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"Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" |
Television Review/October 2009 |
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Barbra Streisand gave
one of her most
dynamic interviews in
recent memory when she
was the hour-long
guest on the BBC show,
"Friday Night with
Jonathan Ross." |
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The
Ross
Interview:
Brilliant
on
All
Counts
October
2,
2009
It was by far
the best interview Barbra Streisand has given in years. Her appearance
on Jonathan Ross's BBC show this evening proved one thing: the right
interviewer is just as important as his subject when it comes to
creating great television. We admit to not being familiar with Mr.
Ross until we had a chance to view his interview with Barbra on
YouTube
tonight. Ross was funny, engaging and relevant. He was respectful
without being intimated, and that was the key.
His on-camera chemistry with his guest was in such complete synch that
Barbra responded by letting her
guard down and opening up in a big way.
She was playful. She laughed and even cracked a few jokes (the one
about Sinatra was priceless). Ross got her to talk about some of
the more detailed and interesting aspects of her life and career.
No hot water bottle stories would do for this interview.
Instead, we got some real insight. Barbra spoke
of Redford
and Kristofferson. Bridges and DeNiro. She discussed her "Funny Girl"
collaborators, cinematographer Harry Stradling and costume designer
Irene Scharaff. She spoke of her favorite films
and some of her flops (her word) like "All Night Long," though
for a moment she couldn't even remember the name of the picture (which
in itself spoke volumes). Barbra even shared a few
of the details surrounding her efforts to entice Elvis to co-star with
her in "A Star Is Born."
To cap off a brilliant interview, Barbra agreed to perform a pair of
songs off the new album. And did she ever. Despite her warnings to the
studio audience that she hadn't actually sung since January ("You
get what you get, right?") her renditions of "If You Go Away" and "In The Wee
Small Hours" blew the roof off the joint. Ross and his BBC production
team are to be commended for how well they showcased these performances.
They made the Vanguard versions of the same numbers look like mere rehearsals.
The interview will air in the U.S. on BBC America in the coming weeks.
Check your local listings. |
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