Fun facts about Fanny, Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand was 21 when she opened on Broadway in 1964, the role that made her one of the greatest stars, Fanny Brice in the musical (Funny Girl)on her 80^th birthday April 24, Jonah Hill’s  sister Beanie Feldstein stars in Streisand’s signature role in the first rialto revival of the bio-musical.

The question arise who was Fanny Brice? Brice was born in 1891, was just 18 when she made her Broadway debut in “Ziegfeld Follies of 1910.” She streamed series of shows for the next quarter-century with the last being “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” She made debut in film 1928’s “My Man,” she appeared as herself in 1936’s “The Great Ziegfeld” and made her last screen appearance in 1945’s “Ziegfeld Follies.”

During interview’s question regarding career she said, “Who wouldn’t want to resurrect Fanny Brice? She was a wonderful entertainer. Since Fanny herself cannot be brought back, the next best thing is to get Barbra Streisand to sing and strut and go through comic routines a la Brice. Miss Streisand is well on her way to become a splendid entertainer in her own right, and in “Funny Girl’ she goes as far as any performer can toward recalling the laughter and joy that were Fanny Brice. If the new musical that arrived last night at the Winter Garden were dedicated entirely to the gusto and buffoonery of Fanny Brice, all would be well nigh perfect this morning. But “Funny Girl” also is intent on telling the story of how Fanny loved and lost Nick Arnstein, and part of the time it oozes with a thick helping of sticky sentimentality.”

“Funny Girl” has earned eight Tony Awards nominations but was shut out. “Hello, Dolly” dominated the 1964 Tony Awards winning 10 of its 11 bids, which includes for leading lady Carol Channing who bested Barbra.

The “Funny Girl” choreographer, Carol Haney, unfortunately passed away two weeks before the Tony Awards at the age of 39. Carol had won the Tony for her  role in the 1954 musical “The Pajama Game” and reprised her role in the 1957 film version.

Barbra have won  Best Actress at the 1968 Oscars for the William Wyler-directed film version of “Funny Girl.”

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