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| Sarah Rose Davis as Fanny Brice (photo Mark Kitaoka) |
Funny Girl
Village Theatre
Issaquah: through July 6
Everett: July 11-August 3
The final show of Village Theatre’s season is Funny Girl, the classic musical turned
movie by Jule Stein, Bob Merrill and Isobel Lenhart. Village pulls out all the
stops on the technical elements, flying in stage drops and pushing and pulling
set pieces just about every 30 seconds! It’s a dizzying technical feat. Some of
those stage pictures (like the “wedding” song tableau) are absolutely gorgeous.
(Set designer is Bill Forrester.)
It’s a “big” show with a large ensemble cast filling the
stage, enchanting bits of choreography by Kristin Holland, and a lot of brass
in the orchestra (music directed by Tim Symons and Bruce Monroe). Outstanding
smaller roles include a star turn for John David Scott and his terrific
tapping, along with his charmingly poignant friendship with Fanny that endures
while he clearly is in love with her. Also, great fun is had with Fanny’s mom,
Bobbi Kotula, and busybody neighbor Mrs. Strakosh, Jayne Muirhead.
But the focus of the evening, indeed the person who is
barely off-stage for even a moment, is Sarah Rose Davis as Fanny. Davis has
everything she needs to bring this role to life: a terrific voice, ability to
lapse adorably into funny-awkward comedic moments, and the knowledge of how to
put a song over the transom and deliver. This show taxes all her abilities to
their limit and she rises to the occasion beautifully.