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Regional Reviews: San Francisco Funny Girl Also see Richard's reviews of Motown the Musical and Buyer & Cellar
Unfortunately, this production—despite the best efforts of the star of 6th Street Playhouse, Taylor Bartolucci—has fallen into a crevasse from which there is no rescue. The orchestra, tuneless and plodding, sets a course that no one should follow, and the chorus would benefit greatly if someone would invent a GPS device to guide them to the correct harmonic line. A word to choreographer LC Arisman: lose the tap number. When your dancers are as out of unison as often they are here, tap shoes only highlight the dysfunction. On the positive side, we have Taylor Bartolucci. Though her wild vibrato still rears its head from time to time, for the most part she delivers an excellent performance—especially considering the standard to which everyone in the audience is likely comparing her. One woman—and so far one woman only—owns "People" and "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "My Man." Taking on the great Barbra requires tremendous courage, and Bartolucci bravely laces on her crampons and heads up the mountain. And if she didn't have to haul most of the rest of the cast and the entire orchestra, she might have had a shot at the summit. She has a powerful belt and performs all her songs with tremendous heart. The role is perfect for her, as her beauty—like that of Fanny Brice and Barbra Streisand—is both undeniable and unconventional. Her tragedy is that almost no other aspect of the production measures up to the talent and effort she contributes. There are a few other bright spots in the show. Mike Schaeffer casts an imposing shadow as impresario Flo Ziegfeld, and Janine LaForge brings a wonderful motherly charm to the role of Mrs. Brice. James Sasser is quietly compelling as the gambler Nicky Arnstein. The sets by designer Jesse Dreikosen generally work well, and create a flexible environment that easily shifts to become stages, dressing rooms, hotels, mansions—and all the other many locations where Funny Girl takes place. For all their bravery in tackling such an enormous task, perhaps 6th Street Playhouse ought to consider setting their sights a little lower for a while, and work their way back up to the Himalayas of musical theatre. Funny Girl runs through September 14, 2014, in the GK Hardt Theatre at the 6th Street Playhouse, 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. There are also two Saturday 2:00 matinees, September 6 and 13. Tickets are $35 general, $25 for seniors and youth 13-21) and $15 for children 12 and under on Thursdays and Saturday matinees, and $37 general, $32 for seniors and youth, and $15 for children for Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees. Tickets are available online at www.6thStreetPlayhouse.com, by calling the box office at (707) 523-4185, or in person during open Box Office hours.
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