Funny Girl Opens In Fort Myers With A Bang
Funny Girl opens in Fort Myers at Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall. Gina Birch attended for free as part of the media, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Funny Girl opens in Fort Myers and theater goers loved it. You can almost always tell by the chatter in the ladies’ room at intermission how the show is going.
The award winning musical first opened on Broadway in 1964. Four years later it was made into a movie starring Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice and Omar Sharif as Nicky Arnstein, a gambler who falls in love with Fanny.
Fanny Brice was a real performer in the Ziegfeld Follies, and the story is based on her life. Her mother, Mrs. Rosie Brice, initially told Fanny she would never make it in show business. Playing that roll in the touring company at BBMann is Grammy Award winning singer Melissa Manchester. She did a fantastic job.
Funny Girl Opens In Fort Myers
However, I was blown away by the actress playing Fanny. Her voice was strong, clear and beautiful. She belted out those notes and had people cheering nearly before she finished.
This show has some famous lines that have become part of pop culture such as, “Hello Gorgeous” “Don’t let rain on my parade” and “I’m a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls.”
Then there are the iconic songs such as “Don’t Let It Rain On My Parade” and “People” (People who need people are the luckiest people).
The story is funny, has poignant moments and great production numbers. I loved the tap dancing too. It’s old school, classic Broadway and it was a fun way to spend an evening.
There is a lot going on in SWFL this time of year and the Broadway Series at BBMann is always a highlight. Funny Girl opens in Fort Myers and runs through Sunday, January 26th. Tickets are still available. Prices vary.
