Staged Right - Episode 11: Fanny & Barbra and the Legacy of 'Funny Girl'

"Funny Girl" is finally coming back to Broadway for the first time since its original production. This episode talks about the life of Fanny Brice, the rise of Barbra Streisand, and the making of "Funny Girl".
Fanny Brice in "Be Yourself" (1930): • Be Yourself! NTSC
Check out the KZbin channel Be Kind Rewind and their episode about Barbra Streisand's 1969 Oscar win: • How Barbra Streisand a...
FACT CHECKS:
- At 4:53, I quote 'Herman Goldman' when in fact it's HERBERT G. GOLDMAN who wrote "Fanny Brice: The Original Funny Girl" (1994)
- At 16:50, I say that Garson Kanin had never directed a musical. This is wrong. In 1960, he directed "Do Re Mi" (which had a score by Jule Styne) and even wrote the book.
RESOURCES
The Fanny Brice Collection: www.brice.nl/index.html
Barbra Archives: www.barbra-archives.info/
Standard License purchased to use 'Jazz Drums' from KL Productions

[@alegramonticelli6038]

Barbra has never been "ugly". She has a special kind of beauty that even increases while watching and hearing her

[@TheGinguk]

💯 %

[@MadininaCarribean]

Yep just like Gaga.

[@labbecedario1579]

She was always charming, that is so much better than be just a tipical beauty

[@travisgrant5608]

There is NO ONE and I mean NO ONE can ever top Barbra Streisand 💞

[@mabeldurocher2258]

Personally - I would never conscientiously even think of a comparing Barbra with anyone else .. for the most part .. the uniqueness cannot be duplicated anyway !

[@DannyJane.]

For my 16th birthday my grandmother treated me to tickets to Funny Girl soon after it opened in 1964. I have no idea how she scored them since the show was supposed to be a sellout for months--maybe years---ahead. But she did, a matinee and not even in the nosebleed zone. We sat in the mezzanine and had a perfect view of the stage and watching Barbra, still in her early 20s command the stage every time she stepped upon it was unforgettable. The Wintergarden could easily have been crowned the unofficial queen of Broadway theaters, immense, beautiful, and with astonishing acoustics. We laughed, we cried, we clapped until our hands were bright red and deeply bruised. It was a day that still is bright in my memory these sixty years later. After the show we decided to stop at a tiny Japanese restaurant for dinner. That was when my grandmother, then 66 and a lifelong Broadway maven, gave me the blow-by-blow story of the real Fanny Brice as she had been. Gram had seen her in the Follies--at that very theater, the Wintergarden, some thirty years before. She told me where the story of how much the real Fanny and Nicky diverged from the theatrical fiction and was able to quote from memory many of the articles she had read about Arnstein's legal troubles. "A no-good crook" was the kindest thing she called him. She saw Fanny's performance of "My Man" and grew misty-eyed describing how it had affected her. Now that old movies are available to stream to our heart's content, I revel in the real Fanny's undying ability to charm and entertain. I do wish the great lady could see that she is remembered and by those who have the will to search for her, still deeply loved.

[@maytedrew8638]

Barbra performance cannot be topped as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Her voice, the stage presence, and talent are one most iconic performance both on stage and on film.

[@LollieVox]

I agree!

[@glendalynda6587]

I never thought Barbara Streisand was ugly. Always liked her voice. Bold and beautiful woman.

[@kazza6078]

WOW props to Sondheim for insisting a Jewish actress play such an iconic Jewish performer! Accurate/appropriate casting is a fight still being fought today for most roles

[@susanpayer3472]

And Sondheim didn’t even have much power back then! He was pretty young himself!

[@andrewm5402]

You mean like Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty playing Sicilians on the Golden Girls?

[@mtp4430]

@@andrewm5402 Good one 😂

[@micheleburdetteelmore2162]

So only Jewish people can be in Fiddler? Oops. Done it twice. Also, I was in From Door to Door and The Sisters Rosensweig so I've played Jewish women 4 times.

[@lawodinskya]

@@andrewm5402 IMO they (Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty) were really playing Jewish, but the powers that be didn't have to courage for that so they called them Sicilian/Italian.

[@violetsnotroses3640]

I remember being surprised by how much I liked Funny Girl when I first saw it as a preteen, around 2010. I also remember being utterly confused by the insinuation that Barbra was ugly, and honestly I still am.

[@aatb7]

She’s not pretty in the traditional sense - but with a nice figure, perfect hair, clothes, and makeup, and acts pretty, she’s pretty in a different way. But she has some attractive features - very beautiful eyes - nice legs - Jon Peters liked her tussy (as he said in an interview but didn’t use the word tussy)

[@l.n.3372]

I saw the movie during the pandemic for the first time. I was also surprised by how much I loved it.

[@gdr9213]

I am about to turn 70 and have been a theater buff all my life. I used to spend my babysitting money on Broadway shows back in the 60s. I am amazed at how many young people in theater today have little idea of Broadway history. Keep these videos coming!

[@Laeiryn]

I'm floored at the claim that you made enough babysitting to go to Broadway. That's like two weeks' wages at full time, these days, for the cheapest seat in the house on a Tuesday matinee.

[@gdr9213]

@@Laeiryn Well, IIRC, I paid about $8.00 for a back orchestra seat on a Saturday matinee to see Man of La Mancha in the spring of 1969. But that was about 16 hours of babysitting money because the going rate then was $0.50 an hour. Also, I may have used what we used to call "Twofers," which is what we used before the tickets booth in Duffy Square. I saw a lot of shows using Twofers. I know, I know, I'm ancient! I would pick up a twofer coupon at a store (they were available all over at most store counters in the city) when I went into NYC to attend one show, and then use it to purchase a ticket at the box office of the next show I wanted to see. Later on, in 1979, I remember a friend and I paying a whopping $20 for orchestra seats to a play, Deathtrap, and thinking at the time, wow, Broadway prices have really gotten expensive! I'm about to plop down $110 for a ticket to Randy Rainbow's book tour next month at the Gramercy Theater, that is, if there are any left! My "claim," as you put it is not so outrageous when one considers that in 1956, the average price of a B'way orchestra seat was about $5.00 (yes, you read it right, $5.00). Why are tickets prices so high? Because in addition to costs going up, producers know that we rabid Broadway fans will pay top dollar to see the shows and artists we love. They found that out when they started charging nearly $500 for orchestra seats for the musical, The Producers back 2001, and found that ticket buyers would line up around the block to buy them. After that, they kept upping the ante.

[@patriciamorgan2049]

​

[@debrabaron1909]

​@Laeiryn There was a time when a Bdwy play was cheaper than a movie .😊

[@joannetailor4094]

Yes. Today's lot know very little about live theatre. It's all push button take it or leave it. No choice.

[@dolldoll2914]

👩‍💻The Funny Girl movie soundtrack was my first ever vinyl record. I went babysitting one night, had seen the movie, loved it, but was broke and could not afford the soundtrack. Luck was one my side, my employer had the Funny Girl movie soundtrack, she let me play it while she was gone, and I couldn't go home without it. So ... I made a deal and traded my babysitting services that night for that most glorious vinyl recording. That started my love affair with all things Barbara Streisand. I am 66 years old now and still my love for Barbara's music burns in my heart. Ms. Streisand is the most ironic performer for the 20th Century, "She Did it Her Way" and opened doors for women just like Fanny Brice did for her generation and generations to come. God Bless Barbara Streisand. Much love and peace. 🙋‍♀️🪔🥰🐞🧘‍♀️☯️😷🇺🇲

[@wotan10950]

My grandparents had actually seen Fanny Brice onstage. They thought she was fantastic; funny/sad, chic/dumpy, and they said she had a wonderful voice……but not like Streisand’s voice! (When my parents played a Streisand record for them, they said, “Oh, Fanny was great……but she couldn’t sing like THAT!). My own parents had seen Streisand at a nightclub and on the Broadway stage. When the movie came out, they dragged us kids (we were pre-teens) to see it, and we were PISSED! But we watched the movie, and our collective jaws hit the floor. We were just shocked that one person could be funny and sad, sing soft ballads and blow the roof off with belters, and simply be so magnetic. So I was a fan from that moment. As for the impending Broadway revival, here’s my thought: the show itself isn’t all that great, not like The King and I, Fiddler, Gypsy, et al, that are often revived. Funny Girl is so indelibly connected with Streisand that I can’t imagine anyone else being more than middling.

[@don_actor_improv]

Barbra Streisand was wonderful in this. And it’s ironic how much her own personality mirrored that of Fanny Brice. I remember my grandmother talking about Fanny Brice and what a great performer she was.

[@loveismylanguage9162]

The fact people think Barbra is ugly is perplexing.

[@peterfraser2137]

This was my first Barbra-record. I was 10 years old. Then I saw 'A Happening In Central park". My Mom snuck the little TV in my room and I was smitten forever-I loved it. But FG changed the equation for me, and now I'm 65 and I still love Barbra.

[@StagedRight]

This is just lovely.

[@MrDuboce]

At age 10 I was sitting at our kitchen table listening to a small radio when the song Funny Girl came on. I was hardly a musician at that age (become one later) but I was struck at why the words "a girl's gotta have a sense of humor' were being sung with such melancholy. And of course, THAT VOICE. I asked my Mom, "Who is that singing?" and she replied, "That's Barbra Streisand." That year I asked for Simply Streisand for Christmas and have been a fan ever since. I've seen her in concert four times.

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

I was born in 1965, and “Funny Girl” is the first music I have ANY memory of. I have 5 older sisters, and they played the album constantly. By the time I was 3, I knew every song, word for word.

[@tracyjohn826]

I was lucky enough to see FG for my 10th birthday treat. I was stunned and fell forever in love with Barbra. I am 63. Also lucky enough to have met her 10 years ago. She was beautiful, kind and gracious, also something I will never forget.

[@stardusth2o]

Barbra was obviously excellent as Fanny and it seemed to be tailor-made to her public persona at the time as well as her acting ability. Not to mention, the music was the perfect vehicle to really showcase the breadth of her considerable skill as a vocalist. But, I think the intrinsic link between Barbra and this role exists for more than just her wonderful performance. She was TRULY at the right place at EXACTLY the right time. When Funny Girl debuted on Broadway, she had already made quite a name for herself. She preceded the imminent cultural shift from the impossible old Hollywood standards to the ushering in of celebrating and glamorizing of unique and unconventional beauty in the late 60’s into the 70’s. She was NEW and exciting. The zeitgeist was STARVED for it’s new, “ugly duckling” mega-belter, just as it’s previous one, Judy Garland, was beginning to make her exit. So, it was really an anomaly. Not at all trying to lessen the impact of her unbelievable talent, because that alone would have been enough to make her into a MEGA star, but the TIMING and cultural climate was really the cherry on top that catapulted her into the stratosphere and ultimately made the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl belong indelibly to Barbra in the public consciousness.

[@geoffreysonnen3482]

Oh, that's so funny! Exactly! i just wrote here that i wondered who else they would have found at the time to fit that role? i've read every book about Barbra since my teens, reading about others who were considered, and really there's not a one that would be as tailor-made as Barbra. Yes, truly meant to be! i used to live a block from where The Lion used to be (Bondini's at the time), on the corner of Christopher and Gay Street in the mid '80s. Many stories about those days! Anyway, i couldn't agree with you more, with one exception: Unusual, yes. But i'd never found Barbra as an "ugly duckling". i've always been fascinated with her face.

[@stardusth2o]

@@geoffreysonnen3482 oh wow I’d love to hear those stories! Also, I also never thought Barbra was an ugly duckling. I’ve always found her to be very attractive. What I meant was during that time, she was (somehow) not considered a great beauty. They said the same thing about Judy and yet today they’re both regarded for their unique beauty.

[@mgconlan]

@@geoffreysonnen3482 Barbra Streisand loved the way the veteran cinematographer Harry Stradling lit her on "Funny Girl," and she insisted that he photograph all her subsequent films. When he died in the middle of filming "The Owl and the Pussycat," she insisted that his son, Harry Stradling, Jr., replace him. Among the things she liked about Stradling was his skill at lighting her nose so it blended into the rest of her face while still sticking out as if it belonged there.

[@diannebuckley8948]

So how did Omar Sharif get the role? Why didn’t they talk about that? I can’t imagine another Nicki! If anyone says they didn’t have chemistry, wow, they are off the mark!

[@herbertlongfellow7702]

@@mgconlan Judy Garland was apparently astonished at how beautiful she looked in Meet Me in St.Louis and might well have contributed to/why she fell in love with Vincent Minnelli. She was so radiant in that film. Barbra Streisand is an extraordinary beauty to my mind. With her beautiful hands. Almost a 'freak of nature' and I mean that in the best possible way !

[@Tason123]

Funny Lady is worth it for that "How Lucky Can You Get" number

[@terryhammond1253]

An excellent clip. I saw Babs do it on Broadway when I wss 17. I waited for her to come out and gushed about her performance, predicting a soaring fiture for her in Hollywood. She signed my playbill, looked at me and said in her inimitable way: "Who-a-yoo?" ( I. E. "Who are you?" )

[@cheriestelzer9969]

There will never be another Fanny Brice other than Barbara

[@miketunney556]

Let's not forget Mimi Hines who replaced Barbra Streisand in the original production of Funny Girl on Broadway. She was a smash hit in the role, starring for a year and a half on Broadway after Streisand left the cast in December, 1965.

[@steveb1164]

Or Marilyn Michaels (yes, the impersonator), who played Fanny in the touring comany (Lilian Roth played Rose Brice).

[@ntgonish]

I saw Streisand in funny Girl twice in Philadelphia. I forget which theater she opened in, but the musical was moved to the Erlanger Theater a much larger venue, due to the demand for tickets. There was a sense at the time that something important was happening, that musical theater history was being made by this relative unknown.

[@stephaniestanley8041]

This is a jewel. Barbra Streisand and her debut performance is amazing

[@marcackerman492]

I agree. Streisand owns this.

[@glennlaroche1524]

So, one time my mom asked me, "But WHY are you gay?"----My instant reply was "You're the one who took me to see Funny Girl when I was six!" Ba-dum-tiss. But seriously, folks, I will always remember the ending---that inCREDible version of My Man that blew six-year old me right out of my seat. No hate no shade to Beanie Feldman, but there will only ever be one Funny Girl for me, and that's Barbra. Goddess.

[@blanchefan]

Wonderful job here--thank you for this superlative production. I'll have more to say later; I'm one of the fortunate ones who saw Barbra on Broadway in Funny Girl in June of 1965; I was a teenager; but I remember everything! To this day, I've never seen a more magnetic stage performance...she was/is unforgettable. More later--thank you again!

[@blanchefan]

@violamateo Yes! You're so right--I've seen that What's My Line program. An amazing tribute from legendary Bette Davis! :)

[@Noise_floorxx]

Ugh.... amazing!

[@BillofRights1951]

People don't realize how BIG Funny Girl was when it debuted as a film....Streisand was already the #1 female singer on vinyl, and every album release was an event. The film was a certified blockbuster. In LA, the venerable Egyptian theatre was remodeled for its release. It played in that theatre for over a year. Funny Girl lost out to Oliver! for best picture, also a very well made film. If Oliver weren't the 'Bigger' of the two musicals...Funny Girl had a great shot at winning Best Picture, though The Lion in Winter" was a big prestige production. Still, a great time to go to the movies back then, truly transporting you to another place, I still remember the audience laughing hysterically at the gags in Funny Girl.

[@hannahorr5475]

My favorite musical of all time, I love you BARBRA!!!!

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

Fanny Brice's understated performance of My Man is wonderful.

[@pattycallahan6122]

OMG, this was a FASCINATING look at one of my favorite movies and actresses of ALL TIME! "Funny Girl" was the first Barbra movie that I ever saw (I was 8) and I thought she was the most beautiful and talented woman alive. Then, when I saw "Hello, Dolly!" a year later, I knew I was going to be a fan for life. I have never heard Beanie Feldstein sing, but I'm not sure if ANYONE can bring down the house like Barbra, especially when singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "My Man". If I could fly to NYC and see this revival, I would. I might even try to do that, since it is one of my favorite musicals of all time and I know it will be a stellar revival that doesn't veer far from what die-hard fans have come to love from watching the movie around 100 times. BTW, Jerry Orbach would have been a wonderful Nicky Arenstein! He was soooooo handsome!

[@thomasgriffith2953]

No one and I mean NO ONE can ever live up to Barbra Streisand performance on stage or screen in the roll of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. I've seen theater productions of Funny Girl and the magic, without Streisand, just wasn't there.

[@2degucitas]

Streisand was perfect in this role. I can't imagine anyone else doing it.

[@stanleycostello9610]

I was a gay 13 year-old boy when I first saw "Funny Girl." I was, as they say, stunned. Much later I saw the the restored dye print transfers. I was again, stunned.

[@user-rz8bu6vl8x]

My favorite movie of all time ❤

[@louispitalo7401]

Barbra is the ultimate, she’s done it all her own way, just listen to the difference in her voice and style compared to what is happening on the music scene today!!!

[@kathyshore1004]

"Funny Girl" was the movie that made me a Barbra Streisand fan. She's a legend! I love her, and all her movies. She's a mega talent, and beautiful in her own way. So much more than just a pretty face.

[@jimkahn957]

Nicely done! Yeah...I was one of those teenagers back in the 60's who was totally bowled over by Barbra...and have been so ever since.

[@laurengin4581]

Well written tribute to Fanny Brice. Enjoying the theater history of your series. I just watched the movie for the 1st time and I was surprised at how funny it is. The history adds a lot of depth.

[@diamondgoddess2534]

Funny Lady is good, too. Some astonishing musical numbers and of course, amazing styling.

[@stephencuskley5251]

My grandfather was a huge fan of Fanny Brice and the Ziegfeld Follies. He lived in Manhattan at 32 E 64th Street and went to the Follies all the time. He was absolutely thrilled and could hardly believe it when one day a certain woman moved into the apartment directly above his.... yup... you guessed who!!!

[@stacymoore9836]

In 1968 I was 7 years old. My mother and I went to see it 6 times. I have the movie on DVD..

[@richardrosenthal9552]

I saw Barbara Streisand in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Funny Girl on stage and as a movie. I also saw Funny Lady, the movie and many of her TV performances. I enjoyed every one of them. Along with the above she made a number of dramatic and comedic movies, showing her acting versatility. I was and still am a fan of hers. She is one of a kind as was Fanny Brice. They both seemed to have to prove themselves over and over again. They succeeded well. Barbara Streisand can still amaze people today as she did in the past.

[@jodikirsh]

How was I Can Get It For You Wholesale live? I would've loved to have seen that live with Barbra as Marmelstein. I've listened to the original cast recording countless times, LOL

[@alexd1121]

Omg! Wow! Please could you share details on seeing her in I Can Get It For You Wholesale and Funny Girl. Can’t imagine seeing these in real life! How was Barbra? Was she as incredible as later hyped?

[@richardrosenthal9552]

Barbara Streisand was and is incredible to watch, and hear in any medium. I Can Get It For You Wholesale was one of her early Broadway shows. Miss Marmelstein was her role in the show. You laughed and enjoyed her acting and singing in the show. She took Broadway by storm. I can’t remember any role I saw her play where she wasn’t terrific in it. Her voice was and is strong, she commanded a stage like nobody else and her comedic talent was unique to see and hear. Playing Fanny Brice on Broadway and in the movies was something, I believe few others could do as well.

[@alexd1121]

@@richardrosenthal9552 thank you! Yes of course Another evening with Harry Stoones, Miss Marmelstein and Fanny Brice were her only Broadway roles which makes it all the more incredible that she was able to ditch the theater so fast to become a Hollywood superstar. I think she is immensely intelligent, her and her manager Marty knew how to play the jewish card just like later key artists would play the Latino or African American cards to become icons and play with the political power of ethnic representation and demographics. But she did it with such class. At that time America was ready for an openly Jewish Brooklyn superstar and that’s really what pushed her undeniable talent to the forefront I think. I cannot imagine having seen her in I Can Get It For You Wholesale and much less Funny Girl but I know that Broadway and Hollywood had a nearly otherworldly mystique at that time and that she was a very big deal that way. I think she was a star already when she did Funny Girl on Broadway. That’s what many people in Europe who discovered her in the 80’s singing Woman In Love didn’t understand. She had been a proper singing star already in the 60’s and then she became a movie star. I think her voice and humor were really at their peak during the 60’s and the 70’s. From the 80’s on her directorial efforts might have overshadowed her immense comedic skills as an actress and we never got to see a Judie Maxwell or a Fanny Brice or a Katie girl again. Maybe in Meet The Fockers but that wasn’t that substantial. Seth Rogen needs to be sued for dragging her into The Guilt Trip. Anyways thank you for your answer and apologies for my endless comment but it’s fascinating to exchange with someone who actually saw her live at the time.

[@diamondgoddess2534]

Excellent! One of my favorite movies, and I enjoy Funny Lady, too. Fanny was a very stylish woman irl; talented interior designer, etc. Fascinating woman! Barbra's performance is so on point.

[@sanssoleil8993]

You're actually missing something if you don't watch Funny Lady! There Fanny Brice is depicted as more mature, when she comes back home she wants reality and not an illusion of it like on stage and I think it's one of the main subjects. I've seldom seen a woman and her emotions so well depicted in a movie from that area, it makes you feel like you can actually relate to her, truelly identify with her feelings and the choices she's got to make for herself. Besides James Caan offers a great performance as her love interest and it really shows how things evolve in life, in people. It's unlike a lot of romantic movies. I particulary liked those two movies for that particulary the moment in the first movie when you think it's the ending, she's married, living almost in a castle, pregnant and then the problems come and you notice that they were there since the beginning, overshadowed by her blind and strong love.

[@geoffreysonnen3482]

And Fanny could curse a sailor to shame, according to what i'd read about her. It's been a while since seeing Funny Lady, but think i remember that was a little "peppering" in the movie, wasn't there?

[@aatb7]

Funny Lady doesn’t hold a candle to the first one - it doesn’t have the 60’s vibe the first one did. But it still isn’t half bad!

[@kc-lp6wg]

Thank you, Sondheim and Carol Burnett for taking the stance they did. Kevin, once again, l amazed and impressed by the amount of information you pack into your videos. I always learn so much. Xo

[@lawrencegatti8283]

Fantastic job here. We'll researched and flows beautifully. I'm sure Matt Howe's page was indispensable; I've been depending on him for background as well as all the latest Barbra news. And thanks also for the tip on Lillias White and her incredible Parade cover.

[@Laeiryn]

which is funny because Burnett had tantrums over her doing Dolly in the film

[@kc-lp6wg]

@@Laeiryn Really? That IS funny.

[@SeaTravelr123]

Well done you. This was so well done. I love the history of Fanny Brice and I think somewhere along the way, we all ran with Streisand and forgot Fanny. She was a trailblazer and probably one of the wealthiest women of her time. Funny Lady iSNT sooooo bad. I loved her oomph in it and her take no BS attitude. I never realized how young she died and having this background now, has made her much brighter in my mind. Thanks.

[@johnscherer882]

I played Eddie Ryan in that Actors Fund benefit and got to perform Who Taught Her Everything She Knows with the late, great Kaye Ballard. It was a thrilling night- especially Lilias White, and Sutton Foster. What a great documentary you've put together-really interesting! Can't wait to see the revival on Broadway.

[@StagedRight]

How cool to have been part of that night! Thanks for the kind words! xo

[@ROBYNMARKOW]

My mom played the OBC album constantly. She "identities" w/Barbra Streisand in a way; both have Jewish backgrounds & grew up in working-class Brooklyn neighborhoods . Mom mostly gave up her ambitions after my brother & I came along( that & she developed crippling stage fright) but a part of her still craved that career path & she would take acting or voice classes from time to time & do extra work but never really seriously pursued a caree, Still, mom( who's 90 now) had "Funny Girl" (& Streisand's career) to live that life vicariously.

[@raymondmaurer1838]

"And all this time I was in love with a set of God damned toothbrushes." - "Funny Lady" - And please don't be dissin' "Funny Lady" ESPECIALLY if you haven't seen it! It is a tour de force of all things Streisand. Great songs, comic bits, and many quotable zingers. OTHERWISE, thank you for this post, it was very informative and nicely done.

[@sueparras6028]

I also enjoyed Funny Lady and was not impressed that the narrator dissed the movie with never having seen it. Not very professional of him.

[@jareddavidhirsh4948]

I believe that Jules Stein tried to get a revival of FG with Taylor Dayne playing Fanny. Obviously it never saw the light of day. It’s amazing how this new production is opening on 4/24/2022, which is Barbra’s 80th birthday.

[@susanmema7738]

Doesn’t seem fair to Barbra...

[@geoffreysonnen3482]

Oy! Well, a "salute" to her? i don't know. It's like how Bette Midler was quoted as saying when her performance in "The Rose" was being compared to Barbra's in "A Star Is Born", "...like an ant snapping at the heals of an elephant," i don't know why these folk always try to tackle the standard only to fall far short of it. i love Sondheim, but a new "West Side Story"? Better? Hmmm...No fresh ideas? And Trumplican Dayne playing the role? *gasp*

[@kallen868]

I remember the Taylor Dayne anouncement. Debbie Gibson toured in it. A friend saw it and dubbed it Un-Funny Girl.

[@micheleburdetteelmore2162]

@@kallen868 There is video of Debbie Gibson. Yuk.

[@SWDetboy]

Love "Fanny Brice".. Wish her life could of lasted longer.. She was So Unique & Talented.. An Underrated "LEGEND".... Thanks for this nice story..

[@farfle]

I never saw Barbra do this on Broadway. I have, however, seen a couple of productions on stage, and they had the same problem: their stars were playing Barbra Streisand playing Fannie Brice and I thought, "If I wanna see Barbra do it again, I'll go home and watch the DVD!" I hope that this will not be the case for the upcoming Broadway revival.

[@markgriffin8708]

This was truly spectacular! The research, the clips, the narration. All expertly handled. It seems as though Fanny Brice brought out the best in everyone...Ziegfeld, Streisand and now Kevin Morris. Way to go!

[@seattlesusieq6945]

For those of you who can't imagine Beanie Feldstein as Fanny, I say go and see for yourself. I could never, ever imagine anyone other than Robin Williams playing Mrs Doubtfire. But I went to see this new show on Broadway last fall. Rob McClure is absolutely fantastic. I have tickets for the new production of Funny Girl already. :-)

[@debrawilliams9303]

6

[@hannahorr5475]

Unfortunately I saw Beanie last week she was not good. I was so excited to see her but she sounds like a highschooler trying to sing those songs.

[@mimar3052]

Pass.

[@mimar3052]

@@hannahorr5475 Exactly what I imagined her performance to be like--and a small town high school at that!

[@micheleburdetteelmore2162]

@@hannahorr5475 She sounds like every pop soprano I hear at auditions lately.

[@maxinecornucci5953]

Fanny and Barbara are like bookends for the 20th Century of its Greatest Comediennes!

[@lindaanthony7890]

My Mother saw Funny Lady in the theatre more than 6 times. Great movie! I’d seen the movie, but wish I had seen the theatre performance too. Amazing performance by Streisand, Omar Sharif, and supporting cast.

[@stephenmkatzasc]

I stumbled on this today. Very impressive documentary on the work & pain that defines a great piece of theater. I was in high school when a group of us went to see Barbra at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles. We had no idea what to expect. I was totally blown away, a fan was born. Many years latter I had the opportunity to photography her for a benefit. She has an amazing presence. I am curious how the new revival will be staged and the actress playing the role. Unfortunately I live in France and don’t have much opportunity to visit NY. The one thing I miss most is Broadway. Thank you for this. I certainly will look forward to future pieces… Merci.

[@macmachine]

Fascinating to hear how hit and miss and endlessly refined the classic we know often is.

[@ares6953]

This is fascinating ! I learned so much ! Funny girl was the movie that made me fall in love with Barbra Streisand ! i still love her music !

[@whalesong999]

"Baby Snooks", I remember giggling as a wee boy to hear her on the radio in the '40s. Not a fan of musicals or stage productions but Streisand was lovable in the movie and really, somehow, quite beautiful.

[@mhm8922]

I saw both Funny Girl and Funny Lady on ABC's 4:30 Movie when I was a kid. It was my first introduction to Barbra Streisand and I cringe at the idea of anyone else playing Fanny Brice. I would be shaking in my boots if I were any of the actresses attempting it. But God bless them for having the strength to do it. I'd love to see the London show and I wish the actors in the upcoming Broadway show all the luck in the world.

[@SoulfoodSeminars]

Oh my god, this was sooooooo freaking fabulous! I watched it twice, and I’ll be back to watch it again, and again, and again! ♥️

[@marystewart8569]

Barbra, the best female sound in my lifetime.

[@BlueJeanBaby]

Saw Julie Benko in the starring role. She was amazing!

[@collegealgebravideos9540]

In the 1970s, I saw a summer stock production of Funny Girl, starring Carol Lawrence. I was pleasantly surprised by how funny she was in the part. Although the script is generally weak, the comedy is definitely written into it, so a good actress (with a good director) can find and deliver it.

[@wimsminia9527]

Many thanks for this great document about two FABULOUS women. Great Unique material can been seen in this video. Staged Right Made this document with great care. For over 53 years I collecting everything about Fanny Brice and Funny Girl. My great hobby. Again,many thanks. Wim.

[@broddybounce]

I was always a fan of Barbra but after listening to her autobiography and now on a 2nd listen (and, folks, if you're deciding whether or not to go with the expensive audiobook, do it, it's worth every penny to listen to her tell her story) I've taken another look back at her career through the many videos on KZbin and, inevitably, your video popped up in my results several times and i finally acquiesced today - and was thoroughly impressed! Kevin, so well researched, excellent script you wrote, told very compellingly, and so well edited. I have done a little VO work here and there and I think yours is to be highly commended. Your speaking voice is "like buttah" - clear, very friendly and accessible, told with all the right humor and pathos. Well done! As at least one other commenter said, I had no idea that Jerry Orbach was up for Nicky Arnstein. Its a damn shame Ray Stark didn't go with him as it would have made Barbra's experience on the show all the more happy as Jerry was, to my understanding, a true mensch. That being said, she was able to eventually perform without Chaplin in the latter portion of her run as well as when she went to London. In regard to the movie, if i were to interview Streisand i would ask her about her experience working with two particular supporting actors: Kay Medford and Walter Pidgeon. Those two performances, in particular, were excellent and it should be noted more as such. I hope you are or might be comsidering doing a new episode all on BARBRA, given her autobiography. I'm sure it would be amazing. Again, Kevin, well done, and thank you for what i know is painstaking work that you did to create this video. Ill be checking out many of your others. (One more sidenote on the autobiography: given Barbra's attachment to the number 24, I am stunned she didnt insist that her publisher, Viking Press, wait just a few short weeks to release it in Jan. 2024. I wonder what she'd say about that. Also, not to throw shade on Viking, but I'm also stunned Barbra didn't go with one of the biggies like Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins. Ok, so, Viking is a subsidiary of Random House, but then shouldnt have Barbra, of all icons, been on THE biggie?)

[@Mike_Neal]

This was great! I love Barbra! I would love to see you do Dreamgirls!

[@ericbrown1750]

I am of a relative fortunate few who got to see Streisand live in those earliest years a number of times, including seeing her 4 times in FUNNY GIRL, 2 concerts at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium; I was at the tapings of her 1st 2 specials (My Name is Barbra & Color Me Barbra), as well as being at the Central Park concert. I saw her live again in 1980, and my last time was her 2006 tour. It is impossible to realistically convey how much more electric she was in person in those earlier years. With all her successes on the big and small screens, not to mention her unparalleled recording career, there was something about her live that defies understanding. Call it charisma, which she had in abundance, there simply was never anyone ever who was even close to the size of talent and power she projected from a stage. Here I am some 61 years later, and she still is thriving. Note to the maker/narrator of this otherwise great documentary: Can you somehow edit out all references to the fiasco that was Beanie Feldstein? In hindsight, your enthusiasm for her seems contrived at best (no one was ever even the slightest bit excited about the thought of her being cast), and undermines your credibility at worst.

[@StagedRight]

Hi, Sadly, the video as writ would be too difficult to edit from KZbin. I can cut things out but doing that here would have made things disjointed. I actually made a follow up video in November 2022, a few weeks into Lea’s run. It contextualized a lot of things as I understood them then. I am not a Lea fan for a number of reasons but also recognize the weaknesses in Beanie’s performance. The long and short of it: Beanie shouldn’t have been cast. The producers should never have put her in that position. I have so many other thoughts but that is the crux of it. Thanks for watching and sharing your story!

[@sweetartgal]

I had no idea about the history of this! I love Barbara, so this is fascinating. Thank you for this detailed and insightful video! So well done! ❤️

[@cynthiatrantham6770]

I just got finished watching your video! I am very impressed with the presentation of the subject matter. I have been a HUGE fan of the Funny Girl movie with Barbra! You did an outstanding job of researching and presenting the real Fanny Brice. Very informative!

