Fanny on Video - 1961

FUNNY GIRL is one of the crown gems of the American Musical Theater. Kansas City audiences will be treated to a first-class production of a show that many theater buffs know about but have never seen. Tuesday night’s performance starred Leah Platt in the lead role of Fanny Brice. Leah has a gangbuster voice fully displayed as she plows through an excellent score with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill.

One of the fun parts of reviewing shows in Kansas City is the occasional opportunity to meet and interview some of the talented touring performers who come through with road productions of Broadway shows.

What did our critic think of FUNNY GIRL at Aronoff Center?

The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra will perform both Beethoven and Bryce Dessner, in addition to music by Fanny Mendelssohn and Missy Mazzoli, later this month. Learn more about the production and find out how to get tickets here!

Hannah Shankman and Stephen Mark Lucas are bringing Fanny Brice and Nick Arnstein to a city near you over the next six months in the national tour of Funny Girl. In this video, watch as the duo chats about their friendship offstage, why they love performing this piece across the country, and more.

The national tour of FUNNY GIRL features a knock-out performance by the show's leading lady, Hannah Shankman, and culminates with an audience-pleasing big finish.

The national tour of FUNNY GIRL, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, is a gorgeous rendition of a timeless classic that runs the gamut of emotion from self-deprecating comedy to heart-wrenching drama to chill-inducing performance.

And now we have the tour, currently playing at The Paramount Theatre. And it looks like the producers have learned their lesson with the “stunt casting” and just brought in people who can handle the part, such as Hannah Shankman as the irrepressible Fanny Brice, who is making her debut with the tour here in Seattle. And she has certainly left her mark on the role and on our town.

Bell Theater at Bell Works in Holmdel, N.J. will present Lorna Luft and Julie Benko: From Hollywood to Broadway. Learn how to purchase tickets.

What did our critic think of FUNNY GIRL at BROADWAY AT THE HOBBY CENTER?

The Criterion Collection has revealed the November lineup of Blu-ray titles, which includes the 1968 musical film Funny Girl starring Barbra Streisand. The release will include exclusive special features including a new audio interview with Streisand and a new conversation between director William Wyler’s son David and author Alicia Malone. 

You know, I think what really worked for me is that I didn't have much knowledge of FUNNY GIRL. I saw the movie once when I was a teenager, and funny enough, my boyfriend and I were on vacation with his family when his mom told me that I would play Fanny Brice!

“We battle with other theatres to get the rights for shows.  We always try to get MSMT on the national radar as much as we can and get first rights if possible, but it is very competitive,” explains Curt Dale Clark, Maine State Music Theatre’s Artistic Director, as he recounts how the Brunswick theatre managed a virtual coup for this 2024 season by becoming the first regional theatre to receive the rights to produce FUNNY GIRL after it closed its recent revival on Broadway.  “In the case of FUNNY GIRL, Concord Theatricals was holding our money for a show that we planned to produce in 2020 before the pandemic shut everyone down. Since they do not return money, they were eager for us to choose another show from their catalog and clear their books.  I agreed if they would give us the first rights to FUNNY GIRL after the Broadway show closed.” Clark is sharing his thoughts with the audience at MSMT’s second Peek Behind the Curtain on July 3 at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, where he is joined by actors Sue Cella, Douglas Raymond Williams, and Michelle Beth Herman, as well as panel moderator, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold.

Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of FUNNY GIRL is a triumph for its star and a coup for the company. Obtaining the first rights to produce the show after the closing of the recent Broadway revival is an unprecedented accomplishment for the theatre’s Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark.  In addition, the production, itself, is arguably the first FUNNY GIRL anywhere to use the state-of-the art video technology, and perhaps the most thrilling feat of all: not only does the entire cast deliver stunning performances, but Jenna Lea Rosen, who makes her MSMT debut and role debut as Fanny Brice, is unquestionably a superstar. The result is an evening in the theatre that is as exhilarating and spellbinding as any you will see on any stage and an experience not to be missed!

Hello gorgeous! FUNNY GIRL, only at MSMT!