Fanny Brice is Gonna Shine

Hey, Mister Arnstein

Funny Girl was first produced on Broadway 60 years ago, starring Barbra Streisand in the semi-biographical musical about the life of the comedian Fanny Brice. It was later made into a movie, also starring La Streisand. The role has been “owned” by her ever since.

But now there is a new Fanny on the scene in the person of Katerina McCrimmon, who is outstanding in the touring production now at Shea’s. She inhabits the role completely, and has made it her own. She possesses a powerful voice with an astounding vocal range that fills the theater. She is equally at home in quiet contemplation, sad reflection, and rousing jubilation. She is an excellent physical comedian with impeccable timing, and great panache. She is fully committed to her character, and brings to life the brash, insecure, multi-talented woman who took Broadway by storm.

Don’t Rain on Her Parade

The montage of people from various times in Fanny’s life opens the show and presages events to come. Sitting in her dressing room, now a Ziegfeld Follies star, Fanny Brice anxiously awaits her husband on opening night of her new show. He is the flashy gambler Nick Arnstein, played by Stephen Mark Lukas, as a man who lives for the excitement of the race, the deal, and elegant women. In the duet with Fanny, “Who Are You Now?” they both ask the question “Are you something more than you were before?” For him, the answer is a sad no. Lukas expresses the poignancy of a man who wishes he were better, but knows he is not. In flashbacks, Fanny takes us back to her early life, how she became a “star,” and the journey she took with Nick.

The entire production shines. The choreography and elaborate costumes in the Follies production numbers are a realistic, glamorous portrayal of the excitement and explosive energy that was the Jazz Age. From period bathing suits to glittery showgirl costumes to giant butterflies, the costumes delight the eye. The scenes on Henry Street in Brooklyn, where Fanny lived with her saloon owner mother, Rose, bring to life the experiences of early 20th Century Jewish immigrants, as Mrs. Brice (a worldly-wise and passionate Barbara Tirrell)  and her two friends spend their time kibitzing over a card game.

Enter Fanny’s friend and mentor, Eddie Ryan, played by an amazing Izaiah Montaque Harris, whose tap dancing number in the first act is a show-stopper. Just watching his feet move at what seems like warp speed is worth the price of admission. Reminiscent of John Bubbles, the father of rhythm tap, or Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, he is a powerhouse on stage when he gets his feet tap, tap, tapping.

Speaking of tapping, the “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat” men, Lamont Brown and Ryan Lambert, who open that number with Fanny and the Ensemble, are no slouches when it comes to hoofing it, and the ensemble stays right with them.

The Luckiest People in the World

The two most famous songs, “People” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade” by Fanny, are brilliantly performed by Ms. McCrimmon, with reprisals of both in the second act. 

This is a rags-to-riches story as well as a love story between a man and a woman. It also speaks to the love of the people and place where you always belong, and the ways in which people can lose themselves and eventually find their way back to who they really are. 

This Funny Girl is a feast for the eyes and ears, and a marvelous evening of musical theater.