The 2020 Musical Comedy Awards in France have awarded Christina Bianco the ‘Honorary Award’ for her role in the English production of Funny Girl, which ended its run at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris last weekend after an extended run.
President of the Musical Comedy Awards Baptiste Delval, presented Christina with the award backstage, just minutes before her final performance of Funny Girl.
The Honorary Trophy rewards a person, theatre, production/theatre company, or remarkable project/initiative that is not eligible in other categories.
When presenting the award, Baptiste Delval said “this production has been a huge box office success and you have helped shine the light on this very demanding art in our country. These kinds of shows, performed in English, used to draw an elite audience and we are very confident that the very near future holds great promise for this kind of entertainment and Funny Girl is a great example of that because of thanks to the excellence of the creative and artistic teams behind the show. But more so, thanks to you the, star of the show. So we are very happy to present to you this award, our highest distinction, a symbol of excellence from Les Trophées de la Comédie Musicale.”
On accepting the award, Christina Bianco said “I am so grateful. This has been nothing but a joy for me and the people of Paris have embraced not only this show, but me. With the vision of Director Stephen Mear and Director General of the Théâtre Marigny, Jean-Luc Choplin, they have shown French audiences that there can be great, dynamic, interesting and diverse theatre here. I am so honoured and I can’t think of a more fitting way to end this run. Thank you so much.”
If the presentation of this accolade isn’t enough to make this production get a West End or Broadway transfer then I don’t know what is!
Funny Girl tells the story of Fanny Brice – the girl who wants to be a star but is repeatedly told she doesn’t have the right look. She’s quirky, funny and short – none of which fit in with the beautiful slender girls being cast for stage shows. But Fanny’s sheer determination drives her to succeed and become one of the biggest stars in history. She meets and marries Nick Arnstein – the love of her life, but their busy schedules keep them apart for long stretches of time which tests their relationship.
REVIEW: FUNNY GIRL (Théâtre Marigny, Paris) ★★★★★
Photo: Julien Benhamou
