• Ray Stark hired Isobel Lennart in the early 60's to write a screenplay about Fanny Brice's life. Movie studios didn't buy it. Stark aligned himself with Broadway producer David Merrick to bring the story to the stage first, as a musical.
• Stark wisely hired the Gypsy songwriting team: Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. Jerome Robbins would direct.
• Mary Martin was an early choice for the role of Fanny; Sondheim dropped out.

• Bob Merrill (lyricist) joined Jule Styne. Carol Haney was choreographer.
• Jerome Robbins wanted Anne Bancroft as Brice. Bancroft declined after hearing some of the new Styne/Merrill songs.
• Playwright John Patrick came in for rewrites, concurrently with Lennart.
• Eydie Gorme and Carol Burnett were approached to play Fanny.
• July 25, 1963 - Ray Stark announced Barbra's casting. READ THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE >>
• Jerome Robbins wanted to fire Isobel Lennart. Stark refused. Robbins quit.
• Bob Fosse was hired to direct, then quit.
• Director Sidney Lumet considered Funny Girl but declined because of the messy script.

• Garson Kanin replaced Lumet, Fosse, and Robbins as director.
• December 6, 1963 — first rehearsal for Funny Girl.
• David Merrick and Ray Stark have fallout; Merrick sold his share of show back to Stark. Streisand's manager renegotiated her original Merrick-owned contract with Ray Stark.
• Rights to use Brice's "My Man" not granted to Stark for use in musical.
• Jan. 13, 1964 — Funny Girl "tried out" in Boston. Second act and over-length problems. Bad reviews.
• Feb. 4, 1964 — Funny Girl previewed in Philadelphia at the Forrest Theater.
• Playwright John Patrick leaves show (and rewrites) behind.
• Garson Kanin left the production. Jerome Robbins rehired with the credit "Production Supervised By..."
• Choreographer Carol Haney left show; Haney died soon thereafter.
• Broadway opening postponed five times by Stark to allow Robbins time to fix the show.
• March 26, 1964 — Funny Girl opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater.
• READ THE REVIEW >>

First there was Fanny Brice — the great stage comedienne and "torch" singer who starred in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920's and on the radio in the 1930's as "Baby Snooks".

Fanny was appearing in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921. With Nick's trial imminent, Ziegfeld gave Fanny "My Man" to sing. It was an English-language version of "Mon Homme" which had been introduced in Paris. The audience empathized with Fanny, and knew the words of the song mirrored her real-life situation. It's said she never sang the song without closing her eyes and thinking of Nick.

Ray Stark, producer of FUNNY GIRL, was married to Fanny Brice's daughter Fran. It was his dream to make a musical about his mother-in-law's life story.

For more information on the real Fanny Brice, check out Wim's excellent website >>