The revival of the musical comedy “Funny Girl” is coming to the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center from Oct. 24-29, and tickets went on sale Friday.
The Broadway revival features iconic songs, including “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.”
The bittersweet, semi-biographical comedy is the story of Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side with dreams for a life on stage. Despite people telling her she’d never make it, Brice became one of Broadway’s most treasured performers.
It’s set in New York City around World War I, when performing in the Ziegfeld Follies was considered the height of theatrical success. Brice was one of its stars.
The original “Funny Girl” opened on Broadway in 1964 and starred Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice, and the production received 8 nominations at the 18th Tony Awards. Streisand also starred in the movie version opposite Omar Sharif in 1968, and it was the highest grossing film of the year. It received eight Academy Award nominations, and Streisand won Best Actress for the film, which was her movie debut.
The revival on Broadway has broken box office records and received unanimous rave reviews. Vogue called it “vivacious and delightfully glitzy,” and The Observer described it as “sparkling and explosively entertaining!”
The cast will introduce Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice, and feature Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester as her mother.
Manchester has been a musical icon since the 1970s, with hits like “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” and “Through The Eyes Of Love” (Ice Castles).
This “Funny Girl” tour is McCrimmon’s national tour debut. She was a YoungArts Winner in Theater and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
The production is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and features the classic score by Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award winner Jule Styne and lyrics by Tony Award nominee and Grammy Award winner Bob Merrill, (comprising additional songs from Styne & Merrill). The original book by Isobel Lennart, from an original story by Lennart, is revised by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, Newsies).
The “Funny Girl” revival began its Broadway run at the August Wilson Theater on March 22, 2022, officially opening on April 24, 2022. It will run until Sept. 3, 2023, and then begin its national tour.
Tickets for the production at the Hippodrome are on sale beginning Friday, Aug. 18. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or the Hippodrome Box Office (Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m., and show days 11 a.m. to curtain). Groups of 10 or more should contact BaltimoreGroups@broadwayacrossamerica.com.
