Funny Face (musical)
| Funny Face | |
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| Music | George Gershwin |
| Lyrics | Ira Gershwin |
| Book | Paul Gerard Smith Fred Thompson |
| Productions | 1927 Broadway 1957 Film |
Funny Face is a 1927 musical composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by Fred Thompson and Paul Gerard Smith.
Originally called Smarty, it starred Fred Astaire and his sister Adele Astaire. It opened in Philadelphia to poor reviews, and amidst major re-writes, critic-humorist Robert Benchley, who had contributed to the script, walked out.[1] Renamed Funny Face, it opened in New York, where it was a major hit. Then it transferred to London.[2]
A new version of the show opened played Broadway's St. James Theatre in 1983 as My One and Only, and ran for a profitable 767 performances. A British film adaptation was made in 1936, called She Knew What She Wanted. A 1957 Hollywood film of the same name stars Fred Astaire and uses four of the songs, but the plot is completely different.
Original Broadway production
The show opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 22, 1927, and ran for 244 performances. It was directed by Edgar MacGregor, with choreography by Bobby Connolly.
Cast
- Fred Astaire as Jimmy Reeve
- Adele Astaire as Frankie Wynn
- William Kent as Dugsie Gibbs
- Victor Moore as Herbert
- Allen Kearns as Peter Thurston
- Gertrude McDonald as June
- Betty Compton as Dora
- Earl Hampton as Chester
Songs
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1957 film
Starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, the movie Funny Face featured just four songs from the stage musical of the same name, and the plot was radically different.
References
Notes
- ^ Jablonski, Edward. Gershwin. Doubleday (1988), p. 144
- ^ Talkin' Broadway Regional News & Reviews: San Francisco - "Woman in Black" and "Funny Face" - 5/22/00
