Worcester native David Foley Jr. in national tour of Broadway revival of 'Funny Girl'

Worcester native, actor and singer David Foley Jr. had roles with the national Broadway tour of "Phantom of the Opera" that kept him on the road for six years during the time he was with the musical from 2013 to 2020.

He enjoyed it, often bringing his family along. "Six years with 'Phantom of the Opera,' I saw most of the country three or four times," Foley said.

Whether that happens with Foley's latest national touring production, "Funny Girl," remains to be seen.

But if a national tour of many miles begins with a single step (or show), to adapt the old Chinese proverb, the first shows for "Funny Girl" will be taking place at the Providence Performing Arts Center during a one-week engagement from Sept. 9 to 16.

'Don't Rain on My Parade'

"Funny Girl," with a score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, and book by Isobel Lennart, first opened on Broadway in 1964. The semibiographical  plot is based on the life and career of comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice, featuring her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein and set in New York City just prior to and after World War I. Barbra Streisand played Fanny Brice in the original Broadway production and won an Oscar for Best Actress in the 1968 film adaptation.

Memorable numbers include “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star” and “People.”

The "Funny Girl" national tour is based on the Broadway revival of the musical that ran 2022-23 with a revised book by Harvey Fierstein.

The production is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer ("Thoroughly Modern Millie"), who also directed the Broadway revival.

The cast for the tour will feature Grammy-Award winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice, Fanny's strong, quick-witted mother, and introduce Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice. Stephen Mark Lukas plays Nick Arnstein, and Foley plays Tom Keeney, a Vaudeville producer who gives Fanny Brice her “big break” in show business.

'If a Girl Isn't Pretty'

The opening of the national tour in Providence is a big deal, and there was excitement in the air as Foley spoke just after a recent rehearsal at the Providence Performing Ars Center during a telephone interview.

"It's a great show. A fantastic group of people playing these roles," Foley said.

Manchester is making her national tour debut.

"Melissa Manchester, she's wonderful. It's really very exciting to get to work with her. What she's bringing to Mrs. Brice is just brilliant and wonderful and people are going to love her," Foley said.

When you read about Kenney the word "temperamental" often comes up. "Temperamental — I think that's good way to describe him at first," Foley observed.

Initially Kenney is "not a fan" because Fanny, while determined to be a performer, isn't "pretty." It's only the beauties who make it in show business, Kenney believed at first.

Foley is one of the cast members who sings the song "If A Girl Isn't Pretty."

"But she (Fanny) wins him over," Foley said.

Keeney is "that hurdle for Fanny to get over. I think it's all in service of telling Fanny's story, which I can do to give her something to work against." It makes his role and interesting and fun, Foley said.

Meanwhile, "I'm 5 foot 9 with these six-foot tall dancers," he said of the show's accomplished dance ensemble. "Funny Girl" has choreography by Ellenore Scott and tap choreography by Ayodele Casel.

Foley does dance in a couple of numbers. "I don't do as much as some of the ensemble members. You are going to see some amazing dancing in this show. World class tap dancers," he said.

'Who Are You Now?'

Foley also had a supporting role his first time on stage in a 1993 production of Lionel Hart's "Oliver!" by the former Holy Name Summer Theatre  in Worcester, directed by Richard A. Booth Sr.

He got a good mention for his short scene as the deceitful, cowardly bully Noah Claypole in a review in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Similarly he was one of the cast members who "sparkled in their characterizations" in Holy Name Summer Theatre's "Oklahoma!"  A little later he was "right in the sprit of things" in the former New England Theater Company's "Dames at Sea." Something seemed to be working,

Ten years on from his stage debut, Foley was a professional actor in the former Foothills Theatre company 2003 productions of "Titanic" and "Proof."

Foley was born in Worcester and later lived in Shrewsbury. He was a student at St. John's High School in Shrewsbury, but it was the community theater group Holy Name Summer Theatre at the then Holy Name Name High School in Worcester (now St. Paul Diocesan Junior-Senior High School)  that paved the way to his theater career.

His brother had been in a theater camp at Holy Name and that "made me want to be in shows," Foley said.

"It was really Holy Name Theatre that made me want to be in theater, be an actor, gave me the bug."

Richard Booth was "the person I would credit with getting me excited about theater," Foley said.

Foley graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance, "but I knew it was theater I wanted to be doing."

He moved to New York City and pursued acting and "eventually booked the jobs," he said.

As for what was his big break, Foley said, "I don't know that there was ever was a big break moment. I had roles that gave me confidence to keep going."

When he was cast in a New York production of the satire "Forbidden Broadway," "I said 'OK, I'm in this business. I can do it.' I think that confidence is what gets you the big jobs."

'Temporary Arrangment'

"Funny Girl" is Foley's third national tour. In "Phantom of the Opera" he played Richard Firmin, co-owner of the Paris opera house, and Reyer, the maestro. He was the title ogre in the first national touring company of "Shrek The Musical."

"Getting 'Shrek' I stepped out on stage in a lead role in a Broadway musical. That was a big moment for me as well," Foley said.

Other New York credits include "NEWSical," and "Evergreen," and he's had notable regional theater appearances as Nathan Detroit in "Guys & Doll"s at STAGES St. Louis (Kevin Kline Award nomination, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical), Burrs in LaChiusa's "The Wild Party," (voted Tampa Bay's Best Play of 2010, Best Play of the Decade), and Marlin in "Finding Nemo the Musical" at Walt Disney World.

Foley has ventured into film with a couple of roles in Hallmark Channel movies, and pivoted to doing voice-over work in the pandemic.

"I was tucked into a closet reading books. That sort of tided me over. I've had to put that aside as theater revved up," he said.

Foley auditioned for "Funny Girl" at first by tape, then he "got into a room" with the people who would be casting the tour. "Luckily it all worked out."

'Don't Rain on My Parade'

The Broadway revival of "Funny Girl" ran for 599 performances with  Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice and later Lea Michele in the role.

There were some mixed reviews.

However, "The Broadway show, it was bona fide hit. I saw the show twice myself," Foley said of seeing Feldstein and Michele in their roles.

"To my knowledge the show was a big success, and I hope the tour will be as well."

On previous tours Foley has often traveled with his family so that they can see the sights from city to city and explore the local "foodie" scene.

"Mostly with my wife (Kerry) and son (David Foley III) as much as we're able. When my son's in school it's a little more difficult. When he's on a school break we're all together and we're driving," Foley said.

The family lives in New York City and also has a home on Cape Cod.

Foley has family in the Worcester/Shrewsbury area and tries to get back to these parts at least twice a year, he said.

The close proximity of Providence means family and friends will have an opportunity to see Foley in "Funny Girl."

On opening night there will be "Mom, a lot of family which I'm excited to see in Providence."

Then after Providence, "Funny Girl" hits the road.

The next stops will be in Michigan — Grand Rapids and Detroit. Then back east including Florida, "winter in the Midwest and California next summer."

Currently, "We are booked through next summer. It (the tour) is opened-ended," Foly said.

"I don't know about six years but I'm very happy to be on the road. We'll ride this as long as we can," he said.

'Funny Girl'

When: Sept. 9 to 19

Where: Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence, Rhode Island

How much: $20 to $90. (401) 421-2787; www.ppacri.org

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester native David Foley Jr. in national tour of 'Funny Girl'