Hannah Shankman relishes role of Fanny Brice in ‘Funny Girl’
“It’s such an honor to play such a beautifully nuanced, flushed out, iconic Jewish woman,” Shankman said.
Actress Hannah Shankman likes to play strong, Jewish women with chutzpah.
For the last four months, she has had the opportunity to portray one of the original feisty heroines of the stage.
Shankman is the lead in the touring production of “Funny Girl,” playing Jewish comedian and actress Fanny Brice.
“‘Funny Girl,’ to me, is about someone who is unapologetically herself and that sense of self is intertwined with Jewish humor,” Shankman said. “She really paved the way for so many Jewish comedians like Sarah Silverman, Joan Rivers and Jerry Seinfeld.”
Those comedians, she said, were formative for Shankman’s own sense of humor and sense of self.
“Playing Fanny feels like I get to be authentically funny in a way that is really special,” she said.
That sense of self is essential to the role, given that most audiences are more familiar with the movie, which premiered in 1968, rather than the musical, which opened in 1964. It starred another strong, Jewish woman with chutzpah — Barbra Streisand, who made the role her own.
Not surprisingly, Streisand’s portrayal left an impression on the young actress.
“I saw the movie when I was very young and felt very drawn to the character,” Shankman said. “Barbra Streisand left such an imprint on it.”
There was more to the role that drew Shankman in, though. She felt connected to Brice’s longing to be a part of the entertainment industry as well as having a personal life. The comedian’s search for a workable balance between the two felt very tangible and real to her, she said.
“It’s such an honor to play such a beautifully nuanced, flushed out, iconic Jewish woman,” Shankman said. “It feels very exciting.”
Of course, part of that excitement that goes along with any musical is the songs. The score to “Funny Girl,” Shankman said, is “incredible” and “beautifully written.” She called the opportunity to perform the songs onstage “a dream.”
Performing nightly is nothing new to Shankman. Her credits include Broadway productions of “Les Miserables,” “Side Show,” “Hair” and “Wicked,” and she has toured nationally with “The Band’s Visit,” “Les Miserable’s 26th Anniversary Tour” and “Rent.” Her resume is rounded out with off- Broadway and workshop performances, film and television appearances, as well as regional theater roles.
She’s even appeared in Pittsburgh with Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Company.”
“I love Pittsburgh,” she said. “This will be my third or fourth time to the city. I deeply loved working at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. It was an incredible experience.”
Shankman’s acting credits might seem surprising since she originally viewed herself strictly as a singer.
“I made a big switch,” she said, “and ended up going to school for straight acting, non-musical theater. I started to think of myself as an actor.”
She soon realized, though, that the two disciplines were connected.
“You can’t really sing in musical theater without acting and you can’t act a song unless you know how to sing. It’s so interwoven.”
In the end, she said, she prefers to think of herself as a vessel for storytelling rather than an actor, singer or dancer.
And while Shankman feels connected to Brice, she said she didn’t grow up in a traditional Jewish household, despite her father being Jewish.
“I am from a culturally Jewish, non-religious Jewish background,” she said. “But I am so much more Jewish than anything else. I grew up celebrating Chanukah, but we also celebrated Christmas and Easter. My parents were very open to letting us choose our own path.”
A story that has become a family legend might have something to do with her parents’ openness. As Shankman explained, her father grew up, like most American Jewish boys, studying for a bar mitzvah and going to Hebrew school. One day, though, his father told him that would no longer be the case.
“He was like, you’re not going anymore. And when my dad asked why his dad wouldn’t tell him. It’s family lore now. There are so many different stories. My favorite is that it was [either] Hebrew school or the pool club.”
Shankman’s background didn’t blunt her enthusiasm for playing Brice, and she believes that anyone who attends a performance will find a reason to smile.
“The show is a love letter to the theater,” she said. “You’re going to see incredible tap dancing, an amazing score. It’s humorous and touching and heartfelt. Really, it’s a story about perseverance and self-love that I think everyone can connect to.”
“Funny Girl” runs Jan. 7-12 at the Benedum Center. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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