Darlings, Did Eydie Gorme Screw Herself???????

                                 Girls, I always loved Eydie Gorme!  AND her husband, Steve Lawrence.  I can still recall this anthology Christmas album we had in the house, where they sang "That Holiday Feeling."  "Let's roast chestnuts by the fire/Any little thing you desire!"  Honey, you better believe it!

                                   Eydie had such a compelling voice, I used to say if BARBRA hadn't come along, Eydie might have been where she was.  And there is evidence to support this, when I was looking up the genesis of the Broadway production, "Funny Girl."

                                    Producer Ray Stark, who was married to Fanny Brice's daughter, Frances, had commissioned some writer (I do not know who, darlings!!!!) to write a biographical book on his famous mother-in-law.  The deal fell through.  So, Stark decided it would make a good film.  Many screenwriters submitted scripts to him, but none caught his eye--until Isobel Lennart submitted something called "My Man."
Stark liked it, but felt it would work better as a stage musical.  Then, Mary Martin--yes, Mary!!!--got wind of it, and decided she wanted to play Fanny!!!!!  Can you imagine?????  Apparently, Stephen Sondheim
agreed; because, when Stark went after he and Jule Styne, (fresh after their triumph with "Gypsy!") Steve said he refused to do it with Mary Martin; that you needed someone more "ethnic" to play Fanny Brice. He was right!!!!  So, guess who then comes on board???? Anne Bancroft, an Italian girl from the Bronx, in
New York!!!!  Somehow, Anne brings on board this lyricist she knows, Bob Merill.  She likes his work, even though the two had some kind of a fight years before.  He holes up with Styne, and sets lyrics to a couple of the melodies, most notably "Who Are You Now?" and "The Music That Makes Me Dance."  The latter is now being used where "My Man" might have been, because they could not get rights to that song.  And, hence, Lennart's script had to change its title to--"Funny Girl!"

                                Well, Anne Bancroft hears the score, and decides it is not for her; hell, she knew she was not good enough to sing that!!!!   She was no fool!!!!  Then Eydie Gorme's name (and she CAN sing!!!!) is mentioned.  Eydie had the opportunity of a lifetime to play Fanny Brice on Broadway in "Funny
Girl!"  BUT--she turned it down!!!!!  Why????  Because she said she would do it, only if hubby Steve Lawrence was cast as Nicky Arnstein, and everyone agreed, he was not suited for the part.  So, Eydie walked out on the role of a lifetime, the creative staff looked elsewhere, leading them to the Bon Soir night club, leading them to......you know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                I can't believe Eydie, darlings!!!!! Talk about spousal loyalty!!!!!  But the question must be asked--good a singer as Eydie was, would "Funny Girl" have become a classic, would it be written about
now, if she had played Fanny???? The answer is, I am not so sure.  Good as she was, Eydie was a one-note type of singer--belt, front and center!!!!  Could she have handled vocal subtleties????  And she was never
known for being an actress, or harboring any ambitions to be one.  So, I think Justice prevailed.

                               But it might not have if Eydie had accepted the role.  In which case, she screwed herself out of the opportunity of a lifetime!!!!!

                                Believe me, darlings, if I am offered the chance to play Fantine--or Fanny--anywhere--
even in the Lincoln Tunnel--I will be the first to accept!!!!!!




















agreed; because