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Building an immense show around one person is a gamble.
In that year, and intermittently for decades after, Brice was the axis for his carousel of glitz.
As a humorist, she had become a galactic star.
But Ziegfeld had seen another color in her and the risk paid off.
So the creative team pushed all their chips in for Barbra.
Now the producers of theFunny Girlrevival make their own gamble.
(This is its first Broadway revival.)
But in song after song, Feldsteins voice lets her down.
Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill wrote some stunners forFunny Girl, including People and Dont Rain on my Parade.
Everything else, though, goes sour.
Theres a palpable sense that the rest of the production is running hard to make up the relay.
gave little shrieks of delight.
Its not exactly the musical you remember, though.
Fierstein has said he wanted to find theFunny Girlwe remember inside theFunny Girlthat actually was.
High-roller Nick comes backstage one night and clearly agrees.
People tell her not to trust him; she does anyway.
Its lucky, therefore, that Karimloo brings a honeyed voice and such capacity to his part.
and various explosions into virtuosic tap choreographed by Ayodele Casel.
The big extravaganzas are still welcome, though.
In fact, the numbers work well enough that I hankered for yetmorecomedy in these bits.
But this is not really a show about showsits a show about a woman.
It spends most of its time with her, listening to her, sympathizing with her.
Feldstein cannot sing them.
WhywasBrice such an immense star?
Vocal issues, you’re free to work around.
That one, you gotta have.
Funny Girlis at the August Wilson Theatre.
