INTERVIEW: Anne L. Nathan gets funny in ‘Funny Girl’
Image courtesy of Polk & Co. / Provided with permission.
Anne L. Nathan, the accomplished performer who has appeared in everything from It Shoulda Been You to Ragtime, has returned to Broadway in the acclaimed revival of Funny Girl, now playing through September at the August Wilson Theatre. The production, which stars Lea Michele, Ramin Karimloo, Jared Grimes and Tovah Feldshuh, follows the character of Fanny Brice, a singer from the Lower East Side of Manhattan who dreams of a career on the stage. Nathan’s role is Mrs. Strakosh, something of a town gossip who watches Fanny’s triumphs and struggles.
For Nathan, her inclusion in the cast was meant to be.
“I was in my car, alternate side parking in New York City, which is such a New York City thing, and I got a call from my agent wondering if I would be interested in taking over for Tony Debono who played the role,” Nathan said in a recent phone interview. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to.’ They talked to Michael Mayer and Michael Rafter, the director and the music [supervisor], and they just offered me the job the next day. I just got real lucky.”
When Nathan accepted the job, she certainly was familiar with the musical, which features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and a book by Isobel Lennart (with assists by Margaret Styne and Harvey Fierstein), but she actually hadn’t seen this particular production just yet. That’s not to say she didn’t have a connection: Way back when this revival first premiered a couple years ago, she actually auditioned for the show.
“I did not get it and put it away and did other things, and then as luck would have it, it came to me at a perfect time,” she said. “And I’m having the best time, honestly. It’s only been two weeks, and it’s just a wonderful group of people and a great job. … I have only replaced once in all my shows because I’ve generally been in a show from the beginning, but in this case, I’m very lucky because the creative team and the stage managers and everybody involved gave me the leeway to do it the way I wanted to, up to a point. There are certain things, of course, you have to fit into the company. It’s their rhythm, and I’m very happy to do that. Also luckily I’m replacing Tony Debono, who is wonderful, so I can watch what she did, take what I felt would work for me, and even if I do what she does, it’s never going to be like her. I’m still finding my own way with it, but they were very open to seeing a different interpretation. But, of course, it’s within the parameters of what’s already up on the stage, always.”
Nathan said she loves how funny her character is. She’s billed as the town gossip, someone who wants to know everything about everyone. And for Nathan, playing someone who is in everyone’s business is a lot of fun. “I sort of recognize the character as well in my grandparents,” said Nathan, who has also appeared in Chicago and Thoroughly Modern Millie. “They grew up in Brooklyn in Canarsie and Borough Park, so I felt like I could really relate to these ladies. Oh, what a delightful, fun role to play.”
When Nathan took over the role a few weeks ago, she was immediately struck by the cheering audiences (almost always sold out) who greeted the company and this iconic show. Nathan, who will be with the show through its closing in September, likened it to being in a rock concert. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a show that felt like a rock concert and to see so many young people coming to the show, they are really, really into it and the story,” Nathan said. “Of course, it has one of the best musical scores ever written, so it’s interesting to see it have such a huge second life, especially with young people, which is really interesting to me.”
In many ways, performing alongside Michele is a full-circle moment for Nathan. The two were in Ragtime together when Michele was a child performer. “She’s incredible,” Nathan said. “She’s such a huge talent and so much generosity backstage to all of us, a great leader of a company, and special for me personally because we have that history. It warms my heart to see how she’s blossomed, but I’m also not surprised because she was actually a pretty great child actor.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Funny Girl, featuring Anne L. Nathan, continues at the August Wilson Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
