Our On-the Scene Reports

The amazing summer of '06, when Barbra Streisand stunned the world with the announcement of a twenty city tour, was soon eclipsed when she took to the road in the fall. My immediate reaction was to figure out how many concerts I could afford to attend, and whether I had the available time to travel. Fortunately, reality (and economics) got the better of me, and I decided that I could swing three shows. Of course, after a six year absence from the stage, I just had to get myself to Philadelphia for Barbra's opening night. And it was quite an event as Barbra delivered what some considered a magnificent, but bare-bones performance. There were no huge sets, no cast (other than Il Divo and Steve Bridges), and no story lines involving psychiatrists or Catskills pianists. It was all about the music and that voice. And in the end, that's the only reason any of us attended: to have one more chance to hear that glorious vocal instrument one more time.

With Philly over, I waited patiently for Barbra to begin the west coast leg of the tour. I would catch the final two performances in Las Vegas and LA. In the interim, I followed each and every performance, courtesy of the many detailed fan reports that were posted on some of our other favorite Streisand fan sites.

Vegas was my favorite of all the shows, maybe because of sentimental reasons (my first full Streisand concert was at the MGM in 1993), and maybe because there were so many fans from around the world in attendance. Whatever the reason, Barbra performing in Vegas is just one of those experiences that can't be duplicated.

All in all, Barbra was great in 2006. Her voice seems to have no limit, even as the years progress. Time has certainly proven once and for all that she is THE premiere vocalist of the past two centuries. It was a privilege to hear her sing live one more time.

Here is my review of each concert I attended:

Barbra Triumphs in Philadelphia Opening
(October 5, 2006) - Well, she's back. Barbra opened her sixteen city tour in Philadelphia and her long anticipated return was triumphant and spectacular. As Barbra arrived center stage at the Wachovia Center, the audience response was deafening. "I guess it pays not to tour for a while," proclaimed our gal, bedecked in a dazzling gown of black sequins with white trim, evoking memories of the stylish midi-blouses she was fond of in the 1960s. And how appropriate, as most of the evening was dedicated to the music of her early career. Barbra reminisced about her early days on the Philly theatre circuit, performing in tryouts of "Wholesale" and "Funny Girl." And for her first song, Barbra fittingly chose "Starting Here, Starting Now," a ballad she performed during her television special, "Color Me Barbra." Portions of "Color Me Barbra," she reminded us, were taped at Philadelphia's own magnificent Museum of Art.

The heart of the concert was Barbra's tribute to "Funny Girl" - both the stage and film versions. It's expected that Barbra would perform several songs from "Funny Girl" whenever she's on stage, but there was just something about these particular renditions that made all previous versions pale in comparison. The evening's prelude was the show's original Broadway overture which literally set the stage for rousing performances of "Don't Rain On My Parade," "Funny Girl," "The Music That Makes Me Dance," "My Man" and an absolutely mind blowing rendition of "People," complete with the musical intro-dialogue from the original score. The "Funny Girl" set, and "People" in particular, awarded Barbra a first round knock-out.

Barbra's special guests were Il Divo. The poperatic group was relegated minimal stage time to sing a few of their own ballads, but their three performances with Barbra were the most memorable. "Music of the Night," "Evergreen" (sung in English and French) and "Somewhere" received new interpretations by this newly formed Streisand quintet. Barbra and the guys actually make beautiful music together. We can all relax.

Il Divo opened the second act with one of their signature ballads called "Passera," and then it was Back to Barbra, who reemerged in a black empire gown with striking gold accents and a black wrap. With the guys serving as backup, Barbra performed "Music of the Night." And perhaps the most challenging moment of her performance came as Barbra had to reach, capture, and deliver that final dramatic crescendo. It was an ambitious vocal maneuver, and 20,000 people held their collective breath as Barbra brought it triumphantly home. It was simply flawless.

There were several other surprises, including three inspired songs Barbra had never before attempted: "Unusual Way" (from the Broadway musical "Nine"), " A Cockeyed Optimist" (from the Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific") and Harold Arlen's " This Will Be My Shining Hour." In searching for new material to perform, it was apparent that Barbra chose songs with special meaning. Each of these new renditions has the potential to become a future Streisand classic. Clearly, as Barbra once said, it's fun to sing a new song.

The legendary Streisand tele-prompters got a well deserved, but brief rest as Barbra spontaneously answered some pre-screened questions from the audience. But it was the sketch Barbra chose to perform with Steve Bridges, the well known George W. Bush impersonator, that seemed to slow down an otherwise jet propelled evening. Politics aside, the mildly amusing routine just went on too long. Some feathers were ruffled as several rude audience members tried to interrupt the political sketch, but Barbra was oblivious. The coup de théâtre failed, and the sketch went on. In the end, Barbra delivered her message. The humor was harmless and respectful.

The second act contained two vocal performances worth noting. From her smash hit film "A Star Is Born," Barbra gave us a reflective version of "The Woman In The Moon," one of the film's showstoppers. The audience cheered Barbra's decision to momentarily delve into the oft ignored canon of her 1970s material to sing this true gem. If there was a single crowd pleaser, this was it. But for our money, Barbra's performance of "Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair?" was the best of the evening. She breathed new life into one of her older familiar classics and in the process, delivered the quintessential performance of the entire show. Barbra admitted that the lyrics she first sang in the 1960s did not make sense for a young vocalist. So, she sang this 2006 version with the conviction of a true musical veteran. And to punctuate her arrival at full circle, she added lyrics that spoke to her current state of mind:

"I found it too easy to capture success.
But now I'd be willing to settle for less."

And for her opening night performance, Barbra settled for nothing less than absolute perfection.