History Trivia / FunnyGirl

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: A rumor has persisted that the song "People" was originally written for Belle to sing in ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoosChristmasCarol'', which also has songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. It wasn't, however. The truth is that at one point during production of ''Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol'', the producer Lee Ogle heard Styne and Merrill rehearsing "People" for ''Funny Girl'', and he liked it so much that he tried to convince them to let Belle sing it in ''Magoo'' instead, but they refused.

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: A rumor has persisted that the song "People" was originally written for Belle to sing in ''WesternAnimation/MrMagoosChristmasCarol'', which also has songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. It wasn't, however.

** In 2011, a revival was announced, which would have been directed by Bartlett Sher and starred Lauren Ambrose, and would have opened in Los Angeles before transferring to Broadway in 2012. The casting of the [[WTHCastingAgency non-Jewish and conventionally pretty Ambrose]] was controversial, but ultimately the production was cancelled due to financial troubles.

* BannedInChina: The film was banned in Egypt because of the romance between Omar Sharif (who was Egyptian) and Barbra Streisand (who is Jewish).

** A then-little known Creator/CarolBurnett was considered for the role of Fanny [[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v1AEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5271%2C2893771 in the original theatrical version]]. Other actresses considered were Mary Martin, Eydie Gormé, and Creator/AnneBancroft.

* TroubledProduction: The show went on to be a hit, but its pre-Broadway tryout suffered serious troubles. The opening performance in Boston was practically a fiasco. Feuds arose between Streisand and Sydney Chaplin, and between everyone and the notoriously temperamental Jerome Robbins when he took over from credited director Garson Kanin. Ghostwriters struggled to keep up with rewrites demanded by Streisand and the Arnstein family (the show's producer was Nick Arnstein's son-in-law). Chaplin's part became equal to Streisand's in billing only; a secondary female role played by Allyn Ann [=McLerie=] was written out entirely. Dozens of songs were thrown out ("People" almost becoming one of them), and dance routines were in a constant state of flux. The final scene was rewritten 42 times, and its final version was being rehearsed immediately prior to the Broadway opening, which had been repeatedly postponed.

* TroubledProduction:
** The show went on to be a hit, but its pre-Broadway tryout suffered serious troubles. The opening performance in Boston was practically a fiasco. Feuds arose between Streisand and Sydney Chaplin, and between everyone and the notoriously temperamental Jerome Robbins when he took over from credited director Garson Kanin. Ghostwriters struggled to keep up with rewrites demanded by Streisand and the Arnstein family (the show's producer was Nick Arnstein's son-in-law). Chaplin's part became equal to Streisand's in billing only; a secondary female role played by Allyn Ann [=McLerie=] was written out entirely. Dozens of songs were thrown out ("People" almost becoming one of them), and dance routines were in a constant state of flux. The final scene was rewritten 42 times, and its final version was being rehearsed immediately prior to the Broadway opening, which had been repeatedly postponed.
** The 2022 revival faced its own controversies, as recapped [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhCmNCAxw8c here]] by Wait in the Wings. The casting of Creator/BeanieFeldstein was controversial from the start, as she quickly became the target of a venomous online hate campaign on account of her weight. Then came the reviews, which, while more civil than the online comments, still pointed to Feldstein as the weak link in the production. After the revival was given an AwardSnub treatment at the 2022 Tonys, and understudy Julie Benko won acclaim when she took over Feldstein's role after she was temporarily benched for COVID, the decision was made (reportedly by Feldstein) to end her contract six months early in late September. Things ''really'' hit the fan when news leaked that Creator/LeaMichele had been cast as Feldstein's replacement. Feldstein announced that she would leave the production even earlier than announced, leading to speculation that [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere she bailed]] as a reaction to being backstabbed by Michele and the producers. Michele's casting turned out to be just as polarizing as Feldstein's had been, if not more so, due to past allegations by multiple costars of Michele's abusive behavior as well as the producers' decision to drastically jack up admission prices following her casting. Still, audiences were enthusiastic upon her debut...and then just ''days'' into her tenure, [[https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Official-Lea-Michele-Out-of-FUNNY-GIRL-for-10-Days-After-Positive-Covid-Test-20220911 she had to drop out for 10 days due to contracting COVID]] and Benko, again, had to fill in.

* TroubledProduction: The show went on to be a hit, but its pre-Broadway tryout suffered serious troubles. The opening performance in Boston was practically a fiasco. Feuds arose between Streisand and Sydney Chaplin, and between everyone and the notoriously temperamental Jerome Robbins when he took over from credited director Garson Kanin. Ghostwriters struggled to keep up with rewrites demanded by Streisand and the Arnstein family (the show's producer was Nick Arnstein's son-in-law). Chaplin's part became equal to Streisand's in billing only; a secondary female role played by Allyn Ann [=McLerie=] was written out entirely. Dozens of songs were thrown out ("People" almost becoming one of them), and dance routines were in a constant state of flux. The final scene was rewritten 42 times, and its final version was being rehearsed immediately prior to the Broadway opening, which had been repeatedly postponed.

