FUNNY GIRL

*Note* Because I have not seen the live show, this synopsis and the attached lyrics are from the movie version,

The story begins in the present. Fanny is in the theatre seeing her name in lights for the famous Zigfeild follies. Sitting in the audience she begins to remember and think about her beginnings...and the show begins..

Fanny is in her mother's salon, getting ready for her big debut as a replacement chorus girl with the local theatre. She is a gangly young girl, with a prominent nose and the patrons of her mother's business seem to delight in pointing out that IF A GIRL ISN'T PRETTY she'll never make it in show biz.

Fanny ignores them and goes running down the street to the theatre, only to find that she doesn't even come close to fitting in! She can't keep up with the other girls and her thin legs make her stick out even more. She is fired almost immediately. Crushed but brave Fanny attempts to reason with the owners of the show telling them that "I'M THE GREATEST STAR". The manager is not convinced, but his assistant is, and he allows her to perform in a roller-skate novelty number that evening.


The evening arrives and Fanny discovers to her dismay that ...she can't roller skate. But her hilarious antics are a hit with the audience and she is literally shoved back on the stage...to perform an unplanned number (I'D RATHER BE BLUE) that brings the house down.

Fannys success leads to her being noticed backstage by NICK ARMSTIEN, whom she instantly falls head over heels in love with but thinks she will never see again after 6 months of performing in the local theatre as the star of the show, Fanny receives a letter from Florencè Zigfeld asking her to meet him. She assures everyone at home that she is going to do everything the Mr. Zigfeld says. That does not happen
Fanny is accepted into the Follies, and asked to sing in both a solo number SECOND HAND ROSE, and in the finale , a beautiful bride number. This is where Fanny's obedient facade slips and she says that she cannot possibly do the finale because it would require her to say she was pretty like the other girls. Under the pressure that she will be cut from the follies if she bows out of the finale she does the number, but personalises it slightly to make it a comedy which Zigfeld grudgingly admits is a success.

After her first show Fanny is again united with Nick, who somewhat invites himself to the after-show party at Fanny's mothers salon. Managing to escape the celebrations and be alone for a moment, Fanny and Nick enter the alley behind the salon and Fanny comes very close to giving herself completely over to Nick after a thoughtful reverie about the nature of PEOPLE. Nick tells her that he must leave town and will call her as soon as he gets back

Many months after opening night Fanny is in Baltimore , now the indubitable star of the follies. She accosted by reporters and then runs head on into Nick who is picking up his horse for the races he plans to enter as his next gamble. Nick invites Fanny to dinner but Fanny, badly burned by the fact that Nick never did call her, does not give him a yes or no answer . Undaunted , Nick tells her that he will have the hotel private dining room reserved for them at 8.


After much stewing Fanny decides to accept Nicks dinner invite. She shows up to the private dining room to find a table, neatly set for two, and a...bed. Startled, Fanny maintains her quickly diminishing aloof pose while Nick orders dinner...in French. Nick then proceeds to seduce her, by reminding her "YOU ARE WOMAN". Fanny , being the innocent that she is , falls for him even farther.
Nick announces at dinner a few nights later that he is leaving for New York first thing in the morning, in order to catch a boat to Europe. When Fanny asks him why it is so important he explains that he intends to make a fortune gambling on the boat there. Fanny is , of course, miserable without him and the other girls in the follies try to console her. When Nick sends her yellow roses at the train station before she leaves for Chicago, Fanny breaks and decides to follow her love to New York instead of going on with her tour ( DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE ). The moment of Fanny at the bow of the tugboat as she speeds towards Nick's liner is one of the most celebrated in musical history.
Nick, thank goodness, is thrilled to see Fanny. Finally the two decide to get married, but Nick insists that he win the money first. He does , after much panic on Fanny's part and Fanny finally becomes a SADI( slang for a married lady).
Although their marriage remains happy and hopeful for the first little while, and they have a daughter, Nick runs into bad trouble when he loses his ability to gamble with a straight face. He loses the house in an oil deal gone bad and is at his wits end now that the huge spotlight on his wife is constantly shining on him as well. Fanny and her husband have a major blowout when Nick misses one of her opening nights ( THE SWAN) for a gambling match that he doesn't even win.
At this point Fanny attempts to help her failing husband, who despite everything she still loves dearly. However she only makes things worse. Nick then takes things into his own hands, and is caught and charged with embezzlement. Before he goes off to prison for 18 months, he gently asks his wife for a divorce, saying that he can simply not keep up with her anymore. Fanny is heartbroken and says she'll let him know of her decision after his release from jail.
The story returns to the present. We realise now that this is the day Nick gets out of prison. Fanny is re-introduced to her husband just before she is due to go on stage. She agrees , tearfully, to divorce him and Nick bids his goodbye to her . Fanny laments the irony in the fact that he called her FUNNY GIRL. She goes on with her act, tearfully at first, then with growing power as she describes her love for MY MAN.




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