Funny Girl

When Caroline O’Connor, as Fanny Brice, sings “I’m The Greatest Star” early in Act One of Funny Girl, you’d better believe her. You won’t believe she’s a 19 year old, but it won’t matter. Ms O’Connor continues to awe and delight us with her extraordinary talent, and most of us would wish that she were only 19 so that we had the next 30+ years still to come. It’s doubtful that Fanny Brice (the musical is based on the Broadway star’s life in the 1920’s and 30s) had anywhere near the talent of our Caroline…in fact Brice’s husband, gambler Nick Arnstein, could have made book on it.

I’ve seen Fanny Brice on film and I am not a fan of her overt comic mugging and over the top Yiddish persona, but I must concede that O’Connor is brilliant (if a little large) at both. And while most will remember Barbara Streisand in the film (she originated the role on Broadway), O’Connor matches her vocally in such iconic songs as “People”, “Don’t Rain On My Parade” and “His Is The Only Music That Makes Me Dance”.

The show was conceived and written as a vehicle for a Diva, and it’s just as well, because the creaks are starting to appear in this fifty-year-old musical. It’s just a little cheesy, old-fashioned and dated. The book lacks depth when the second act cries out for it, and many of the characters are mere cardboard cut-outs. Nevertheless, thanks largely to its star, the production never fails to entertain, and Lord knows we need to be entertained and find something to smile about these days.

Gale Edwards brings her years of expertise to her directing role, but don’t look for surprises. It’s all very “by the book” and there is no clear delineation in performances between “on stage” and “off” (life). It would have been nice to see the dramatic moments fully realised and some grittiness or edge in the ‘real life’ drama.

David Hobson is lovely but seems miscast as Fanny’s great love, Nick Arnstein. There is charm without sexiness and he seems more boy than playboy. There’s little to suggest the seductive and dangerous side of ‘Mr Brice’, and the final scenes leave no emotional impact at all’ we don’t feel engaged with the tragedy of this ‘Great Love’.

Performances in the dramatic arc of the second act really needed more input from the director.

It’s lovely to see old JC Williamson stalwarts Judith Roberts (Mrs O’Malley), Jan Russ (Emma) and the legendary Nancye Hayes (Mrs Brice) all treading the boards again together. Hayes, as always, shows us that indefinable quality befitting a legend in “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?” Luke Alleva works a little too hard as Eddie Ryan, thus making the character even more two dimensional than it needs to be; Susan-Ann Walker (Mrs Strakosh) has some great moments but is often too OTT and could afford to pull back sufficiently to match Hayes and Roberts perfectly pitched performances.

David Ross Patterson (Florenz Ziegfield) conversely didn’t seem quite big enough to fill those legendary shoes.  And that’s perhaps the problem with the whole show, too many different levels of performance throughout the cast. The ensemble, however, were excellent throughout, when they had a chance to be noticed.

Apart from O’Connor the real stars are the costumes from Owen Phillips and Tim Chappell, which are just gorgeous, and Shaun Gorton’s stunning set, which makes us forget that this is a semi-concert version. The new baby for The Production Company is its own orchestra, and it was a delightful surprise, though Anthony Gabriele’s great personality as conductor was a little intrusive at times.

I am told the current West End Production has had a lot of streamlining and work on the book, and perhaps it’s a shame that we didn’t get to see that version. As it is, this a good, but not great, production, nicely performed and with a powerhouse star to drag it over the line and win it extra points.

Coral Drouyn