Styne wrote a lot of wonderful songs for Sydney Chaplin in Bell Are Ringing and Subways Are for Sleeping because they served the story well. He obviously could have written great solos for Nicky Arnstein if he had thought that would be in the best interest for creating a better show. Besides Styne and Merrill, the production team included Garson Kanin, Jerome Robbins, and Carol Haney. As a theatre fan I would not presume to question or criticize the judgment of that illustrious group.
Funny Girl made Barbra Streisand a star and gave Styne the greatest success of his long, storied career. It's taken over 55 years for Broadway to mount a revival of this legendary musical. No one expects Beanie to become another Streisand. I'm just rooting for her to be a great Fanny Brice.
Based on the billing the show is employing, I would not be surprised if the roles of Arnstein and Eddie Ryan, in particular, are rethought and perhaps given more development. If that happens and makes this revival successful, I think that's great. BTW Styne and Merrill originally wrote "You Are Woman" as a solo for Sydney Chaplin, but with Streisand's very unique talents, it became a memorable duet.
I can't wait to see this Funny Girl revival on Fri., 4/15/22. |
