Brice sneaks into a roller skate number she trips and slides her way into comedic stardom; it is at this point that she meets her to-be husband, Nick Arnstein, a gambling man willing to take shady routes in his pursuit to acquire money. The show loosely follows the real-life tumultuous Brice-Arnstein marriage and details the darker side of fame.

Epstein, in the lead role of Brice, belts the classic Styne songs with ease all the while maintaining her character accent, dancing, and keeping the audience laughing-not an easy feat to pull off. Her vocal chops are particularly standout in the songs "People" and, of course, "Don't Rain on my Parade".

This show could hardly work without a genuinely funny leading lady, which Epstein provides while simultaneously combining that comedic wit with a child-like quality and vulnerability that endears her to the audience. Epstein embodies the sassy, pushy, and spunky girl that forced her way up into stardom, never taking no for an answer.

Similarly, Corrine Koslo playing Fanny's mother, Mrs. Brice, offers a standout performance as the exuberant, overbearing Jewish mother who provides the show with their second funniest lady.

The show has a strong and amusing ensemble, all of whom particularly shine in their dance numbers, choreographed by Dayna Tekatch. The dance numbers bring one back to the turn-of-the-century, early American-broadway era in all of its showgirl pizzazz. The costumes, designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, further augment this atmosphere by adding tassels and glitter anywhere that they can be fit in.

To use Fanny's self-description, this show is "a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls", that is to say, it is a special show which is definitely worth the watch.

Tickets range from $32 to $64, with performances from now through Nov 8 at the Segal Centre (5170 Cote St. Catherine Road). For more information visit www.segalcentre.org or call 514-739-7944.

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