“I got 36 Expressions, Sweet as Pie to Tough as Leather…”

Have you ever heard of the show Ziegfeld Follies? If you have not, I can bet you have heard of one of Ziegfeld’s girls, Lucille Ball. The connection this show has with our next musical is the owner, Mr. Ziegfeld. On March 26, 1964, Fanny Brice became a Ziegfeld girl in the wonderfully funny and enchanting Funny Girl. This musical, my all-time favorite, starred Barbra Streisand, my all-time favorite actress.

            The show begins with a young Jewish girl, Fanny Brice, aspiring to be on the stage. Her dreams come true when “Nicky” Arnstein (her pet name for him) discovers her in a no-name theatre and introduces her to Florenz Ziegfeld, the owner of the Ziegfeld follies. The audience watches Fanny Brice’s rise to stardom, her marriage to “Nicky” Arnstein, and eventual divorce from him. In the Broadway version, Sydney Chaplin played the dashing Nick Arnstein.

            A few of the famous songs from this spectacular show include “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty”, “His Love Makes Me Beautiful”, “People”, and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” This show was based on the true story of the real Fanny Brice, who was an actress, singer, radio voice, and part of the Ziegfeld follies. The show opening was postponed five times due to “artistic differences” among the two directors. One director furiously left because of the initiative the newer director took. No one thought the show would take off, but it became one of the most well-known and loved musicals because of Barbra Streisand’s show-stopping performance.

            When the show moved to the big screen, Streisand played Fanny Brice once again because of her history with the role. She was the only Fanny Brice in the Broadway show; she was never replaced. In addition to Streisand, another cast member appeared in the movie. Kay Medford, returned to play Mrs. Brice in the movie. Nicky Arnstein was replaced by the handsome Omar Shariff. Many songs were cut or altered for the movie, which ultimately helped the show. There is one part of every Streisand that is unforgettable; her extreme breath control. This, and her wonderful acting, led her to win her first Oscar for “Best Actress.” She went on to make dozens of records and movies while becoming one of the most successful and most-loved actresses in the world. She inspired me to sing, and reminds me that it’s always “A Grand Night for Singing!”

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