Funny Girl

This production boasted the West End’s first Broadway-style ‘Playbill’ programme, quickly followed on 19^th April by the programme for ON THE LEVEL at the Saville Theatre. (‘Playbill programmes in West End’, The Stage 31^st March 1966, page 1.)

Presented by Bernard Delfont and Arthur Lewis, the show was billed as ‘the Ray Stark production of FUNNY GIRL’.

Barbra Streisand was indisposed on the evenings of 28^th and 29^th April, plus the Saturday matinee on the 30^th, leading to “a major theatrical incident, when hundreds of ticket-holders walked out of the theatre because they had no wish to see FUNNY GIRL without Miss Streisand in the name-part. In other words, they went to see the star rather than the show.” (‘Replacements’, The Stage 5^th May 1966, page 8.)

In mid-May it was announced that Lisa Shane, who had substituted for Streisand at those three performances and was now playing the role for her on Saturday evenings, would officially take over as Fanny Brice from 18^th July. However, when Michael Craig, Kay Medford and Lee Allen opted to leave at the same time as Streisand, Delfont and Lewis decided to close the show on the 16^th. (‘Chit Chat: Funny Girl’, The Stage 9^th June 1966 page 8.)

Cast & Crew

Cast

Observations

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