Review by Elyse Trevers
Good theater is more than creativity, talent and imagination-it’s also about chemistry. Between the performers and between performer and audience.
If there’s good chemistry between actors, then the audience will join right in. If the audience doesn’t ‘buy’ the relationships onstage, then the show will not work. That’s what happened with Funny Girl, the recent revival of the 1964 musical with score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart. There’s not enough chemistry.
For years audiences were teased with promises of a revival and several names were mentioned to be cast in the Fanny Brice role, Including Glee’s Lea Michele. Finally, the musical arrived starring Beanie Feldstein.
The story is a semi-biographical version of the life of comedian Fanny Brice who performed in the Ziegfeld Follies. Fanny was a Jewish comedian who played up her ethnicity and looks. Surrounded by the glamorous Ziegfeld girls, Fanny relied on humor. Brice fell in love and married Nick Arnstein, a good looking gambler and for a while their love and marriage was idyllic.
Feldstein is good, very good and I was pleasantly surprised by how well she sings. Although I saw her as Minnie in “Hello Dolly” I don’t recall her performance, but it was hard to notice anyone besides Bette Midler. Feldstein appeared in movies such as “Booksmart” and “Ladybird.” She is a fine comedian as well. Her ‘funny’ look comes from being a bit chubby and short which certainly distinguishes her from the tall stately chorus girls. Feldstein’s best numbers in the show contrast her to those girls in the big production numbers.
The problems arise with the two main actors who star with her.. Ramin Karimloo plays Nick Arnstein and he has a gorgeous singing voice plus leading man looks. Yet there seems to be little chemistry between him and Feldstein. Despite their dialogues and vows of love, it doesn’t feel authentic.
Jane Lynch stars as Mrs. Brice, Fanny’s mother. Lynch is well-known for her comic timing and no-nonsense delivery and that’s evidenced here, but the contrast between Lynch and Feldstein is a bit jarring. Each time they played together, Feldstein looked like a young child
Some critics unfairly compared Feldstein to Barbra Streisand who originated the role.A wise colleague noted that some of those same critics were too young to have seen Streisnad perform the show onstage. Most probably, they were comparing Feldstein onstage to Streisand in the film. Hardly apples to apples or fair.
The show directed by Michael Mayer has a revised book by Harvey Fierstein The staging is beautifully extravagant (David Zinn -scenic designer) and Susan Hilferty’s costumes are eye-catching.
“Funny Girl” is an old-time, almost old-fashioned musical. The girl does get the boy but, sadly because of real life they go their separate ways. Is it one of the best of the season? Tony voters didn’t think so but the audience at the August Wilson Theatre cheered and they were the ones who actually paid for their tickets. Viewers had a good time and were entertained.
In a time when so many shows are limiting their viewers with difficult subject matter and language, you can still bring out-of-town visitors to see “Funny Girl” and know they will enjoy it. They will laugh and hum along and maybe– maybe they will feel some chemistry.