In post-WWI New York City, young Fanny Brice (Barbra Steisand) comes from poverty in the Lower East Side but becomes one of the stars of the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s after meeting the handsome Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif).

The couple marry and begin to build a life together. They have a daughter and move into a luxurious home, but things spiral downward when Nicky’s business ventures take an unexpected turn.