5.2 Funny Girl!

2024-02-23

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Isn’t it "people who DON'T need people are the luckiest people in the world?" Today we look at the role that made Barbara Streisand's early career: the role of Fanny Brice in Jule Styne & Bob Merrill’s 1964 musical Funny Girl and the 1968 film directed by William Wyler. ________________________________ We talk about: The Greatest Star: The phenomenon of the original Fanny Brice, how Barbra got involved in the project, and where the line between ego, strength, and vanity lies. The Audience: The sac...

Isn’t it "people who DON'T need people are the luckiest people in the world?"

Today we look at the role that made Barbara Streisand's early career: the role of Fanny Brice in Jule Styne & Bob Merrill’s 1964 musical Funny Girl and the 1968 film directed by William Wyler.

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We talk about:

The Greatest Star: The phenomenon of the original Fanny Brice, how Barbra got involved in the project, and where the line between ego, strength, and vanity lies.
The Audience: The sacred relationship between performer and audience and Barbra’s theory of audience (or—in a religious context—a congregation) as a truth barometer.
The Patriarchy: Nick Arnstein & Fanny Brice's relationship, Barbra & her male collaborators, the creep factor of "You are Woman," and the dangerous myth of romantic love (attention straight people: beware writing your own vows!)
The Parade: Is "Don’t Rain on My Parade" a feminist anthem?
The People: What’s the theology of people who need people? Is this just a hymn to extroversion, or does it channel Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s theology of ubuntu?

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You’ll hear:

– The 1968 Film Soundtrack: "I’m the Greatest Star," Omar Shariff and Barbra singing "You Are Woman, I am Man," "My Man," "Don’t Rain on My Parade" and—of course—"People."

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