Hello, gorgeous! Fabulous ‘Funny Girl’ kicks in Madison’s new year

I have adored “Funny Girl,” the story of early 20^th century Jewish comedian Fanny Brice, since I was a theater kid warbling “I am the greatest star” in my parents’ basement.

In the 1968 movie musical loosely based on her life, Fanny Brice delivers self-deprecation, moxie and charisma, all channeled through the full-body belt of Barbra Streisand. Who could resist?

It’s astonishing that the first opportunity I’ve had to see this wonderful show staged in the Midwest comes now, with the national touring cast of “Funny Girl.” The Equity tour runs in Overture Hall through Sunday, and it was led Wednesday night by understudy Leah Platt. (Platt alternates with Hannah Shankman as Fanny.)

The Fanny Brice problem, as I broadly think of the 2022 controversy surrounding which star would step into Streisand’s shoes for the revival, is likely why it’s taken so long for Jule Styne’s glorious score to fill a Broadway house again.

Fanny, as one Times critic put it, must be “not nice but inevitable, not diligent but explosive, not well-rounded but weird.” Streisand was a generational talent. Platt, a game and gifted performer, steps up as much as she can, with lovely renditions of “People” and “The Music That Makes Me Dance.”

As Isobel Lennart’s story faithfully recounts (with 2015 revisions from Harvey Fierstein), Fanny is the ambitious daughter of a tavern owner on New York’s Lower East Side.

She’s driven to perform but doesn’t fit in as a chorus girl. With an impromptu audition and a boost from new friend Eddie (Izaiah Montaque Harris, an enthusiastic tapper) she makes it to the stage, where she’s an instant hit.

By 1910, Fanny makes it out of the amateur theater in Brooklyn to Florenz Ziegfield and his Follies, performing broad characters with a Yiddish accent. She begins a romance with Nick Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas), a gambler and con man, and their ups and downs take up most of Act II.

As Fanny starts out, Platt gives her the honking awkwardness of a pre-glow-up Sandra Bullock in “Miss Congeniality.” Her comic bits are less crisp, her drive less intense, than either should be.

But Platt’s singing is a pleasure — “Sadie, Sadie” at the top of Act II is lively fun, and she and Lukas blend beautifully on the poignant “Who Are You Now?”

Melissa Manchester stands out among the supporting cast as Fanny’s no-nonsense, poker-playing mother. Manchester is an easy, funny stage presence. A duet with Eddie, “Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?” offers a welcome return to the Jewish enclave back on Henry Street.

The rest of the second act tips toward tortured love ballads and silly Follies numbers, which drag a little in different ways. “Funny Girl” touches on the cost of ambition, domestic strife and the stage as a place to hide, but these fizzle a little with the pace of this production, directed by Michael Mayer.

Oh, but that score. “Funny Girl” sparkles during classical musical theater numbers. Toes start tapping during “I Want to Be Seen With You,” as Nick and Fanny find a first spark of love, and the iconic anthem “Don’t Rain on My Parade” could start a parade itself. These are all as hummable as ever. It’s so good to have them back onstage where they belong.

Lindsay Christians is an editor for the Cap Times. Lindsay oversees the newsroom’s coverage of food, arts and culture in the Madison region. Email story ideas and tips to Lindsay at lchristians@captimes.com.

Please consider supporting Lindsay’s work by becoming a Cap Times member or sponsor. Sustaining local journalism in Madison depends on readers like you.