Fanny Brice was a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls. She stuck out. This was (part of the reason) she was so great.

A century ago, Brice was the pioneering Jewish comic of Broadway and radio.

“She set the track for people like Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman and TV shows like ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ ” actor Hannah Shankman told the Herald.

Shankman plays Brice in the touring production of the revival of the blockbuster 1964 Broadway musical “Funny Girl,” which runs now through Feb. 16 at the Citizens Opera House. The stage musical didn’t introduce Shankman to Brice’s story. Instead she discovered the legend through the 1968 film version starring Barbra Streisand.

“It was my sister’s favorite movie so we watched it together as kids,” she said. “Barbra became famous for this role and a lot of people associate this role with only her.”

Taking on a part connected with an icon (in this case, an icon playing an icon) can be tough. Shankman has been in the industry long enough to know you shouldn’t try to channel another actor in your performance. You need to be authentically yourself — the bagel on a plate of onion rolls — to succeed.

“I think something that I bring to the role is that Jewish comedic style that I grew up with,” Shankman said. “That was my jumping off point into the role. But Fanny is still a human being and wants things that everyone wants. She wants to be loved. She wants to give love. She wants to be successful. Oh, and she loves the theater. These are things that I have grown up feeling and wanting.”

“Funny Girl” is a big, loud, fun musical. It follows Brice’s story as a nobody from the Lower East Side who everyone dismisses but battles through to become one of the most beloved Broadway stars in history. There can be the impulse to make the show too big and fun. But if you go too cartoonish, the bright lights of Broadway drown out the love story under it all and the intimacy — Shankman says the narrative is fueled by Brice’s relationship with husband Nick Arnstein.

“I’m very proud of bringing her vulnerability to this role,” Shankman said. “She wasn’t known for being vulnerable, but when she is, she really wears her heart on her sleeve… To hold on to that through the show allows the audience to connect with her and her journey.”

The songs from “Funny Girl” — Jule Styne’s score and Bob Merrill’s lyrics — also often feel disconnected from the show. Those who have never seen the musical often know many of the numbers such as “I’m the Greatest Star” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Not surprisingly, Shankman’s favorite, showstopper “People,” is one of the most telling and intimate songs.

“It’s the first time in Act I where we see Fanny get vulnerable,” she said. “Act 1 is really this train that just keeps chugging along. ‘People’ happens when she finds a moment of solitude with Nick and we see them connect, and you feel the audience lean in (during the song). I love that.”

For tickets and details, visit boston.broadway.com