Funny Girl film on DVD

The hair, the voice, the nails, the comedic timing, the nose. It's hard to separate this show from Barbra Streisand. I actually did this musical in high school (obviously without Ms. Streisand), and I do wonder whatever happened to Lisa who played Fanny. She was the closest thing to a triple threat my high school produced. A good comedienne and a great dancer. I honestly don't remember much about her singing voice, but she must have had one.

I could have the gay mafia after me for this comment, but Funny Girl is not one of my favorite musicals, and there are parts of the film and its performances which don't sit well with me. It's so obviously a star vehicle, which runs contrary to the ensemble atmosphere that I like best about doing theater. The chorus has very little to do in this show (and even less in the film, which cuts the big chorus number "Henry Street"). No good duets either. How about a love song? The closest we get is the seduction song "You are Woman, I am Man." And the memorable numbers from the show sound very 1960s rather than very 1910s--much like Ms. Streisand's hair, nails and costumes.

Still it's hard not to be thrilled as the helicopter shot zooms down toward the tugboat as Fanny in mink hat belts out "Rain on my Parade".

Funny Girl
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Bob Merrill
Book by Isobel Lennart
1968 film released by Columbia Pictures
Cast: there are really only two that matter.