When lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim was invited to work on a musical recounting the life of Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice, he refused because Mary Martin (who played Peter Pan on Broadway) was being considered for the lead. A New Yorker and Jewish, Sondheim told composer Jule Styne that the actress chosen had to be “ethnic.” And when Carol Burnett was offered the role, she turned it down, telling Brice’s son-in-law, producer Ray Stark: “I’d love to do it, but what you need is a Jewish girl.”
Barbra Streisand’s career was launched with Funny Girl, the 1963 Broadway musical. She was performing in Greenwich Village, making her debut in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, a play set in New York’s garment district. Stark approached her about playing the role of a Jewish girl from humble beginnings who rose to becoming the highest paid American comedienne of her time.
Barbra Streisand’s career was launched with Funny Girl, the 1963 Broadway musical. She was performing in Greenwich Village, making her debut in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, a play set in New York’s garment district. Stark approached her about playing the role of a Jewish girl from humble beginnings who rose to becoming the highest paid American comedienne of her time.
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