One More Time

October 1, 2006
On September 28, 2000, a pall of sadness drifted over Madison Square Garden at approximately 10:45 PM. Barbra Streisand had just received an extended standing ovation, and she was crying. The tribute of love and admiration from 20,000 of her most ardent New York fans may have caught Barbra by surprise, but not those of us sitting in the cavernous arena.

As Barbra sang the words to her most famous signature song, we all collectively realized how truly prophetic those thirty-six year old lyrics turned out to be. We were, without question, the luckiest people to have been on hand for Barbra Streisand's farewell performance. As the big red curtain of "Timeless" came down for the last time, we left the Garden with mixed emotions. The euphoria of having just witnessed a live Streisand concert was counterpoised with the sobering realization that it will never happen again. Barbra was, by all accounts, going to finally retire from the performance stage. She told us so herself, and so did every television news broadcast around the country that night. Sadly, the end of an era had arrived.

Or so we thought. Barbra reemerges on the stage in just a few short days, and her music will flourish once more as she travels the North American continent with a brand new show, the most ambitious concert tour of her career. Barbra must have realized that the gift she possesses is too precious to lock away. After decades on the entertainment scene, she is still a singer without parallel. So her microphone has come out of mothballs one more time, and we couldn't be more delighted. Besides, this time around, her concerts will have a direct financial impact on organizations that desperately need her support to proffer a better future for all mankind.

People who need people. What better reason for an encore.