Last week I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Funny Girl here in Los Angeles at Center Theatre Group‘s Ahmanson Theatre—and what a true pleasure it was! Originally debuting on Broadway in 1964 (with a young Barbra Streisand), it’s the semi-autobiographical story of the life and career of entertainer Fanny Brice, focusing on her stormy relationship with suave entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein. Four years later in 1968, it was adapted into a film which nabbed Barbra an Oscar for her incredible performance. It wasn’t until 2022 that the show finally made its way back onto Broadway, the much anticipated revival first starred Beanie Feldstein and then a few months later Lea Michele stepped into the role.
Of course, I would have loved to have seen Lea play Fanny Brice—however the touring version of the show has found a true star—Katerina McCrimmon—who absolutely blew me away along with the rest of the audience. I’ve seen tons of shows and I can’t recall an audience reaction quite like that—Katerina really was fabulous and her vocals on some of the most loved songs such as ‘People’ and ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ was absolutely pitch perfect—standing ovations and goosebumps indeed! She truly did the gorgeous score by Jule Styne (with lyrics by Bob Merrill) justice—not only was her singing incredible, I thought she handled the role beautifully—along with the rest of the cast including singer Melissa Manchester who plays Fanny’s mother and the gorgeous Stephen Mark Lukas as Nicky Arnstein—the entire company couldn’t have been more perfect!
I’ve waited a long time to finally see one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals performed on stage—and it was well worth the wait—I had complete body chills during the overture—I thought it was truly fantastic and a show not to be missed. If you’re here in Los Angeles, the show is playing now through April 28—get tickets here—you will not be disappointed! I cannot wait to see what Katerina McCrimmon does next—that girl is a true star—hello gorgeous!
Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, an updated book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott, and direction from Michael Mayer, this love letter to the theatre has the whole shebang!
The sensational Broadway revival dazzles with celebrated classic songs, including “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened—she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.
PHOTOS | Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade