A story of rising and falling stars: Stephen Mark Lukas talks ‘Funny Girl’ revival tour

“Funny Girl,” with a score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, premiered on Broadway in 1964 and quickly became a hit, earning eight nominations at the 18th Tony Awards and spawning a 1968 film. But it wasn’t until 2022, nearly 60 years later, that the show saw a revival on Broadway, followed by a North American tour, which will stop at the Wharton Center Wednesday (Feb. 7) through Sunday (Feb. 11). Despite the time gap, the show’s original score, and premise, remain deeply relatable to a contemporary audience, said Stephen Mark Lukas, who plays Nick Arnstein.

The semi-biographical script depicts the life and tumultuous marriage of Arnstein and Fanny Brice, played by Katerina McCrimmon, during Brice’s formative years as an iconic performer, as well as a wife and mother. The real-life Brice has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was a successful Broadway actress and recording artist, and, later in life, she developed a comedic radio show starring a character called Baby Snooks. In 1999, she received a posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame Award for her 1921 recording of “My Man.”

Lukas stated that his character’s arc isn’t what audiences will expect.

“As the show goes on, Fanny’s star ascends and Nick’s diminishes. He has to grapple with his demons. It all sort of unravels for him,” he said.

Based on Brice’s real-life second husband, the character of Arnstein is as relatable now as he was in the 1960s, because he’s a partner to a woman who is finding herself and learning to own her power.

“When we first meet Nick, he’s mysterious and formal. He has everything put together, and everything is going for him. He’s a real man of the time in the early 20th century — a playboy, a gambler. He bets on horse races and boxing. He has it all figured out,” Lukas said.

But by the end of the show, he said Arnstein has been “knocked down a peg.”

“He starts coming from this place of vulnerability. What I love about the show is that it depicts their relationship not as a fairy tale like a lot of musical comedies. It delves into the trials and tribulations. It’s not a perfect romance, and a lot of people see themselves in that. It’s a bittersweet love story,” he said.

The real-life Brice and Arnstein were married from the time Brice was 27 to 36 years old. Two years into the marriage, Brice released what would become her signature song, “My Man,” for the Ziegfeld Follies, and she continued to perform for the company into the 1930s.

“Funny Girl” is about a woman who must forge her own path, Lukas said.

“I think young women and young men can connect to the story of Fanny Brice. She has been told from a young age that she wouldn’t succeed because she doesn’t look right for the Follies. But by embracing her authenticity and that which makes her different, she’s able to be very successful. And she won’t take no for an answer,” he said.

He called the role of Brice “humongous” and “a star-making performance.”

The 1964 show was produced by Brice and Arnstein’s son-in-law, Ray Stark, and made famous by Barbara Streisand’s lead performance. But because the show hasn’t been revived on Broadway since its original run, Lukas said, “Most theater lovers haven’t seen a first-class production of this show. Especially not performed with an orchestra like ours.”

Lukas was the understudy for Arnstein during the Broadway run last year.

“A Broadway audience is very specific,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful experience to bring this show to different parts of the country and see how different audiences respond.”

Wharton Center public relations manager Bob Hoffman stated that he was “particularly eager to hear the remarkable Katerina McCrimmon live — her voice is truly extraordinary.”

“The entire cast is of the highest caliber, promising a top-notch theatrical experience,” Hoffman continued. “I’m beyond excited to see this production!”

“Funny Girl” will travel throughout the Midwest into March before heading to the West Coast and continuing around the country through the end of this year. It’s the first time Lukas has been on this kind of schedule, but it’s not his first Broadway tour. He traveled with “The Book of Mormon,” which included a one-year engagement in Chicago and a tour of the United States.

When asked about his own journey to the Broadway stage and beyond, Lukas stated that he was actually a shy child.

“My parents put me in children’s theater. I think they thought it might help me get out of myself,” he said.

By the time he was in high school, he started to realize that musical theater could be his career.

“When I told my parents, they took a deep breath, but they have always been very supportive. On some level, I always knew this was what I wanted to do. I’ve been very fortunate ever since,” he said.