PRESS RELEASE — OREM — When Barbra Streisand played the lead in the film version of “Funny Girl” and earned a Tony Award nomination and an Academy Award, she not only became a stratospheric star, she also shined the spotlight on the star of early 20th century comedienne and Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice.
SCERA will produce the powerhouse musical classic, live on its stage for the first time, when “Funny Girl” plays June 10-21 at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre (699 South State, in the middle of SCERA Park, Orem).
It will play Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and general admission tickets are available for $10 for adults and $8 for children (age 3-11), seniors (age 65+) and students (w/ID). Patrons can bring a blanket or rent a chair for $1.00. Reserved sections are also available. Tickets can be purchased in advance from 10am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays from 12Noon-6pm at the SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 S. State St., Orem, by calling 801-225-ARTS, online atwww.scera.org or at the gate one hour prior to performance.
Jennifer Reed is directing at SCERA for the first time although she is a stage events coordinator at BYU and her background as a performer, director and stage manager spans 20 years of professional experience. She likes the show for its “great story and amazing music and choreography.”
“People my age know and love ‘Funny Girl,’ but there’s a generation not as familiar with the story that I hope will come and love the show,” she says.
This semi-autobiographical show chronicles part of the life of the unglamorous but unbelievably talented Fanny Brice. She was noted as one of the most celebrated entertainers of her time, and her fame was enhanced by her leading lady status in the fabled Ziegfeld Follies.
“It was important that I got the perfect person for Fanny because she is in every scene,” Reed says. “She carries the show. Close to 100 young women auditioned, and when I had callbacks, I called out Bethany Simmons. I don’t know why, because she was not on the original list. And, as it turns out, I cast her. Bethany grew up watching SCERA shows, and she dreamed of appearing on stage. Well, with Fanny Brice, she has got a role of a lifetime. And I have to tell you, her singing will blow you away.”
“Funny Girl,” the play, begins with Fanny Brice sitting in her dressing room. She is the reigning Ziegfeld star, but her focus is on her husband, the handsome Nick Arnstein (played by Richard Losee), who will be returning after serving a prison term for embezzlement. He and the theater have been the loves of her life, and she is at a crossroads. Then the musical takes us back to the beginning, as we see Fanny’s unlikely rise to fame and how her tragic romance began, in a true story intertwined with celebrated music, including “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “People Who Need People,” “I’d Rather Be Blue,” “Sadie, Sadie” and “I’m the Greatest Star.”
The show is also renowned for its larger-than-life production numbers, and will transport audiences back to the time when The Ziegfeld Follies brought the phrase “song and dance spectacular” to life. Probably the most famous scene from the movie is re-created in the musical, the Ziegfeld number “Beautiful Bride.” SCERA’s costume shop has made ten elaborate wedding dresses with showgirl-style headdresses for the Ziegfeld Girls and tuxes and top hats for the Ziegfeld Men.
Another large number, found only in the musical version, is the patriotic-themed “Rat-Tat-Tat,” a WWI USO-style number full of stars, stripes, plenty of glitter, and a twirl and throw rifle drill which the Ziegfeld Men learned from a former Air Force ROTC member. Fanny’s comic ability shines as she plays a character named General Schwartz, complete with a moustache.
Another fun number is “Coronet Man,” with an upbeat and brassy New Orleans jazz feel, where the cast dance on chairs, and all kinds of brass instruments are incorporated into the choreography.
In addition to Simmons, leads are played by veteran actor Richard Losee as the handsome Nick Arnstein, DeLayne Dayton as Mrs. Brice, Brock Kannan as Eddie and Dave Simmons as Florenz Ziegfeld.
SCERA President & CEO Adam J. Robertson says, “’Funny Girl’ is rarely produced, because it is such a grand theatrical feat to tackle. But we have such abundant talent in the cast and on our creative and production teams to make it fantastic. If you haven’t ever seen this show, don’t miss it.”
Assisting Reed are Kathryn Little, music director; Shawn Mortensen, choreographer; Kelsey Seaver as costume designer; Brandon Moss as light designer; Nat Reed as set designer, and Lindsi Nielsen and Julie Nevin as stage managers.
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