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Maltby puts own
stamp on ‘Funny Girl’Funny Girl: Presented by Army Community Theatre. Shows 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays through May 27. Tickets $12 and $15 for adults, $6 and $8 for keiki. Call 438-4480
By John Berger
Special to the Star-BulletinANYONE who plays Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" is working in the very, very long shadow of Barbra Streisand. Becky Maltby gets out of the shadows from time to time as she plays Brice in Army Community Theatre's production of the Broadway classic.
Give her credit for what she accomplishes. Streisand not only defined the role on Broadway in 1964 but starred in the film version four years later. "People," the most memorable song in the show, was Streisand's first hit single and remains her musical signature 36 years later.
Maltby and director Brad Powell worked together earlier this season when he co-directed "Tintypes" with her mother, Joyce Maltby, at Hawaii Pacific University. Becky Maltby gives Powell and choreographer Vernon Campbell a good performance here. Set aside memories of Streisand, give Maltby a chance, and she becomes an engaging heroine.
Expect to enjoy her interpretation of "I'm The Greatest Star" and her first rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade." Overall she's spunky and believable as a gawky, unattractive young Jewish woman who metamorphoses into a comic star of the Zeigfeld Follies.
Maltby's second rendition of "Music That Makes Me Dance" shows how far Brice has come. It's a fine number for Maltby as well.
Dawe Glover (Nick Arnstein) returns to ACT as Maltby's leading man. He generally keeps his performance straight and low-key in a way that suggests Arnstein was a man of illusion rather than emotional substance. Glover and Maltby have a great time playing off each other as "You Are Woman, I Am Man," sets the mood for Nick's seduction of Fanny.
What's missing later is a sense that either feels much pain when Arnstein announces that he wants a divorce. Maltby pretends to agree with him and then launches into the finale -- another rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade" -- moments later.
Derrick Kam (Eddie Ryan) adds another strong performance to his resume in the biggest supporting role; Kam proves to be a man to watch from the opening bars of "If A Girl Isn't Pretty" and outdoes himself singing and dancing with Jo Pruden (Mrs. Brice) in "Who Taught Her Everything She Knows." Pruden and Kam are a fine team on that number; Pruden is tough, tart and right-on elsewhere as Fanny's mother.
Carole Cooper is appropriately grating as the obnoxious Mrs. Strakosh. Jeffrey Seneca and Joshua Gulledge are noteworthy in supporting role.
Anyone who rates "Funny Girl" as a favorite shows may want to wait until next weekend to see it. Good sound is critical for musicals and the sound last night was the worst in recent memory at ACT. The cast had to perform through feed back, raw electronic noise, and the sound of costumes rubbing against microphones. Add dancers who didn't know what they were supposed to do and sloppy work by the stage crew, and there's no question that there will be long rehearsals this weekend!
Richard Schaerfer's lighting designs are clean, concise, and effective. Kathy Kohl's costumes are another plus.
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