'Funny Girl' taking stage at Little Theatre on the Square
SULLIVAN – The Broadway musical "Funny Girl," which tells the story of the rise of comedienne Fanny Brice, will open Wednesday and run through July 19 at the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan.
Jillian Zygo, who won an AriZoni Award for her turn as Fanny Brice at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa, Ariz., will play Fanny Brice. In earlier productions at the Little Theatre in Sullivan, Zygo was Julia Sullivan in "The Wedding Singer" and Georgie in "The Full Monty."
Playing opposite of her, as Nick Arnstein, will be Jeffrey Max, who played Sammy in "The Wedding Singer" at the equity theater in Sullivan. Little theater favorite Glory Kissel portrays Fanny's mother. Michael Weaver plays Tom Keeney, the owner of the theater where Fanny received her first professional break.
Eddie Schnecker will be Eddie Ryan, Fanny's first choreographer and best friend. Rounding out the cast are Chelsea Waller as Emma, Fanny's dresser; Michael Haws, as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.; and J. Michael Zygo, as the Ziegfeld Tenor.
Told mostly in flashbacks, the musical, set in the '20s, shows Fanny as she makes her journey from the Jewish slums of the East Side of New York City before being discovered by showman Florenz Ziegfeld. The musical follows her through her first triumph in the Zeigfeld Follies, her marriage to gangster Nick Arnstein, and the breakup of that marriage after Arnstein, a gambler, finds himself in trouble with the law.
The book for the musical is by Isobel Lennart; the music, Jule Styne; and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical, as did the 1968 Oscar-winning movie, starred Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice.
Little Theatre artistic director M. Seth Reines serves as director for "Funny Girl." The music director is Linda Slein; choreographer, Dottie White; lighting designer, Mark Hueske; and scenic designer, Nick Shaw.
Tickets are $28 each, with $2 discounts for senior citizens 62 and older and for children 12 and younger. There is a $2.50 discount for each ticket for groups of 20 to 60 and $3.50 off for each ticket for a group of 61 or more. For more information, visit online www.thelittletheatre.org.
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