Nicky Arnstein, Nicky Arnstein! Bobby Cannavale to Co-Star with Lauren Ambrose in Funny Girl

Two-time Tony nominee Bobby Cannavale will make his musical debut as Nick Arnstein opposite Lauren Ambrose as Fanny Brice in the forthcoming Broadway-bound revival of Funny Girl. Bartlett Sher’s production is scheduled to play the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles beginning on January 15, 2012, before transferring to Broadway in the spring.

“Bobby has all of the qualities I feel you want in casting Nick Arnstein," Sher said in a statement. "Nicky Arnstein was a gangster and con man and elegant, charming bon vivant all rolled into one. Bobby is wonderful at playing charismatic streetwise characters, he’s a magnetic stage actor, equally adept with comedy and drama, plus he’ll be a dashing presence in Nick Arnstein’s tuxes and ruffled shirts. More than anything, Funny Girl is a love story and it needs a powerful couple at its center.”

Cannavale received a 2011 Tony nomination for The Motherf**ker With the Hat and a 2008 Tony nod for Mauritius. He won an Emmy for his guest performance on Will & Grace and has been announced as a new cast member on the fourth season of Nurse Jackie.

Featuring music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and a book by Isobel Lennart, Funny Girl tells the rags-to-riches story of legendary entertainer Fanny Brice and her enduring love for rakish Nicky Arnstein. The original production opened on Broadway on March 26, 1964, starring Streisand as Fanny and Sydney Chaplin as Nicky. The show ran at three theaters for a total of 1,348 performances, closing on July 1, 1967. Streisand received an Academy Award for the 1968 film adaptation, which co-starred Omar Sharif as Arnstein.