Theater review: Funny Girl

by Mandy Rausch of John Garcia's The Column

There are some shows that, given the star-creating original performances of entertainment icons, are rarely attempted at a local or regional level. Funny Girl is one of them.

After all, who wants the pressure of interpreting the role of Fanny Brice when the one and only Barbra Streisand created it on stage and film? Lyric Stage takes the gamble and ends up with a winning hand thanks to their ace in the hole, Kristin Dausch.

As my guest and I hurried into our seats in Carpenter Hall (part of the Irving Arts Center) at 8 p.m. on the nose (thanks to lousy weather all the way down from Denton), I felt stressed out and hurried to get myself in the correct mindset to review all the aspects of the show. By the end of the overture, however, which was beautifully played by some of Dallas/Fort Worth's best and expertly conducted by Jay Dias, all thoughts of weather and stress had melted away and I sat back and watched what turned out to be a very enjoyable, although at times uneven, production.

From the moment the curtain was raised for the first time, I was impressed by the detailed scenic design by Bryan Wofford. The entire depth of the stage is used at all times, and strong attention to detail is paid on moving set pieces such as the interior of the Brice home/saloon and Brice's dressing room. However, at times I was confused as to why certain scenes seemed to have received more attention than others. A beautifully detailed exterior of Keeney's theatre was flown in for "I'm the Greatest Star," but set pieces on the stage of the Ziegfeld Follies were sparse and looked a bit unfinished.

The same was true for the costume design by Drenda Lewis, but the distinction was a bit more obvious, in that all the men's costumes were well-fitted and smart but the women's costumes were unflattering and generally looked a bit cheap. This was especially disappointing in the first Ziegfeld number, "His Love Makes Me Beautiful." The problem seemed to stem from the sheer number of costumes worn by each cast member, but I do applaud Lewis for giving the cast members – especially those in the ensemble – different costumes for each scene. Too often have I seen ensemble members wear the same costume throughout, only adding an accessory here and there to indicate a different character.

The choreography by Tracy Jordan was also hit or miss – or at least appeared to be due to the varying levels of ability within the cast, but the energy and commitment levels were high, which made the dance numbers look good even if they weren't as challenging or difficult as they could have been.

There is no weak link among the performers within this cast. They are excellent all around, from the leading and supporting roles all the way down through the ensemble, whose members bring some strong laughs in the different characters they each play. The vocal abilities of the entire cast are particularly noteworthy. Full-cast numbers are rich and balanced (major kudos to sound designer Bill Eickenloff for a rich, balanced sound throughout the evening). The individual and smaller numbers brought forth raucous appreciation from the audience throughout the evening.

Among this large cast of incredible talent, there were some clear standouts. Lois Sonnier Hart as Mrs. Brice was perfect as Fanny's loving (if not slightly intrusive and overbearing) mother, and Connie Coit as the nosy and meddling Mrs. Strakosh brought big laughs with her piercing, nasal voice and spot-on comic timing. Mark Oristano is powerful and distinguished, yet shows a softer side as an almost-father figure to Fanny as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.

Jeremy Dumont and Christopher Pinnella play the two important men in Fanny's life, Eddie Ryan and Nick Arnstein, respectively. Dumont is one of the strongest triple-threats I've seen in the D/FW area in a long time. He gives a particularly noteworthy performance in "Who Taught Her Everything," and dazzles the audience with his outstanding tap skills just before "Cornet Man." Pinnella is made for the role of Nick Arnstein. He oozes charm and commands the stage from his first entrance with his dashing good-looks and rich baritone voice. Fanny wasn't the only female who was putty in his hands in Carpenter Hall on Friday evening!

The star of the evening is Kristin Dausch as Fanny Brice. From her very first "Hello Gorgeous," to her final, gut-wrenching reprise of "Don't Rain on My Parade," Ms. Dausch expertly takes us along with her on Fanny's journey. Her hilarious facial expressions and comedic physicality rival Streisand's and her voice is a force to be reckoned with.

Dausch also achieves the perfect and very difficult balance between paying homage to the iconic performance of Streisand and still making the role her own. She acts the role genuinely, and one can't help but get a bit verklempt watching her sing "The Music that Makes me Dance" through her own tears. Dausch is a breath of fresh air on the Dallas theatre scene, and I do hope that she will continue to grace local stages with her presence -– even though it's all too clear that she is destined for much bigger and better things in her future. She is the greatest star.