Jenna Lea Rosen strikes a pose during Maine State Music Theatre’s “Funny Girl” photoshoot on June 14. Jared Morneau photo

It was March 15, one of the first sunny days of spring. New York had finally awakened from its hibernation and the trees at Fort Tyron Park were starting to bud. The world felt new, fresh … ready to bloom. As a three-roommate pack, we headed to our apartment, nestled in the northernmost borough of Manhattan. Suddenly, my phone started to buzz — it was Jeremy, my agent. Something in me knew I’d landed the gig, even as I swiped to accept the call. “Would you like to play Fanny Brice?” my manager, Rachel, asked. Tears swelled in all our eyes: “Absolutely!” 

That’s how Jenna Lea Rosen described being cast as the lead in Maine State Music Theatre’s production of “Funny Girl” — the show’s first appearance in the Maine since its initial Broadway run in 1964.

The show follows the journey of comedian Fanny Brice, a pioneering Jewish entertainer, as she rises from the Lower East Side of New York to become one of the biggest stars of Ziegfeld Follies. The score, written by Jule Styrene and Bob Merrill, includes the insistent barn burner “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and the reflective ballad “People.”

Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark and Choreographer Kenny Ingram claim the MSMT rendition will be nothing like avid fans have seen before, as they’ve infused the production with “fresh energy and creativity.”

Lea Rosen agreed. In a recent interview with The Times Record, she discussed taking on the big role that made Barbra Streisand a star. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

“Fanny Brice is a force to be reckoned with,” Jenna Lea Rosen said. “I’m honored to tell her story and I hope to serve it justice.” Jared Morneau photo

Q: What did the audition process entail?

A: Fanny Brice is my dream role, it always has been. I was just waiting for the right moment to come. And sure enough, it did.

Last year, one of my friends texted me when they saw MSMT was doing a production of “Funny Girl.” I tagged my agents, and they said they were already on it. Flash forward a couple of months later, I received a self-tape audition. Over the years, this has become a common procedure. Essentially, it’s you, an iPhone and a tripod trying to squeeze the entire scope of a script into a matter of minutes.

My tape was 17 minutes — longer than most — featuring four of the five songs and three scenes. The length seemed justified, though, since the script moves through decades of Fanny’s life. At the start of the play, she’s 19 years old — young and awkward. As the plot develops, she steps into womanhood and becomes a star. I wanted to capture that transformation on the tape.

After landing the role, I teamed up with various vocal coaches to perfect the musical score. Vocals range from E below middle C to a high F, so we got straight to work. I also tried a new, effective way to memorize the script and wrote out all my lines by hand.

Jenna Lea Rosen (Fanny Brice) and Douglas Williams (Nick Arnstein) take a “Funny Girl” couple photo during MSMT photo-op. Jared Morneau photo

Q: Do you see a reflection of yourself in your character?

A: I see a lot of similarities between Fanny and myself. For starters, we’re both Jewish women who have been fed the lifelong narrative that we’re “unconventionally beautiful.” Fanny is beautiful, she just can’t see that herself. My story has been the same. … An ongoing journey of finding myself, coming into my own and accepting all my curves and edges.

Fanny was also, as we say in theater, “born in a trunk.” We were both born into performing families. My parents met at the Sacramento Music Circus during “Fiddler on the Roof.” Years later, on the road with the first national tour of “Beauty and the Beast,” my mom performed until she was six months pregnant with me. I spent the first few years of my life on the road!

Q: Fanny’s climb to fame is half the story; “Funny Girl” is also about her blighted marriage to the gambler Nick Arnstein. The show’s halves can feel as mismatched as the couple themselves. Can you delve more into this dichotomy?

A: “Funny Girl” is much more than a comedy, it’s a very human story with elements everyone can relate to.

Fanny’s life is torn between her love for Nick Arnstein and her love for theater. The tension lies in how she wrestles to reconcile both. At first, she loved theater. It was her greatest dream to be a star. What makes her so human is that while on stage she knows her worth, off stage she does not.

As a performer, I can relate. I often feel most myself on stage, but there are also days I need a different type of validation — from a partner or a loved one.

Deep down, Fanny yearns to feel beautiful and worthy of romantic love. From the moment she meets Nick she puts him on a pedestal, placing herself below him. Right away, their relationship is off-kilter and ill-fated. It’s a tale as old as time: You can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself. Nonetheless, Fanny battles against fate, prolonging the relationship and leaning on humor to carry her through the lows.

But all of this is to say that despite Fanny’s relationship with Nick, she’s not dependent on him. She’s the breadwinner of the relationship, and when they break up, her heart is broken but she still says: “The show must go on, he will not ruin my life.” There’s this moment of strength, even amidst raw heartbreak. And ultimately her story is not tragic … it’s triumphant.

Q: How do you manage all the demands of show business?

Heather Hoppus and her young daughter, Jenna Lea Rosen, on the 1997 national tour of “Beauty and the Beast.” Courtesy of Jenna Lea Rosen

A: At times, theater makes you feel larger than life. At others, it makes you feel small. I often address this with my support system — my grandma, mom and stepdad. We address the highs and lows that come with this line of work and how to manage them.

I was fortunate to have grown up with a village of support. As an only child, I became very close with my nuclear family as well as my honorary aunts and uncles. After years in the business, I’ve had the privilege of gaining great mentors. I know there are people I can turn to when I become overwhelmed.

My connection with my mom has been especially formative. She knows the industry and she’s my biggest fan. Whenever I have a wonky audition I always call her for perspective. She validates my feelings and reminds me that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. She reminds me that curating a career doesn’t happen overnight — it’s an ongoing process that requires you to keep going and growing.

Q: What do you hope to achieve in the future?

A: Right now, I’m working hard to stay present since landing this role was such a significant milestone to begin with. So, my short-term goal is to give this production all I’ve got and savor every moment. Looking ahead, my sights are set on a Broadway debut. That being said, this journey has yet to be what I expected. I have no clue what will come next, but I know I’m in good hands.

Q: What would you say to those who are considering attending?

A: I hope those who come will laugh, cry and ultimately see themselves through the many relatable characters. The score is timeless, it includes some of Broadway’s best, so even those who aren’t theater fans will likely recognize the tunes. And the creative team has put in a lot of effort to ensure this rendition is one-of-a-kind. I assure you, there won’t be another version like this one!

I’d also like to note that the art of theater is rooted in storytelling. As such, it’s equally as cathartic to create as it is to consume. As a performer there’s this sense of magic in your hands — you can move the audience to tears and even (hopefully) take them to a different world. That’s the most rewarding part for me. There exists such an intimate connection; for hours the cast and the audience are feeding off each other’s energy You can’t find that in any other type of media.

Performances will run from June 26 to July 13 at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick. To purchase tickets visit, msmt.org or call the MSMT box office at 725-8769.