Review: 'Funny Girl'

Funny Girl is a musical based loosely on the early life and career of comedienne-actress-singer Fanny Brice. Conventional wisdom has it that without Barbra Streisand there is no show.

The Civic Light Opera Company Begs to differ. They have found a leading lady who can handle 12 musical numbers – seven of which are solos – as well as the many book scenes ranging from light comedy to pathos.

In many ways, Ashley Medeiros-Felix creates a character much closer to the real Fanny Brice than Streisand ever did. You root for her. You want her to find happiness. Then there’s her voice. It can cut through the brass heavy orchestrations, soaring to the farthest reaches of the theatre, balanced by warmth and infused with character insight. In the show’s most famous song, “People” she communicates Bob Merrill’s lyric as well as Jule Styne’s ever-popular melody.

 

 

 

It is very much a star performance but she is given excellent support. David Haines plays her friend and confidant Eddie Ryan, who has a charming duet with Fanny’s mother, “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?” As Mrs. Brice, Julie Lennick manages to wring every wry laugh out of her dialogue as she locks horns with her gossipy neighbours played to the hilt by Louise Cascone, Susan Sanders and Patricia Byrne.

Amusingly these ladies frequently mispronounce the name of the great showman Florenz Ziegfeld saying Zig-FIELD. Ziegfeld is portrayed here by Vince Cascone who mixes fatherly love with exasperation at some of Fanny’s antics. In the end he is there for Fanny when her husband Nick Arnstein is sent to prison.

Damien Gulde is dashingly suave in his portrayal of gambler Arnstein who sweeps the impressionable Fanny off her feet.  What is even more remarkable is that Gulde took over the role a week before opening, yet he gives an amazingly confident performance.

The original 1964 Broadway production was cut and pasted together during a tumultuous pre-Broadway try-out. Director Joe Cascone covers all of this in his fascinating program notes. To solve the inherent problems, he has skillfully streamlined the script and does his usual stage wizardry deftly moving performers and set pieces. Anyone looking to direct a musical should stop by Fairview Library Theatre for a master class: You don’t need to stop the action just to change the set.

Is there room improvement? Perhaps. Occasionally, it does seem that some of the supporting performers are “acting” the roles instead of "being” the characters. It’s a fine line but one that divides the professionals from the amateurs. Fortunately the charismatic leading players along with the production team turn this potentially problematic musical into enormously satisfying entertainment.

 

Funny Girl plays at Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive until Saturday June 12. For tickets go to www.civiclightoperacompany.com or call the box office: 416-755-1717.

 

 

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