St. Louis audiences are getting their first look at two well-received recent Broadway shows with the current run of Funny Girl and last weekend’s Jagged Little Pill at the Fabulous Fox Theatre (527 North Grand Boulevard, fabulousfox.com) . Both shows are thoroughly compelling, and Funny Girl, featuring breakout star Katerina McCrimmon, is absolutely worth your time and attention during this premiere tour.
Funny Girl, loosely based on the rise of comedian Fanny Brice and fall of her second husband Neal Arnstein, is stuffed with a little something for everyone. There’s romance, mystery, criminal behavior, a bevy of great songs, dancing and plenty of humor — all delivered with perfect comedic timing. Though she began performing at vaudeville houses in New York as a tween or teen, Brice became a star when Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. took a chance on her voice and comic brilliance, adding her to his famed Ziegfeld Follies shows. Brice had a great voice, but she was known for wit and poking fun at life’s everyday realities, which has influenced generations of comedians who followed. Offstage, Fanny always had her mother in her corner, but her father was absent. Self-conscious about her often-remarked-upon appearance, she fell prey to a number of men who took advantage of her loyalty and generosity.
McCrimmon shines as the comedian, with a gorgeous voice and charm that helps her standout in a role made famous by Barbra Streisand. She effortlessly moves through the vocal range, tones and textures the challenging role requires while thoroughly inhabiting her character. McCrimmon is simply delightful in the comic numbers, particularly the lively “Cornet Man,” with a knowing wink to modern audiences that perfectly fits the tone. She’s soulful and vulnerable in “People” and bold and brash in “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and maintains high energy and quality throughout both acts. Although I went in well aware of who came before, I didn’t once feel the nudge to compare McCrimmon to Streisand or the other talented performers recently in the role.
Barbara Tirrell is energetic and engaging as Mrs. Brice and expertly plays off every interaction. Izaiah Montaque Harris is sympathetic and relatable as Eddie Ryan, Walter Coppage is endearing and warm as Florenz Ziegfeld, and Leah Platt is genuine as the reliably unflappable Emma. As Nick Arnstein, Stephen Mark Lukas is a smooth, handsome crooner though his dancing is distractingly not up to par with the cast; perhaps he’s working through an injury?
The few stumbles are easily overlooked, however, as the vivacious and stubbornly hopeful musical touches all the right emotional chords, hitting every note with near flawless precision. Add in plenty of laughs and some memorable tap dancing and Funny Girl is a hit.
Jagged Little Pill, featuring the songs of Alanis Morissette with a book by academy award winner Diablo Cody, rocked the Fabulous Fox the weekend before Funny Girl opened. With a story focused on a contemporary North American family, the engrossing, dramatic show is anything but your typical jukebox musical. An addiction to prescribed pain killers, the other-ed feelings of being a Black adopted daughter to an upper middle class white family, teen sexual assault, gender and sexuality are thoughtfully interwoven in the gripping, emotionally resonant story. Morissette’s songs are delivered with heartfelt authenticity and a sense of the original recordings without being mimicry or a cover version. As an added bonus, complex modern dance is integral to key scenes in a way that had the audience leaning in.
Julie Reiber creates a nuanced, emotionally guarded and deeply addicted portrait of mom Mary Jane Healy, and she’s expertly countered by Teralin Jones’ performance as daughter Frankie. Frankie’s journey is filled with questions, social awareness and a fumbling awakening of a self that’s separate from the comfort and family she’s always known but barely recognizes. Reiber and Jones possess strong, capable voices and infuse their characters and songs with authenticity. Benjamin Eakeley and Dillon Klena are sympathetic as dad Steve and overachieving brother Nick. Klena and Jones play off each other well, and Nick’s story arc helps Klena to be more than caricature.
While the family turns in strong, compelling performances, it’s Jade McLeod as Frankie’s nonbinary best friend and sometimes love interest Jo who stands out with a truly captivating supporting story. While all the songs are satisfyingly well re-interpreted to align with the story, the four-song arc of “Unprodigal Daughter,” “Predator,” “You Oughta Know” and “Uninvited” is stunning and unforgettable. Allison Sheppard, as Bella, on “Predator” is terrifyingly heartbreaking while McLeod’s restrained explosion on “You Oughta Know” is a revelation. Though this initial run was short, fans of Morissette, Cody or just good hard rocking storytelling should not miss the next opportunity to see this show.
Funny Girl
Written by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, revised by Harvey Fierstein. Directed by Michael Mayer. Presented by the Fabulous Fox Theatre through Sunday, February 4. Showtimes vary, and tickets are $35 to $105.
Jagged Little Pill
Music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard. Book by Diablo Cody. Directed by Diane Paulus.
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