[@got2bjosh]

This video should've just focused on Fanny & Barbra. That was the strongest part. Incorporating premature praise for Beanie Feldstein was a misstep especially considering the poor reviews, low ticket sales, inadequate vocals, and eventual recasting with Lea Michele who subsequently brought in higher box office and better reviews. Barbra remains the best and earned her Oscar.

[@StagedRight]

This was released a year ago before most of the cast was even announced. And there will likely be a part 2 at some point soon.

[@decibellone696]

We just saw this show at the Smith Center in Las Vegas (March 29 2024)... It was fantastic!

[@JOEYEMANUEL1717]

wonderful thank you for covering this story so well i can see it in my head this is a great show i loved Barbra and will always anything she touches is Gold the story of Fanny Brice is now even more clear then before thanks love it. i love to see more of this.

[@cathyheckman7415]

Thank you so much for this video! This movie is one of my top 5 of all time movies. Can’t tell you how many times I have watched it and still every time she sings My Man I still cry. Not just a tear or two but the ugly crying kind! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤️

[@happiness1956]

It saddens me so much to learn about her life I love her talent but now to learn what's behind it it's heartbreaking

[@markwhitman9542]

You are too young to have been there when FUNNY GIRL opened on Broadway. Most of your research is laudable, but I think if you did more research you would find that the days & weeks after, Streisand's impact was SEISMIC. Newspapers tried to outdo themselves w superlatives. Within a few weeks, Barbra Streisand, at 22 years of age, made the cover of TIME magazine (nearly unheard of in those days before the self-promotional internet efforts of today). FUNNY GIRL became THE show to see and was the HAMILTON of its day (booked long in advance) & Streisand the highest-paid performer on Broadway...

[@markwhitman9542]

Also worth mentioning is that Ms. Streisand was already a national recording star when FUNNY GIRL opened. She VERY briefly played small Greenwich Village clubs, quickly moving on to the Blue Angel & the Bon Soir, had already done WHOLESALE and a national tour, released and won the Grammy Award for ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and appeared on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, the BOB HOPE SHOW and, especially, THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW. The anticipation, therefore, for FUNNY GIRL, had reached a fever pitch by March, 1964.

[@black_sheep_nation]

Thank you for giving context, and correcting errors that would otherwise become factual record. Those of us over 40, 50, 60, must remain vigilant to the past, even in KZbin comments!🙏🙏🙏

[@peteradaniel]

It’s a shame the show is pretty much dull as dishwater without Streisand in the lead, which shows how inadequate and weak it was in the first place.

[@sonavevo]

@@black_sheep_nation worry about your wobbly knees

[@Smallerie]

You are wrong.... watch Lillias White's performance. It is a great show. Just needs a Star to lead it. streisand is a star. Lillias is a STAR... Leah Michelle is a brat with an OK voice and mediocre acting skills. Anyone else on Glee could blow her away.... anyone, male or female.

[@fob1xxl]

When you haven't got it, you just haven't got it ! No matter how much you may want it !

[@JStephs1950]

Great commentary on both Barbra and Fanny.

[@markmywords2840]

Barbra Streisand's interpretation of the role was totally based on her own instincts for comedy and pathos, rather than attempting an "impersonation", which is what 99% of other actresses would have done. However, she isn't "playing Barbra Streisand" as so many people suggest. The character of Fanny Brice she created was nothing like the other iconic characters and roles she's remembered for. While many other women have played Dolly Levi, none have come close to the comic genius of Barbra's reading of those lines. Whether or not she was age-appropriate for the role is another story. But just as with Barbra's role in Funny Girl, it's UNTHINKABLE that another actress could replace her as Katie Moroski in The Way We Were, or Judy Maxwell in What's Up Doc, or as Yentl. Leaving aside that Barbra possesses on of the most astonishing voices ever recorded and an ability to interpret a lyric which is second to none, there's the simple fact that Barbra Streisand has a stage and screen presence which no other actress can outshine. Barbra understood that her job as a "star" was to captivate her audience, whether she was singing, crying, or simply in the background of a shot. She was never NOT interesting (until she started making crap like the Fockers movies and that atrocity with Seth Rogan). But Barbra, in her prime, is in a class all her own. In order for another actress to actually "own" the role of Fanny Brice, on a level comparable to Barbra, she would have to approach as authentically and instinctively as Barbra did -- without any consideration to Streisand's performance. In short, she would need to be a creative genius in her own right... and on the rare occasions that genius appears, it usually makes its own path and doesn't bother rehashing the genius of another. In summary: NO ONE will ever replace Barbra in Funny Girl and those who try, come off as Kareoke versions of Streisand.

[@IsabelS_Fuyu]

Educating myself on this video after all the current Funny Girl Musical drama....👀

[@susanfleischer7714]

I saw Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales theatre in London England in 1966. The ticket cost $1.50. She was Fabulous.

[@meshuggepup]

Outstanding. Thank you. Many facts I didn't know. Great footage. Wonderful narration. Thoroughly enjoyed it!!

[@scottainge]

I like the film version of Funny Girl

[@bungalowlogic7676]

This was a fascinating documentary. just caught The Great Zeigfeld starring William Powell on Turner Classics this week, featuring Fanny Brice playing herself. (Glad you used a few quick clips from it) Embarrassed that I'd never seen it before, because I played Nicky in a regional production years ago.

[@lawrencedistefano145]

Soooo awesome to learn of all this. Thrilled to have found you. Thanks so much.

[@knockshinnoch1950]

This is an excellent presentation.

[@andym2801]

I don't get why people exaggerate Lea's so called campaign to get Funny Girl. Most of it stems for just doing her job on glee and then people started associating her with it. She only about it when asked and that was just a few times post glee. Was she suppose to lie and say she wasn't interested?

