By Katherine Beeson
Fanny Brice, a rubber-faced comedienne of the vaudeville era, would be completely lost to today’s audiences had it not been for her son-in-law, producer Ray Stark. Stark took a biography of Brice and, with musician Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill, turned it into stage gold.
That golden glow continues to shine brightly on Bombshell Theatre Co. and its production of “Funny Girl.”
The plot is well-known. Fanny, a Jewish girl from New York, becomes a comedic success when hired by vaudeville showman Florenz Ziegfeld. She meets and marries Nicky Arnstein, a sophisticated gambler with a shady past and an uncertain future. They attempt to weather their storm of a marriage as Fanny’s star rises while Nicky’s prospects plummet.
Bryanna VanCaster truly embodies the spirit of Fanny Brice and is wonderful. Her mugging and comedic moves are spot on. VanCaster also allows Fanny’s vulnerability to peek through when she tries to hide behind her stage bravado during her personal life collapse. Although VanCaster has no chance to really belt out any songs (“My Man” does not appear in the stage version), she does get to deliver a strong ending to “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
Eric Welch is perfect as Nicky Arnstein. He is suave, smooth and charming as the mysterious man who sweeps into Fanny’s life. Welch keeps Arnstein tightly in check and never lets the gambler’s polished facade crack as he deals with his dwindling fortunes. Welch does double-duty here; he is also the “Funny Girl” director.
I absolutely loved Tim Albrechtson as Eddie Ryan, a friend and early supporter of Fanny who remains close to the family. His energy and accent are great. Other actors deserving of mention are Marcee Doherty-Elst as Mrs. Brice and Glenn Villa as the impresario Ziegfeld. Kudos also to choreographer SaraLynn Evenson and music director Julie Johnson. Recorded music is used during the show.
Bryanna VanCaster and Eric Welch in Bombshell Theatre Company’s “Funny Girl.”
The set itself is beyond clever. Designed by Katie Meylink, this small thrust stage, with no back space or wing space, was transformed into a huge train station, a cozy bar and a sprawling mansion by use of an upstage screen and computer images of each scene. Set pieces are placed and taken off with almost choreographic precision and give a three-dimensional effect to the photo shown. I’ve never seen anything like thi,s and it was amazingly effective.
Costuming is a bit uneven. The principals and dancers are lovely in period pieces, but the supporting actors seem to fade a little in generic outfits.
This stage version is different from the movie most people know. Well-known songs such as “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “His Love Makes Me Beautiful” are here, but there are many songs dealing with vaudeville rehearsals or emotional moments that, while entertaining, didn’t make the transition to the silver screen. (As I mentioned, “My Man” does not appear in the stage version and the song “Funny Girl” was only added to the show’s later revival.)
This is Bombshell Theatre Co.’s first production and if “Funny Girl” is any indication, nobody will be raining on its parade anytime soon.
“Funny Girl” runs through January 16 at Sunset Playhouse’s Maria Eichmann Studio Theater in Elm Grove.