A ‘Funny’ kickoff to 35th season

    Broadway GR brings iconic musical comedy to DeVos Performance Hall for a Michigan premiere
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    A revival of the musical comedy "Funny Girl" is coming to the Broadway Grand Rapids stage in September. Photos: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

    The Michigan premiere of Funny Girl is coming to DeVos Performance Hall Sept. 19 -24, kicking off Broadway Grand Rapids’ 35th Anniversary season.

    Character Fanny Brice lights up the stage in Funny Girl. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

    The bittersweet musical comedy tells the story of Fanny Brice, a Jewish girl from the Lower East side of Manhattan who is told she could never be a star. Of course, she defies the odds and goes on to became one of the most beloved performers in history, on Vaudeville, radio and in Hollywood. The revival is breaking box office records and has received rave reviews. Vogue Magazine calls it “vivacious and delightfully glitzy.”

    The play, which famously starred Barbara Streisand when it premiered on Broadway in 1964, was made even more popular when it was turned into a film in 1968, again with Streisand in the lead role. For fans of the silver screen version of the story, the play is reportedly very similar to the show, but new songs were added to the film, others cut, and multiple characters and scenes were changed. The play is based on a book by Isobel Lennarta, with a musical score by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill.  Iconic songs from the musical include “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.”

    The Broadway production of FUNNY GIRL began performances at the August Wilson Theatre on March 22, 2022, with the official opening on April 24, 2022, where it will continue its record-breaking run through September 3, 2023.

    Tickets to the Broadway GR production go on sale today (Aug. 3, 2023) at the DeVos Hall Box office at 303 Monroe Avenue NW, all Ticketmaster outlets, Broadway Grand Rapids office located at 122 Lyon Street NW, by visiting BroadwayGrandRapids.com, or by calling 616-235-6285.

    Group orders of ten or more may be placed by emailing Susan Weiss, Group Sales Director at sweiss@bwaygr.org.

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