Theater Review – October 16, 2024

DYNAMIC TOURING “FUNNY GIRL” AT ASU GAMMAGE HAS THE NECESSARY BROADWAY SPARKLE

“Funny Girl”
Broadway Across America – Arizona, ASU Gammage
Tempe, AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

Bob Merrill and Jule Styne’s 1964 musical “Funny Girl” is an interesting show.  Like the Florenz Ziegfeld stage extravaganzas that Fanny Brice starred in, the show glorifies the star, her life, and the Follies.

The first Broadway revival in 2022 with a revised book by Harvey Fierstein starred Beanie Feldstein as Fanny but it languished and appeared destined to fail until Lea Michele took over the lead role dazzling critics and audiences alike.  Michele gave original Broadway star Barbra Streisand an equal comparison.  The revival’s ultimate success prompted producers to send it on a national tour that arrived this week at ASU Gammage.

To star in the tour, the producers found Hannah Shankman who delivers a smashing Fanny.  She dominates the show singing and dancing with spirited aplomb and unmitigated sparkle as anyone playing Fanny must.

Shankrnan tackles the huge role that originally made Streisand a blazing stage star and, after re-creating the role in the motion picture, a huge movie icon.  Shankman plays Fanny with sincere feeling, touching sensitivity, and a loving understanding of how she squashed her gambler husband, Nick Arnstein.

The show looks good with sets and costumes that give the necessary elaborate pizazz this show must have.  A welcome surprise is that you could actually understand much of the dialogue proving that a superlative sound system can conquer ASU Gammage’s awful musical theater acoustics.

The players surrounding Shankman created winning performances including Stephen Mark Lukas as Arnstein.  He essays Nick with the necessary dashing flair and plays off Shankman with sophisticated elan. Melissa Manchester sounds perfect as Fanny’s mother, Mrs. Brice, and Izaiah Montaque Harris is perfect as Eddie Ryan who got Fanny her first break as a Ziegfeld girl. The chorus showgirls and other supporting players are Broadway chic.  Elaine Davidson’s boomingly zippy orchestra makes Styne’s score a centerpiece in this superlative production. The only weakness is inconsistent accents from the entire cast.

Michael Mayer’s spirited staging keeps the long show moving along as it engrosses the audience in Fanny’s fascinating story.  Ellenore Scott’s period choreography is enhanced by Ayodele Casel’s exciting and well executed tap routines.

It’s wonderful that this “Funny Girl” revival is presented in a polished touring version that makes Fanny Brice’s biography an entertaining delight. “Funny Girl” continues through Sunday, October 20.  To order tickets, call the ASU Gammage box office at 480-965-3434 or order tickets online at www.asugammage.com.

Grade: A