Funny Girl

About the show

The musical is set in and around New York City just before and following World War I. Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice, awaiting the return of her husband Nicky Arnstein from prison, reflects on their life together, and their story is told as a flashback. Act 1 Fanny is a stage-struck teen who gets her first job in vaudeville. Her mother and her mother’s friend Mrs. Strakosh try to dissuade her from show business because Fanny is not the typical beauty ("If a Girl Isn't Pretty"). But Fanny perseveres ("I'm the Greatest Star") and is helped and encouraged by Eddie Ryan, a dancer she meets in the vaudeville shows. Once Fanny's career takes off, Eddie and Mrs. Brice lament that once she's on Broadway she'll forget about them ("Who Taught Her Everything?"). Fanny performs a supposedly romantic number in the Follies, but she turns it into a classic comic routine, ending the number as a pregnant bride ("His Love Makes Me Beautiful"), causing an uproar. She meets the sophisticated and handsome Nick Arnstein, who accompanies Fanny to her mother's opening night party on "Henry Street". Fanny is clearly falling in love with Nick, while acknowledging their complex vulnerabilities ("People"). Later they meet in Baltimore and have a private dinner at a swanky restaurant and declare their feelings ("You Are Woman, I Am Man"). Fanny is determined to marry Nick, regardless of his gambling past ("Don't Rain on My Parade"). Act 2 The two marry, move to a mansion on Long Island, and have a daughter, Frances ("Sadie, Sadie"). In the meantime, Mrs. Strakosh and Eddie suggest to Mrs. Brice that she should find a man to marry, now that her daughter is supporting her ("Find Yourself a Man"). Fanny has become a major star with the Ziegfeld Follies ("Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat"). Nick asks Ziegfeld to invest in a gambling casino, but although Ziegfeld passes, Fanny insists on investing. When the venture fails and they lose their money, Fanny tries to make light of it, which propels Nick to get involved in a shady bond deal, resulting in his arrest for embezzlement. Fanny feels helpless but stronger than ever in her love for him ("The Music That Makes Me Dance"). In the present, Fanny is waiting for Nick to arrive and has time to reflect on her situation. Nick arrives, newly released from prison, and he and Fanny decide to separate. She is heartbroken, but resolves to pick up her life again ("Don't Rain on My Parade (Reprise)"). Act 1 In the present, Fanny Brice sits in her dressing room whilst preparing to star in the Ziegfeld Follies, awaiting news to hear if her husband, Nicky Arnstein, has been freed from prison and reminiscing on her earlier life ("Who Are You Now?") In the past, Fanny is a stage-struck teen, though her mother and her mother’s friends Mrs. Strakosh and Mrs. Meeker try to dissuade her from show business because Fanny is not the typical beauty ("If a Girl Isn't Pretty"). This is proved true when at her first vaudeville job as a chorus dancer, she is fired by the theater's owner, Tom Keeney. She confides to her friend Eddie Ryan, who got her the job, that she knows she will succeed ("I'm the Greatest Star"). Later, rehearsing with Eddie to re-audition for Keeney, Mrs. Brice echos Fanny's point ("I'm the Greatest Star (Reprise)") and Fanny revolves to audition again for Keeney. After "Eddie's Tap," Fanny nervously performs her first number "Cornet Man," though eventually, she wins over the audience and the attention of handsome gambler, Nicky Arnstein, who is able to wager Keeney a higher pay for Fanny and gives her his card. A year later, Fanny receives a telegram from Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. asking her to meet him at his theater, which Fanny proposes is connected to her interaction with Nick. At the theater, Fanny argues with Ziegfeld over his song choice for her but is forced to perform the song. However, she turns the supposedly romantic number, "His Love Makes Me Beautiful," into a comedy in which she portrays a pregnant bride. Backstage, Fanny's family and friends are thrilled but Ziegfeld reprimands her to which she apologizes, though he admits he found the act funny. Nick appears backstage, congratulating Fanny on her performance, and escorts her home ("I Wanna Be Seen With You Tonight") where her mother and close friends have thrown her a party, celebrating her success ("Henry Street"). Later in the evening, Fanny opens up to Nick about her desire to find love ("People"), and Nick admits that he would initiate a relationship between them, but acknowledges that he is leaving New York the next day. Sometime later, Fanny is touring with the follies and she and Nick both find themselves in Baltimore. Nick brings her to dinner at a fancy establishment, where she panics in response to his somewhat rapid advances, though she eventually gives in ("You Are Woman, I Am Man"). Later, the follies company is preparing to leave Cleveland and Fanny and Nick appear arm in arm. However, he tells her he will not be following the company, as he has to win back his money in Monte Carlo. He tells her he loves her but when she asks him to marry her, he insists that they cannot wed until he is rich again. In a last minute decision, she decides that she needs to follow him in pursuit of marriage, no matter what it means for her career ("Don't Rain on my Parade"). Act 2 Fanny surprises Nick in Monte Carlo ("Entr'acte"/"Don't Rain on my Parade (Reprise)"). He tells her that he has won back his wealth and the two are married and move to a mansion on Long Island, with Fanny soon revealing that she is pregnant ("Sadie, Sadie"). Back on Henry Street ("Sadie, Sadie (Playoff)"), Mrs. Brice and Eddie lament that Fanny no longer needs them ("Who Taught Her Everything She Knows?"). A few months later, as Fanny prepares to go back to rehearsals for a new show, Nick abruptly tells her that he is heading to Philadelphia to find investors for a casino he's building in Miami. Fanny reacts badly, nervous about leaving their daughter, Frances, for a whole day, though Nick promises that he will only be gone for a day, but in the end, she convinces him to stay and she is welcomed back to the theater ("You Are Woman (Reprise)"/"Henry Street (Reprise)"). Nick follows her to the theater and attempts to convince Ziegfeld to invest in his project, but Ziegfeld dismisses him. In response, Fanny decides to invest $68,000 of her money into Nick's project. Over the next few days, Nick travels to Florida and enters in a series of business deals with Fanny's money ("Temporary Arrangement"). On Fanny's opening night for her new show, she anxiously waits Nick's arrival, who is still traveling, telling Eddie that this would be the first opening night of hers he has missed. After her performance ("Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat"), Fanny's mother comforts her before Nick appears in her dressing room, revealing that a hurricane in Florida has destroyed the casino and lost them their money. She assures him that they will rebuild their success and that the most important thing to her is him ("Who Are You Now? (Reprise)"/"People (Reprise)"). The following year, Nick is involved in a business proposal to become a partner at a talent agency without putting up any money, though he sees through the act and realizes that Fanny has put up the money on their behalf. Nick reacts badly, insisting that he does not need her help to succeed and calls about a mob deal he was informed about, agreeing to join the deal in exchange for $68,000 ("You're a Funny Girl/Beekman Call"). Back at the follies, Fanny prepares a new routine ("What Do Happy People Do?"), but her mother arrives to inform her that Nick has been arrested for embezzlement. When Fanny insists that Nick couldn't have known the deal was faulty, her mother calls her out for making him feel unimportant in her life. Alone, Fanny reflects on how important he is to her ("The Music That Makes Me Dance"). Flashing back to the present, ("Dream Ballet"), three years after the arrest, Fanny and Eddie share one last tender moment as Nick appears in the doorway. She insists that she's willing to change to make their relationship better but he abruptly asks her for a divorce. She is taken aback but thanks him for making her feel "almost, sorta...beautiful." He assures her that she is beautiful, then leaves. Fanny somberly reflects on their marriage ("Funny Girl") but as she is called to the stage, she resolves to start again, stating "That's life in the theatre!" ("Don't Rain on my Parade (Reprise II)").