This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she'd never be a star, but then something funny happened-she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.
Featuring some of the most iconic songs in theatre history including "Don't Rain On My Parade," "I'm the Greatest Star," and "People," Michael Mayer's bold new production marks the first time Funny Girl has returned to Broadway since its debut 58 years ago.
Telling the true story of Ziegfeld Girl Fanny Brice (Hannah Shankman, trading off with Katerina McCrimmon), from her upbringing in 1910s Brooklyn to her rise as a Broadway star as a protégé of Florenz Ziegfeld (Walter Coppage), a prolific producer of stage shows, to her relationship with Nick Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas), a wealthy investor, FUNNY GIRL is more than just funny. Fanny is an ebullient, unsinkable character who perseveres through dramas, romances, and the ups and downs of show business through grit and determination. Told pretty forthrightly that she’s not classically beautiful enough to be a star, she makes inroads with chutzpah and sheer ability. It’s how stardom should go. Chasing beauty, in the end, cannot compete with raw talent.
Katerina McCrimmon told Rough Draft’s Sammie Purcell in an earlier interview that she was not trying to be Barbra Streisand, the iconic star of the 1964 Broadway play and 1968 film. Granted she’s got the lungs and the sass of Streisand, but she failed to command the stage like her famous predecessor.
1964 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1966 | West End |
London Production West End |
1986 | Off-Off-Broadway |
Equity Library Theatre Revival Off-Off-Broadway |
2001 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
2002 | Broadway |
Actors' Fund Concert Broadway |
2012 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2015 | West End |
Menier Chocolate Factory West End Revival Production West End |
2016 | West End |
Menier Chocolate Factory West End Transfer West End |
2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
2023 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
Videos