The Photo

I was in Manhattan for my 25th High School Reunion Dinner in December of 2008. I made a point to stand in the shadow of the New Amsterdam Theatre. It was the home of the Ziegfeld Follies and Fanny Brice was a star there, within those very walls.
I went alone, so I could take a moment and think about how she felt when she walked through the stage doors. Of course there is an alley and you can see the actual path that she walked.
I was glad I went. I thought about the difference in the world since she was there.
She was a part of the biggest show on Broadway when she was with the Follies. She was, for a time, the biggest star. We don't see much of that in our time. We have
"stars" who don't have much talent. We have made celebrities out of ordinary people by virtue of "reality" t.v. There is no talent required. Broadway isn't a home for the gypsies of the Theatre anymore, it has become a commercial proposition where the actor may transition from film to stage as a novelty, regardless of their ability to execute the material with integrity that is unique to live theatre. It's unfortunate that many of the lines have been blurred.
The nature of Show Business has evolved for better or worse.
Maybe that's why I love the show Funny Girl, so much. Now that we're actually in production, I can see that it is as "simple" as I always thought it would be.
It's a story of a person. She was extraordinary, but she was a person with talent, feelings, and flaws. She happened to be funny, so that was a defense that worked for her in every public situation, including the humiliation of her husband's incarceration. Show business began and ended on the Broadway Stage in New York City at the time that Fanny was with the Follies. She was one of many members of a very successful company, but she had the something special that transcended the chorus.
What was that thing?
Who has it?
Most importantly, who decides who has it, or is anybody even looking for it anymore?