Fun Facts about Funny Girl- You MUST know before seeing it!
April 11, 2022
Hello Gorgeous! *in Barbara Streisand's voice*
If you are gearing up to see the Funny Girl Revival, you MUST know about these 5 fun facts before seeing it! We have facts from the infamous movie and Broadway production to make you a Funny Girl Pro. (And if you haven't purchased your tickets yet, purchase them HERE!
Fun Fact 1: The legendary Frank Sinatra was considered for the role of Nick Arnstein in the 1968 Funny Girl film starring Barbara Streisand. The role ultimately went to Egyptian actor, Omar Sharif (*bonus fun fact* Omar's career encompassed over 100 films spanning 50 years!)
Fun Fact 2: In September 1963, Garson Kanin was sought as the director. They played him the score and he didn't respond. One night, Jule Styne and his wife were going to Sardi's for dinner. Kanin and his wife were coming out. Styne cornered Kanin and wouldn't let him go until he agreed to do the show (talk about persistent and *whispers* a little crazy)!
Fun Fact 3: The production took a layoff December 14-19, 1964, it was believed that this was because Barbara Streisand was on vacation. When Variety reported it in it's issue (November 25, 1964) it was reported that arrangements for Streisand to continue in the show through December 1965 had been completed. The show must go on!
Fun Fact 4: Funny Girl originally opened at the Winter Garden Theater on March 26, 1964 and ran for a whopping 1,348 performances! The production received 8 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical.
Fun Fact 5: Ray Stark, the lead producer on the original musical, was Fanny Brice's son-in-law by way of his marriage to her daughter Frances.
Now that you have all the Funny Girl knowledge tucked away before the show (or to whip out with your coworkers for a conversation starter!), check out other musicals that you can see in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and more HERE!