[@Max-my6rk]

Lea is the best revival choice… she was from Broadway before she joined glee she was on Broadway… way qualified than beanie

[@Smallerie]

@@Max-my6rkShe was horrible. The show only lasted a year. Good. That horrible, mean girl, bigot has earned all the failure she deserves.

[@user-pf2xc9xc4u]

Looks like it was eventually decided that Beanie was not up for the role and Lea Michele was. She shouldn't have been discounted right from the start-- it's okay to really want a role.

[@andym2801]

@@user-pf2xc9xc4uit isn't ok to misrepresent other people's intention

[@JeffBazell]

Funny Lady. "Not missing much?" It's worth a view. Streisand is truer to the character of Brice than of herself. Try not to pay much attention to the miscast Omar Sharif, once again playing Arnstein. Some great musical numbers. Too many people compare it to Funny GIrl. It's not FG.

[@kennethwayne6857]

One positive thing about the film is that it set the record straight about Arnstein, not much more than a two-bit hood. They had to be very careful about how he was portrayed in 'Funny Girl' because not only was he the producer's father-in-law, but also still alive and litigiously-inclined as the makers of 'Rose of Washington Square' learned to their cost. My admiration to Sharif for playing him as slightly more sleazy than the script called for, and in my opinion, Sharif was better cast than James Caan. The real Billy Rose was a squat little runt, and the much more appropriate Robert Blake was considered, but Babs insisted on a more conventional leading man to play opposite her. You're quite right about the great musical numbers.

[@StagedRight]

I'm renting 'Funny Lady' this week. Thanks for watching!

[@susanpayer3472]

I agree. It wasn’t a hit. Not well received, but a worthwhile watch. I, personally, love the music…spent many hours listening to it (and belting right along with Babs, even if not as on key) while in high school

[@BrettTwinSavage]

"(It's Gonna Be A) Great Day" is from "Funny Lady" and one of my favorite movie musical numbers.

[@rudilogan4175]

Agreed, Jeff, sort of: "Funny Lady" has almost no connection to the first movie and like most sequels doesn't really work. Much as I like Streisand, "Funny Girl" is half of a good movie. It's spectacular up to the intermission. After "Don't Rain on My Parade", it's too much Omar and not enough Barbra singing. Problem was not enough good songs in the second part of the picture. They could have picked up "Rat-a-tat-tat" and "Who Are You Now" from the Broadway show (instead of the uninspiring movie title song) and still have closed with "My Man" for dramatic effect.

[@vovodetna8828]

This was a truly well researched documentary. I learned a great deal about Brice and the stage production of Funny Girl. This was especially wonderful as I had the great good fortune of seeing Streisand in the lead role at the Winter Garden Theater in April of 1965. And, yes, I also was in Central Park a few years later to witness her free concert. I have very fond memories of both events.

[@geoffreysonnen3482]

Oh how i envy you! Very very cool.

[@vovodetna8828]

@@geoffreysonnen3482 Yes very, very cool. But 1965 also had me at Shea Stadium that August to see The Beatles. I can still hear the teenage girls screaming - LOL !

[@lisaahmari7199]

This was absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for your excellent work!

[@corneliuswhite5139]

This was exquisitely done!...so much I didn't know. Thank you!

[@anthonylucca6759]

This is a very informative episode which I very much appreciated 👍🏻. By the way, whoever told you that you are not missing much by not seeing 'Funny Lady' has it wrong. It is a very moving sequel.

[@jessicamckay0514]

Luckily I found you around episode 4. Happy to be here with you. Love BKR and you. Keep up the great work!

[@MGBrown-sw6wm]

I've read every book about Streisand out there. Really nice to be able to visualize stuff for a change, Thanks for sharing,

[@EM2theBee]

Brilliant! Thank you so much and I also love Be Kind Rewind!

[@voceval1]

Wonderful account of Fanny Brice's life, career, and relations with Nicky Arnstein. And the photos of a young Fanny show a pretty girl and the best I've seen. Great video!

[@citywoof]

This was so well-made! I really really enjoyed your video, this was a lot of work. What a treasure trove of vintage footage and all the clips and articles and everything....excellent excellent little doc. Thank you!

[@henrygkrajewski7498]

There was another Broadway Fanny Brice who took Ms Barbra place when she took the show to London. That Fanny Brice was Ms Mimi Hines. The show stayed on broadway for another 18 months with Hines as the star. Hines version of 'The Music That Makes Me Dance" can be found on You Tube in Mimi Sings "Chicago" .... and that's how you sell a song.

[@douglaso6428]

Thank you for this beautiful interwoven presentation about Fanny Brice, Barbra Streisand and the musical experience of Funny GIrl. I look forward to watching your other presentations. I will write a longer comment about Fanny Brice soon, and thank you so much for bringing attention to her as a part of this documentary!

[@panicqueertruecrime]

One of the best researched and written things I've seen on the tube. Thank you

[@Alex30Ian]

I'm always so happy to see a notification from this channel!!!

[@isaakdostis5079]

In the 1960's I was part of a comedy duo named IKE DAVIS & PIETRA FONDO & Pietra ( in real life Judy Winslow) had a voice that emulated Barbra Streisand's...so when Funny Girl opened in previews, we saw the show many, many times...only the 2nd act though....we could only only afford full show tickets once... & we watched which seats were taken & which weren't as Opening Night approached....we realized that two seats against each side wall of the Winter Garden were never taken...we thought what a great possibility it was for us to use those seats for our second act 'entrance.' When the actual first nighters got back to their seats we knew we were finished but upon leaving we chuckled a bit knowing that we already knew the second act by heart....