The upcoming Broadway revival of Funny Girl has unveiled the complete company as they begin their official first day of rehearsals. The production, starring Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice and Tony and Olivier nominee Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, begins March 26 at the August Wilson Theatre ahead of an April 24 opening night.
Additional previously announced cast members include Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan, and Emmy winner Jane Lynch as Mrs. Rosie Brice. They will be joined by Peter Francis James as Florenz Ziegfeld, Ephie Aardema as Emma/Mrs. Nadler, Debra Cardona as Mrs. Meeker, Toni DiBuono as Mrs. Strakosh, Martin Moran as Tom Keeney, and Julie Benko as the standby for Fanny Brice.
Rounding out the ensemble are Amber Ardolino, Daniel Beeman, Colin Bradbury, Kurt Thomas Csolak, Leslie Donna Flesner, Afra Hines, Masumi Iwai, Aliah James, Jeremiah James, Danielle Kelsey, Stephen Mark Lukas, Alicia Hadiya Lundgren, John Thomas Manzari, Liz McCartney, Katie Mitchell, Justin Prescott, Mariah Reives, and Leslie Blake Walker.
Michael Mayer directs the first Broadway revival of the classic musical by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, with a revised book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the original book and story by Isabel Lennart. Fierstein and Mayer previously collaborated on a 2016 West End revival of the work, though this Broadway revival will be a new staging.
The production will also feature choreography by Ellenore Scott; tap choreography by Ayodele Casel; scenic design by David Zinn; costume design by Susan Hilferty; lighting design by Kevin Adams; sound design by Brian Ronan; hair and wig design by Campbell Young Associates; orchestrations by Chris Walker; dance, vocal, and incidental arrangements by Alan Williams; additional arrangements by David Dabbon and Carmel Dean; and music direction and supervision by Michael Rafter. Casting is by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger; and Sonia Friedman, Scott Landis, and David Babani will produce.
The work, which originally premiered on Broadway in 1964, is a biomusical centered on Broadway and vaudeville star Fanny Brice. The original production propelled a young Barbra Streisand to international fame; she would reprise her stage performance in the 1968 film adaptation, winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the process. Styne and Merrill's score introduced such standards as "I'm the Greatest Star," "People," "Don't Rain On My Parade," and "The Music That Makes Me Dance."
This upcoming production follows an earlier attempt to bring Funny Girl back to Broadway, with Tony winner Bartlett Sher directing and his later My Fair Lady star Lauren Ambrose starring. This production was ultimately postponed and never materialized, with producer Bob Boyett blaming a shaky economic climate.
