Barbra, Live: The Brooklyn Academy of Music
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Barbra spoke
for about fifteen minutes at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on
October 27, 1993. She seemed delighted to have returned to the
neighborhood she knew as a youth, as she told those assembled. We
were there to capture the event, and for the first time, we are
pleased to offer an exclusive video clip from the event.
All eyes from the worlds of
show business and local New York City politics were firmly planted
on Downtown Brooklyn on this balmy autumn evening. Barbra Streisand
made an appearance at The Brooklyn Academy of Music. No, not to
perform, though many in attendance were hoping for an impromptu
ditty or two, including the borough's president. It was a political
rally that compelled Barbra to return to her old neighborhood. The
Brooklyn Academy was the setting for Barbra's grassroots stump to
support the reelection of incumbent Mayor David Dinkins (D). Barbra
was received royally and returned the favor with a lengthy speech
urging voters to cast their ballots for the democrat.
Brooklyn
Girl Comes Home
 (Oct
27, 1993) - Brooklyn,
October 27, 1993 - Barbra returned to the old neighborhood on October
27, 1993. The occasion was to stump for David Dinkins who was
seeking reelection as Mayor of NYC. Dinkins, who was severely
lagging in the polls behind Rudy Giulliani called on friend, native
Brooklynite and staunch Democratic supporter Barbra Streisand to help
give a boost to his campaign. I was there along with a few
hundred others that evening to witness this unique event in NYC
politics.
Staging a Barbra Streisand political event in downtown Brooklyn - at
The Brooklyn Academy of Music no less - should have been the perfect
prescription to inject desperately needed life into the lackluster
Dinkins campaign: the prodigal daughter returning to the town of her
birth to lend a hand. It was a political coup of brilliance
designed to garner a massive infusion of votes for Dinkins.
 Barbra
made an impassioned political speech blasting Giulliani in her plea
for voters to reelect the mayor. She and Dinkins arrived
promptly at 6 PM - along with Marilyn and Alan Bergman in tow (Barbra
was in town collaborating with the Bergmans and preparing for her
upcoming New Years concerts which were only eight weeks away).
Barbra's speech lasted about a half an hour.
Oh yeah. Giulliani
beat Dinkins in a landslide. The rest is history. |
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