When I looked at all the musicals coming through our city this year with Broadway in Seattle, I was really excited to see that Funny Girl was on our list. I know this is an iconic musical (thanks to watching Glee in the early 2000’s) and a few of the songs are absolute classics (even if like me, you’ve never seen Funny Girl, you’ve probably heard People, and Don’t Rain on my Parade.) I was invited to interview Hannah Shankman who plays the lead role of Fanny Brice in this musical and I think you’ll love the musical even more after getting to know her too. Hannah is based in New York City and that’s where she was when I called her yesterday morning:
So you will be touring all around the United States pretty soon, starting in Seattle until April of next year, is there a place you are most excited to visit?
Hannah tells me it’s Boston because that is where her husband’s family is from. She also tours with her 13 year old, 17 pound Doxen named Charlie. (I look “Doxen” up after our interview and find out that Doxen is another name for Weiner dog and oh my goodness these pups are so cute! There is actually a Weiner dog race in our Seattle area on September 21 at the Lodge at St Edwards State Park and you can still enter your pup. And also, don’t you wish we could bring our pups more places? I just read an article on how having a pup might help us be less-stressed as well a whole list of other healthy benefits)
And then Seattle? When you get here do you know what to expect? Are the sets the same or do you have to do a lot of different prepwork for each location? (I don’t know much about what happens when a musical is touring, but I remember seeing how they rolled in the equipment for Cirque Du Soleil when it came to Seattle so I have to ask.)
Hannah tells me they have the same set that tours with them and so the only thing different is pretty much the dressing rooms and backstage configuration. This will be her first time performing at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle (she has been at the Fifth Avenue Theatre before) and of course I tell her it’s gorgeous.
I ask her what she wants Seatteites to know about her character. (I have never seen Funny Girl and I am not sure if everyone does prepwork before they go to a show but I usually do and started watching a bit of the Barbara Streisand version of Funny Girl on Prime Video and it’s delightful but after the interview I think about Hannah telling me that it’s “Funny Girl like you’ve never seen it before” and I think I’d like to have her show as my first introduction)
Hannah tells me that Fanny Brice was a real person. She was a Jewish comedian born in NYC in 1891 who became a huge star of the stage, screen and radio and was widely acknowledged for comedy and a trailblazer for female comedians. She set the stage for people like Joan Rivers and Sarah Silverman. She is full of confidence, perseverance and love. Hearing Hannah so enthusiastic about her makes me feel like Fanny Brice is the type of strong historic heroine that also feels like she could be your best friend. These are the women who inspire us to be our greatest selves. And later in our chat, Hannah also tells me that while this is a story of love between Fanny and Nicky it is also a love story of Fanny and herself. (And don’t we all need to learn to love ourselves a lot more too?)
I always look forward to seeing the costumes in musicals so I ask Hannah if we can talk about Fanny Brice’s clothes-Do you have a favorite outfit? And how do you get changed so quickly and still look fabulous?
Susan Hilferty designs the costumes for Funny Girl and all the costumes are quick-rigged. Hannah has 22 costume changes in the show. She takes a short pause to decide before saying that the “Don’t Rain on my Parade” costume and the People dress are her favorites. She usually has between 30 seconds and 3 minutes for a costume change and 3-4 people are often helping out with wigs and hats too. (So many of us have had to make quick outfit changes in life but can you imagine what it might feel like to have to frantically get someone else dressed in seconds to go on stage and perform?)
I read somewhere that Hannah and her sister used to sing songs from Funny Girl when they were small. I ask her if she is a bit like Fanny Brice in real life and what maybe drew her to this character?
Hannah says they both are Jewish with a passion to be on stage, with artistic family members and they’re both from New York. Fanny’s brother Lew was in acting and so are Hannah’s parents and sister and brother. (A whole family of actors? This would be so fun! I wonder what their family gatherings might be like and if they have any favorite games they play at holidays but I forget to ask.)
Once the show starts it sounds like your schedule will be quite busy…
Hannah is onstage for most of the 2 hours and 50 minutes (minus intermission) of the show and will be at most of the shows. She says taking care of yourself is really important and she works out, cooks her own food, and takes time to read and meditate. She just started high altitude training because one of the stops on the tour is in Denver. For this she goes on long distance runs or walks up a hill while singing.
Of course I can’t get it out of my head that she is a reader and she tells me she recently finished Cloud Cuckoo Land and that she also read All the Light you Cannot See by the same author (Anthony Doerr) and she loved both of these books. (I will try Cloud Cuckoo Land again now but I loved All the Light you Can See too!) Then she asks me what I’m reading and somehow with the question table turned I become a babbling mess and forget that I just finished my first real book in ages: Elise Hooper‘s Fast Girls: a novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympics and I’m now “reading” The most Fun We Ever Had on Audible (this one has just been so confusing to start- I keep having to replay the beginning and I finally got the characters sorted out.)
And suddenly we’re at my last question: You are in a spot many people would dream about being in. You are a lead in an iconic musical traveling across the country. It is a dream for many that seems like it could only be a dream and yet you prove it is something attainable. How did you do this? How would you tell your story to someone also chasing their dreams?
And Hannah tells me that her whole life…no my whole career has been me pushing for my own success. I have a great team around me but also it’s believing in yourself and putting in the work and hope. It’s ironic but this is also what Fanny does in the show. I was in theatre and then applied to all the college programs and got rejected but didn’t let it deter me. I applied again the next year and went to Michigan for acting. My career blossomed in my senior year of college and then I left to tour and then it kept going from there. And now I’m the lead in a national tour.
And even just through chatting over the phone where I find it so difficult to get a real read on people I’ve never met in person, Hannah Shankman radiates positive energy, thoughtfulness and inspiring candor. She has a true laugh and a sparkly voice. And I’m looking forward to seeing her portray Fanny Brice in a few weeks and watch Funny Girl for the first ever time. Come see her too if you’re in Seattle or in a city where Funny Girl is touring this year!
(PS. you can find out more about tickets in Seattle through this link, Funny Girl will be in Seattle from September 24-29th 2024)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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