Coming to an old but well-known musical with no previous knowledge of it was an interesting experience. You expect lots of music of course and lots of laughs and a happy ending. Well, Funny Girl is not quite like that.
Firstly, it is based on a real-life Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with Nick Arnstein and the bare bones of the story are factual. Fanny is a feisty lass of Jewish-Hungarian background, determined to make her way on the stage in spite of being told that she doesn’t have the looks for it. She doesn’t have education and she doesn’t have finesse but she does have personality and a wonderful voice and she pushes her way through all the barriers to get to the top. Meanwhile this shadowy person Nick keeps appearing and disappearing in her life: she has fallen in love with him and she doesn’t understand why he is not around for long periods although we happen to know that he is a gambler. What transpires is something of a surprise in a musical but is largely true to what actually happened to Fanny and Nick.
Ed Blagrove, the director, writes that he blew most of the budget on the revolving stage and indeed the set is otherwise extremely simple. However, this feature is very effective, giving the impression of all the people who come in and out of Fanny’s life, for most of the musical is Fanny’s reflection on her life. So, very few props, but a revolving stage and clever lighting which more than makes up for the lack of props. No expense was spared on the costumes either which were wonderful and this is important: they had to portray the differences in wealth, in background, the stage costumes of the Ziegfeld Follies and so on. We are talking about a very specific time in
Ed Blagrove also said that he wanted the whole operatic society to be featured in this production even though it is essentially a show about one person. This he manages magnificently, with the cast singing and dancing throughout the production: you expect an operatic society to have great singers but the dancing - chorus girls, tap dancing and so on -was also impressive: hats off to Rachel Garnet, the choreographer. Nicola Pratley, however, as Fanny does deserve a special mention. Not only does she have a powerful singing voice, but she can also act and her portrayal of this straight-speaking determined New Yorker (with, to my ear, a convincing New Yoicker accent) was funny and endearing and heart-warming. She is on stage most of the time and has to carry the show with her.Everyone else revolves around her, with their differing reactions to her: Ziegfeld’s grudging admiration, Eddie’s barely-hidden love, her mother’s pride and bossiness – in the end it’s all about Fanny: it is a demanding role and Nicola rises to the occasion.
The orchestra got off to a slightly wobbly start, but they quickly got into their stride and were good support to the cast: my only criticism, and it is a common one unfortunately, is that they sometimes drowned out the singers.
The Oxford Operatic Society were playing to an enthusiastic and supportive home audience last night and they got a standing ovation which they thoroughly deserved.