Los Angeles Times - Recommended
"...The best thing about Katerina McCrimmon's dazzling performance is that she makes the character her own. What else could she do? This touring production of the 2022 Broadway revival, directed by Michael Mayer, has its own history to contend with."
Broadway World - Recommended
"...Fanny is an ebullient, unsinkable character who perseveres through dramas, romances, and the ups and downs of show business through grit and determination. Told pretty forthrightly that she’s not classically beautiful enough to be a star, she makes inroads with chutzpah and sheer ability. It’s how stardom should go. Chasing beauty, in the end, cannot compete with raw talent."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Funny Girl is a captivating musical that tells the story of Fanny Brice, a renowned comedienne and entertainer during the early 1900s. This production delves into her journey to fame, her tumultuous relationship with gambler Nick Arnstein, and her remarkable resilience in the face of personal and professional challenges. With its iconic score by Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics), including the unforgettable songs “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” Funny Girl has become a beloved classic."
LA Splash - Highly Recommended
"...With music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Bob Merrill, FUNNY GIRL has stood the test of time, paving the way for multiple national and international adaptations and revivals. Songs like “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” remain cherished by generations of theater-goers. In 1968, a film starring Barbara Streisand and Omar Sharif was the top grossing picture of the year and earned a Golden Globe and Oscar for Streisand. In 2024, the Ahmanson Theatre proudly presents FUNNY GIRL starring the dazzling newcomer, Katerina McCrimmon."
Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...Katerina McCrimmon gives the touring performance of this or any year as comedy legend Fanny Brice in the Broadway National Tour of Funny Girl, its songs as unforgettable as ever, its revised Harvey Fierstein book a marked improvement on the Isobel Lennart original, and its direction (by Michael Mayer) as inspired as direction gets."
Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended
"...The Broadway revival features a revised book by Harvey Fierstein that makes a few specific changes to the script’s events, adding new numbers, adjusting the order of songs, and fleshing out the nuance of Fanny and Nicky’s relationship. In theory, these adjustments add interest to the show, but in practice the production feels slowly paced and overly crammed with ideas. The plot makes an exceedingly ambitious attempt to cover a vast timeframe, and makes little effort to demonstrate the passage of time beyond a passing mention."
Ticket Holders LA - Highly Recommended
"...So what makes this old funny girl funnier than ever before? Simply put, Katerina McCrimmon is absolutely the best Fanny Brice I've ever seen-and I'm old enough to have seen the original star-making turn of Babs herself before the film version cleaned her up a tad. Evoking Edith Piaf with a belt voice, McCrimmon is a revelation and might even have a surplus of those infamous "six expressions more than all them Barrymores put together." Why, wonder of wonders, she even survives the musical's dreaded Act Two."
Its Not About Me - Highly Recommended
"...In all my years of reviewing theatre, (and of seeing everything on Broadway since I was a little girl,) I never ever thought that I’d have the opportunity to see Funny Girl! And, truth be told, I actually didn’t care much about that lack since I wouldn’t be seeing Barbra Streisand or Lea Michelle in it. But let me tell you, this National Tour that’s playing now at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA is wonderful, especially Katerina McCrimmon, the actress who’s taken on the lead role of Fanny Brice for the tour."
Indulge Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Last week, “Funny Girl” lit up the Ahmanson stage with a stunning blend of talent and nostalgia. Katerina McCrimmon’s portrayal of Fanny Brice is a tour de force, her powerful voice resonating with passion and humor, imbuing the character with remarkable depth and authenticity. Her interpretation offers a refreshing departure from previous renditions, arguably delving closer to the essence of the real Fanny Brice than even Streisand’s, and marked a victory over others that have been brutally panned recently."
Larchmont Buzz - Highly Recommended
"...The answer to the inevitable question is, yes, newcomer Katerina McCrimmon does have the chops to pull off the role of Fanny Brice. The touring company of Funny Girl selected a Miami native known only for a decidedly non-musical role in a Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’ Rose Tattoo. It turns out her talents were much broader. In addition to a heartfelt and physical performance that endears Fanny all the way to the back of the balcony, McCrimmon’s every number brings raucous and sustained applause."
