Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- The Broadway musical "Funny Girl" embarks on its first national tour, with performances at the Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake City, featuring Grammy winner Melissa Manchester as Fanny's mother, Rose.
- Manchester, who has a 50-year career with 19 Billboard hits, described the opportunity as thrilling and historic.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Broadway musical "Funny Girl" is on a national tour for the first time. And one cast member is an icon in the music industry.
Grammy winner Melissa Manchester visited with KSL Arts Specialist Carole Mikita to talk about her 50-year career.
Fanny Brice, the star of "Funny Girl," belts out the words to a now beloved song, "Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter..."
The show, on its first national tour, opened Tuesday night at the Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake City. And Melissa Manchester took to the stage in the role of Fanny's mother, Rose. "Thrilling, really thrilling. They were just fantastic and they got the show," she said.
Music to Manchester's ears — a Grammy, two Academy Award-nominated songs — a singer and songwriter with 19 Billboard charted hits like "Don't Cry Out Loud," " You Should Hear How She Talks About You" and "Whenever I Call You Friend."
The opportunity to perform in a Broadway show was really appealing, so she actually auditioned for it.
"In 60 years it's never had a national tour, so being part of this was actually a historic event. I had to check with my kids because I had a new grandbaby at the time and I didn't want to miss any of those firsts," Manchester said. "They all said, 'You've got to do this. Go! We'll make this work.'"
Manchester's career spans 50 years. "What better way to celebrate that than have an adventure? And this show, 'Funny Girl,' is a supreme adventure."
And besides being on stage again, what she loves is touring. "As a concert performer, you go into a place, you go through the back of the building, you do your concert and you leave. To be in each beautiful city in these United States, that I have crossed for 50 years but never seen, to be able to see it, at long last, it's really beautiful."
Another song audiences love: "People, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world…"
"Funny Girl" may be 60 years old, but Manchester said the message still resonates with audiences of more than one generation because Fanny Brice, a star, has to pick herself up from personal loss and move on.
"That story of the triumph of the will is universal and timeless. So that is what has been thrilling to be a part of night after night," Machester said.
"Funny Girl" has performances at the Eccles Theatre through Sunday, Oct. 13.