** A then-little known Creator/CarolBurnett was considered for the role of Fanny [[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v1AEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5271%2C2893771 in the original theatrical version]]. Others actresses considered were Mary Martin, Eydie Gormé, and Creator/AnneBancroft.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: A then-little known Creator/CarolBurnett was considered for the role of Fanny [[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v1AEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5271%2C2893771 in the original theatrical version]].

** Creator/FrankSinatra was seriously considered for Nicky Arnstein. Streisand vetoed his casting, because while she respected his talent, she disliked him personally. Also considered were Creator/MarlonBrando, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/TonyCurtis, Creator/CaryGrant and Creator/GregoryPeck.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Passions: #41.
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
*** #81 "Hello, gorgeous."
** AFIS100Years100Songs:
*** #46, "Don't Rain on My Parade",
*** #13, "People"
** AFISGreatestMovieMusicals: #16

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

* TroubledProduction: The show went on to be a hit, but its pre-Broadway tryout suffered serious troubles. The opening performance in Boston was practically a fiasco. Feuds arose between Creator/BarbraStreisand and Sydney Chaplin, and between everyone and the notoriously temperamental Jerome Robbins when he took over from credited director Garson Kanin. Ghostwriters struggled to keep up with rewrites demanded by Streisand and the Arnstein family (the show's producer was Nick Arnstein's son-in-law). Chaplin's part became equal to Streisand's in billing only; a secondary female role played by Allyn Ann [=McLerie=] was written out entirely. Dozens of songs were thrown out ("People" almost becoming one of them), and dance routines were in a constant state of flux. The final scene was rewritten 42 times, and its final version was being rehearsed immediately prior to the Broadway opening, which had been repeatedly postponed.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/BarbraStreisand and Creator/OmarSharif had an affair that lasted for the duration of the production. This would contribute to the end of her marriage to Creator/ElliottGould. Creator/WilliamWyler, who knew about the affair, tried to channel their real-life chemistry into their performances. During the "My Man" number, Wyler had Sharif stand behind a nearby curtain and talk to Streisand between takes. Their affair was ending as the shoot came to an end, and Wyler knew that Sharif's presence would have an effect on her performance.
* StarMakingRole: Creator/BarbraStreisand made her film debut.
* StarringAStarAsAStar: Creator/BarbraStreisand as Fanny Brice can be considered a retroactive example, considering that this was actually Streisand's film debut (though she was already a Broadway actress).
* WagTheDirector: According to some reports, Creator/BarbraStreisand was constantly late to the set, would ask to re-shoot scenes that were already done, and try to control every aspect of the production, from the lighting design to what sort of shot was needed to who did her hair. Creator/WilliamWyler was asked by a friend whether she had been hard to work with. He replied, "No, not too hard, considering it was the first movie she ever directed."

** Creator/ColumbiaPictures wanted to cast Creator/ShirleyMacLaine as Fanny Brice. However, Producer Ray Stark, who also produced the Broadway show, and was Brice's son-in-law, insisted on Creator/BarbraStreisand repeating her Broadway role.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/BarbraStreisand and Creator/OmarSharif had an affair that lasted for the duration of the production. This would contribute to the end of her marriage to Elliott Gould. Creator/WilliamWyler, who knew about the affair, tried to channel their real-life chemistry into their performances. During the "My Man" number, Wyler had Sharif stand behind a nearby curtain and talk to Streisand between takes. Their affair was ending as the shoot came to an end, and Wyler knew that Sharif's presence would have an effect on her performance.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/BarbraStreisand and Omar Sharif had an affair that lasted for the duration of the production. This would contribute to the end of her marriage to Elliott Gould. Creator/WilliamWyler, who knew about the affair, tried to channel their real-life chemistry into their performances. During the "My Man" number, Wyler had Sharif stand behind a nearby curtain and talk to Streisand between takes. Their affair was ending as the shoot came to an end, and Wyler knew that Sharif's presence would have an effect on her performance.

* TroubledProduction: The show went on to be a hit, but its pre-Broadway tryout suffered serious troubles. The opening performance in Boston was practically a fiasco. Feuds arose between Creator/BarbraStreisand and Sydney Chaplin, and between everyone and the notoriously temperamental Jerome Robbins when he took over from credited director Garson Kanin. Ghostwriters struggled to keep up with rewrites demanded by Streisand and the Arnstein family (the show's producer was Nick Arnstein's son-in-law). Chaplin's part became equal to Streisand's in billing only; a secondary female role played by Allyn Ann McLerie was written out entirely. Dozens of songs were thrown out ("People" almost becoming one of them), and dance routines were in a constant state of flux. The final scene was rewritten 42 times, and its final version was being rehearsed immediately prior to the Broadway opening, which had been repeatedly postponed.

* StarringAStarAsAStar: Creator/BarbraStreisand as Fanny Brice.

** Creator/FrankSinatra was seriously considered for Nicky Arnstein. Streisand vetoed his casting, because while she respected his talent, she disliked him personally. Also considered were Creator/MarlonBrando, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/CaryGrant and Creator/GregoryPeck.

* StarMakingRole: For Creator/BarbraStresiand.