A review by Chris Heide
As a theater gay, I am surprisingly not all too family with the nomenclature of Funny Girl. My only real exposure to it haven been very early memories of watching it one time with my mom, being enthralled of in the pop zeitgeist of it through Glee, or through the real-life redemption arc of Lea Michelle, when she finally had the opportunity to play Fanny Brice.
Image by Matthew Murphy
The Broadway touring version of Funny Girl is a heartwarming, delectable treat. Hannah Shankman, who plays Fanny Brice, is outstanding. She has natural comedic timing, excellent chemistry with the entire cast, and a vocal range that can match that of Michelle’s powerhouse lungs. It is a mighty feat to tackle the seminal ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’, and Shankman does the son justice with a goosebump inducing brilliance. There were even moments of opting up that even Michelle didn’t attempt during her run.
It is a tight show- the cast is relatively small, a dozen or so players make up the entire ensemble. Funny Girl is not a show for the weak; the ensemble cast is required to display expect level tap dancing skills and pitch perfect harmonies throughout the entire show. Travis Ward-Osborne was also a standout as Nick Arnstein, the male lead in the production. He is the understudy for the role, but his palpable chemistry with Shankman would have never made you guess that he was anything other than the intended first choice for the role.
Image by Matthew Murphy
Throw aside everything you think you know about Funny girl. This edition is bombastic, funny, surprisingly adult, and surprisingly relevant in theme. The show itself feels reinvigorated for a modern age, which is no small task for one of Broadway’s biggest hits. The vocals are on point, the dancing is electric, and the humor is high caliber. There is simply no rain in this parade.
