Kennedy Honors Airs, Beyoncé Soars (Review)

December 30, 2008
So what do Beyoncé, Idina Menzel, Ne-Yo, or even Queen Latifah have in common with Barbra Streisand's career? Well, nothing really, which makes their participation in a formal evening of Barbra Streisand tributes an interesting prospect. Queen Latifah, a brilliant artist in her own right, had nothing but glowing things to say about Barbra as she introduced the Streisand portion of the evening. But one would have expected someone who was actually associated with Barbra Streisand's career, perhaps even past Kennedy Center honoree Robert Redford, to have had that task.

Glenn Close, the only person on stage to have actually worked with Barbra, quickly explained the evening's strange choice of casting. It was to be all about "the next generation" paying tribute to Barbra. Fair enough, although it would have been nice to include a performance or two by such veterans as Neil Diamond or Celine Dion. And where was resident Kennedy Center conductor Marvin Hamlisch? Oh well, you get the idea.

Idina Menzel kicked things off with a rather uncomfortable rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade." Menzel, who took Broadway by storm in "Rent" and later went on to win the Best Actress Tony for her role in "Wicked" just didn't seem to be in the moment. And Barbra's reaction to her performance was so neutral, one wonders if she even knew who Menzel was. Too bad, though. Idina Menzel is a fantastic stage performer with a killer vocal range. But for this particular performance, it just didn't seem to gel.

She received Academy Awards for Best Actress and for composer of the Best Song. She is the first women ever to co-write, produce, direct and star in a feature film. In addition to the Oscars, her vast artistic achievements have earned her the Emmy, the Tony, the Grammy and The Golden Globe.

Barbra's also a person of passionate convictions and opinions that she is not afraid to share. I don't know. At least that's what they tell me. You know, it kind of makes me think of another Barbara who's not afraid to speak her mind.

It is impossible to number all the special moments that Barbra Streisand has given to her many loyal fans. Among those memories are her duet with Louis Armstrong in "Hello, Dolly!", her song "Evergreen" in "A Star Is Born," and her unforgettable on-screen pairing with Robert Redford in "The Way We Were."

Barbra has said, "I think you can be whatever you want to be, I do not accept no easily, I've always been fighting it my whole life." The women's determined persevering character, added to her God given talents have produced one of the most dazzling careers in the history of the arts in America, and tonight it is my pleasure to welcome you to the White House.

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Barbra Awarded Kennedy Center Honor

December 7, 2008
In Washington, D.C. last night, Barbra Streisand was presented with the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor. The award, which many consider years overdue, was given to Barbra and her co-recipients at a lavish banquet at the State Department. The Kennedy Center Honor is awarded for a lifetime achievement in the arts.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice introduced Barbra:

"Your prominence in music and theater and film and radio and television as an artist, as a writer, as a director, as a producer, has been legendary and inspirational. You are an amazing talent and a trailblazer, and you’ve been an inspiration to many and particularly to women in the arts.

From your earliest work, My Name Is Barbra, you established yourself as an incomparable talent with a voice so powerful that Judy Garland once praised you as one of the last great belters, a unique vocalization that, it has been said, makes every song sound like a well-written three act play performed stunningly in three minutes."

At the State Department banquet, Barbra summed up the whole experience:

"It's just great to be honored by one's own country."

Tonight, Barbra and her fellow honorees were guests of President George W. Bush at the White House. Barbra and the outgoing president shared a hug and a kiss. When the video clip was played for the Kennedy Center audience, everyone recognized the irony of the president sharing an emotional moment with one of his most outspoken critics.

The tributes to Barbra Streisand began with a video narration by Queen Latifah who said that Barbra "threw out the rule book" when it came to her career. Musical performances then followed. Idina Menzel offered up "Don't Rain On My Parade." Beyonce Knowles sang "The Way We Were." And Ne-Yo called Barbra "the epitome of emotion in music" before crooning his version of "Lover, Come Back to Me." The Streisand musical tribute ended with Broadway star Kelli O'Hara ("South Pacific") and opera vocalist Nathan Gunn performing "Somewhere" to a choral accompaniment.

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Transcript of President Bush's Introduction of Barbra Streisand

December 7, 2008
The President's remarks were delivered to Barbra and guests during an exclusive reception in the East Room of the White House:
 

"Barbra Streisand once said that if she hadn't gotten her first job on Broadway, she would have given up the career and become a hat designer. I don't know what the hats would have looked like, but if created by Barbra, I know they would have been beautiful and unique and always in fashion, just like the music she has given to our country and the world.

She did get the first job in a show called "I Can Get It For You Wholesale." Her character had only one song, but with Barbra's voice and persona, it was the show-stopper every time. Soon afterward, she released her first record and it received the Grammy award for "Album of the Year." She starred on Broadway in "Funny Girl" and there were twenty-three curtain calls on opening night. She won an Emmy for her very first television special, sang with Judy Garland on national TV, performed in Washington, D.C. for President John F. Kennedy, and all of this took place before her twenty-fourth birthday.

In those early days in show business, the daughter of Flatbush, New York has been known as a strong personality, a productive artist, and a phenomenon in the entertainment field. Simply stated, the range and rarity of Barbra Streisand's talent places her in a category of one. She has sold more record albums than any other female recording artist in history and has been hailed as the most influential mainstream American pop singer since Frank Sinatra.

She received Academy Awards for Best Actress and for composer of the Best Song. She is the first women ever to co-write, produce, direct and star in a feature film. In addition to the Oscars, her vast artistic achievements have earned her the Emmy, the Tony, the Grammy and The Golden Globe.

Barbra's also a person of passionate convictions and opinions that she is not afraid to share. I don't know. At least that's what they tell me. You know, it kind of makes me think of another Barbara who's not afraid to speak her mind.

It is impossible to number all the special moments that Barbra Streisand has given to her many loyal fans. Among those memories are her duet with Louis Armstrong in "Hello, Dolly!", her song "Evergreen" in "A Star Is Born," and her unforgettable on-screen pairing with Robert Redford in "The Way We Were."

Barbra has said, "I think you can be whatever you want to be, I do not accept no easily, I've always been fighting it my whole life." The women's determined persevering character, added to her God given talents have produced one of the most dazzling careers in the history of the arts in America, and tonight it is my pleasure to welcome you to the White House."

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Barbra to Receive Kennedy Center Honor

September 1, 2008
Barbra Streisand will receive long overdue recognition when she becomes a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors later this year. Barbra's medal will be formally presented to her by President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony on December 7. Afterwards, Barbra and her fellow recipients will be feted with a series of special performances at the Kennedy Center to honor their achievements. CBS will air the festivities in a two hour prime time broadcast on December 30.

The Kennedy Center Honors represents enormous prestige in the world of American arts and culture. In its thirty year history, Kennedy Center Honors have been bestowed upon such outstanding artists as Martin Scorsese, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor. Music and film fans the world over will cheer Barbra Streisand's long overdue inclusion on this most exclusive list of Kennedy Center Honors recipients.

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"Emotional" Honors

September 1, 2008
Sharing the Kennedy Center honors with Barbra will be actor Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp, country singer George Jones and musicians Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey.

Daltrey and Streisand appeared together in the 1984 music video, "Emotion." In fact, Streisand and Daltrey will not be the first performers from the "Emotion" video to be so honored. In 2000, Mikhail Baryshnikov, who made a cameo in the video, received a Kennedy Center honor as well.
 

In Good Company

December 31, 2010 (update)
Here are some of the distinguished Kennedy Center honorees from years past who have had professional associations with Barbra Streisand: