The
Village
"The
B arbra
Streisand Album"
Cover photo taken at The Bon Soir
If
there is one place on earth that one can identify as the genesis of
Barbra Streisand the singer, it would most certainly be New York's
Greenwich Village. Her first professional singing engagements
centered around just two square blocks chock full of cabarets and
coffee houses. After winning a talent contest on West 9 St., Barbra
headed around the corner for a more significant appearance. It was
at the Bon Soir on West 8th where Barbra was discovered by Columbia
Records executives while achieving an enormous amount of
professional notoriety.
The Bon Soir
- 40 West 8 St.
 
The Bon Soir: then and now
Barbra performed in
some of her most important singing engagements between 1960 and 1962
at a night club called The Bon Soir. For all intents and purposes, it
can be said that Barbra was discovered at this small basement club in
Greenwich Village, just around the corner from where she was living at
the time. According to Barbra (during the Actors Studio interview),
Julie Styne first saw Barbra at the Bon Soir and later brought
producer Ray Stark with him to the club. Stark liked what he saw and
heard and eventually signed Barbra to star in her own Broadway show.
That show was "Funny Girl." The rest is show business history.
Alas, the Bon Soir's hey day is no more. The location which proved
immensely significant to the career of Barbra Streisand is now a
boarded up and vacant space. The entire street, once a vibrant hub of
shopping, dining and entertainment has fallen into a measure of urban
decay. But if there is one particular New York City location
that should be enshrined in the annals of Barbra's history, it is The
Bon Soir.
The Cherry Lane Theatre - 38 Commerce St.
 
Cherry Lane Theatre: then and
now
Barbra's theatrical aspirations began early. At the young age of 15,
Barbra had a job at The Cherry Lane Theatre. She never performed on
stage, but did understudy a part ("Avrille" in the 1956 production of
Sean O'Casey's "Purple Dust.").
Barbra's real job at the Cherry Lane was
less glamorous: she was a member of the cleaning staff.
The Cherry Lane theatre was built in 1917 and is still one of New
York's most vibrant off-Broadway theatres.
The Lion - 62 West 9 St.
"The Lion" is
now a neighborhood restaurant
In 1961, Barbra performed publicly for
the very first time at an intimate nightclub called "The Lion." Her
three week engagement was significant to her career as it began to
establish Barbra as a bone fide New York nightclub act. And it was
during her appearance at "The Lion" when Barbra dropped the "A" from
her name.
"The Lion" was located across the street from Barbra's apartment on
West 9th Street, so her commute to stardom was a breeze.
Today, "The Lion" has
been replaced by a trendy Village eatery. Inside, if you get a table
towards the back, you can still see the platform which served as
Barbra's stage. |