ZADORA'S A COMIC AND MUSICAL HIT IN `FUNNY GIRL' THEATER REVIEW By Jim Farber Pia Zadora's performance as Fanny Brice in Long Beach Civic Light Opera's production of ``Funny Girl'' may not leave you exiting the Terrace Theater thinking ``Barbra who?'' - but you certainly will be speaking Zadora's praises as a powerful, resourceful and engaging entertainer. She dominated Saturday evening's opening with a combination of spunky assertiveness, wide-eyed comic charm, abundant energy and a multi-hued voice. At her best, Zadora captures the ``in your face'' cleverness amd quicksilver qualities of Fanny Brice. She is a wisecracking little dynamo. Zadora shines when she portrays Fanny's comic side, especially the comedian's way of using gags as a sort of attack/defense mechanism. Her timing and emphasis for the numerous quips in Isobel Lennart's book should become more refined in future performances. In her more dramatic scenes, involving Brice's infatuation with, marriage to, and eventual divorce from Nick Arnstein (Adrian Zmed), the emotional dynamics are credible. Her depiction of the deeper, passionate side of Fanny lacks some dimension, however, and her lower East Side Jewish accent tends to be overly capricious at times. As a vocalist, Zadora is a solid hit. She knows how to sell a song, and has the flexibility to handle the variety of styles set out in Jule Styne's music, as well as the multiple inventions of Bob Merrill's lyrics. She may not be a ``big mamma,'' but she gets pretty bluesy in ``Coronet Man.'' She shows her most charming comic side in ``I Want to Be Seen with You Tonight'' and the very funny restaurant seduction number, ``You Are Woman.'' But her real show-stopper is ``The Music That Makes Me Dance,'' a tender ballad she gives a real star turn. Oddly enough, the two songs that give her the most difficulty are the pair most closely associated with Streisand, ``People'' and ``Don't Rain on My Parade.'' In the former, her phrasing, attack and coordination with conductor Mark Hummell haven't quite found the flow and phrasing to really make it work. In the latter, she doesn't combine the required belting volume and precise diction to completely realize the song's impact. Zmed looks dashing, and is convincingly captivating as Nick. He looks good with Zadora, and together, they sound great. Gambler Arnstein is a man whose existence is based on his glossy surface, and that's mostly where Zmed's performance stays. He does, however, have an excellent singing voice that provides his most convincing moments. Songstress Kaye Ballard gives a nicely drawn characterization to Fanny's mother. Her concern and pride in her daughter, and her sense of camaraderie with her friends and the people who inhabit the saloon she runs, provide a pleasant air of believability. She sings with smooth, elegant clarity. Lloyd Gordon gives a performance reminiscent of Donald O'Connor's character in ``Singin' in the Rain.'' He is all boyish charm and well-meaning concern as Fanny's friend, Eddie Ryan. He also has much the same litheness in his dance. Carol Arthur (Mrs. Dom DeLuise), makes the most of her role as Mrs. Strakosh, the overbearing, full-of-good-advice neighbor. Jack Ritschel strikes a convincing presence as the Broadway magnate Florenz Ziegfield and Paul Lyday plays the small-time theater operator who gives Fanny her first break. The toe-tapping chorus of dancers and singers that quick-step their way through Alan Johnson's smartly paced choreography are led by Deanna Dys, Mary Jo Mahaffey and Renae Larsen-Davis. The most successful ``big number'' is the World War I dandy, ``Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat.'' As the show's director, Johnson keeps the action flowing with an eager intensity, particularly in the first act, as Fanny makes her rise to fame and fortune. The drive slows considerably in Act 2, as the plot gets into the murkier motivations and entanglements of Fanny's married life. Musically, conductor Hummelproduced a quality sound and up-tempo energy from his orchestra. While one might wish for more visual flair and excess in the Ziegfield numbers, the sets from the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera provide a bright background to the action. Eaves Brooks' costumes, coordinated by Bill Belew, give a nice sense of color and period. The skilled lighting design is Kim Killingsworth's. Appeared in the AM edition of PRESS-TELEGRAM on Monday, March 4, 1991, Section: ENTERTAINMENT, page E3 |
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