"Mother nature was on our side . . ."

June 17, 2007
Amid the excitement of Barbra's first European concert tour opening in Zurich this week, we would be remiss not to take note of the anniversary of one of her other concerts, arguably the most important of her career.

It's Barbra Streisand's historic concert in Central Park, and it took place exactly 40 years ago today.

A performance in Central Park is not a particularly rare event. The New York Philharmonic performs there several times each summer, and has been doing so for years. Big name talent, like Diana Ross, Simon and Garfunkel, Garth Brooks and even Pavarotti have had their moment on the lawns of the park as well. But who among the 135,000 arriving on the grass of Sheep Meadow on June 17, 1967 could have ever imagined that, 40 years later, they would still be talking about the concert which was about to unfold?

Such was the enormity of Barbra Streisand's once-in-a-lifetime performance for the people of New York. Barbra Streisand's Central Park concert was a landmark event, not just because it was a successful television special, but because it represented the end of an important chapter in her career. The concert was a statement. She had made it big in New York. She had conquered the nightclub circuit and had become a sensation on Broadway. The day after the Central Park concert, Barbra would fly out to Hollywood, begin shooting "Funny Girl," and thus start the second chapter in the story of her career: Barbra Streisand, Movie Star.

But there was one thing Barbra had to do first. She had to say thank you to her local fans in the only way she knew how: with a free concert in their own back yard. That's what Barbra's Central Park concert was all about. An expression of eternal gratitude. A last chance to bask in the local limelight with her home town family and friends. One final goodbye. And indeed it was, for it took Barbra some 27 years before she would return to a New York concert stage.
 

Flashback to June 1967

Barbra Streisand's 1967 concert in Central Park stands as perhaps her quintessential performance, and the edited-for-television special received high ratings and great notices. The actual concert was a two hour performance on June 17, 1967 conducted by Peter Matz in the intimate section of Central Park known as Sheep Meadow. It was an event that is still talked about today.

Text from Newsday, June 19, 1969:

Barbra's Park Swings
New York - Central Park is no longer, at least if one is to take city Parks Commissioner August Hecksher at his word. Looking out over a crowd that covered practically every inch of the Sheep Meadow's 90 acres Saturday night, Hecksher introduced Barbra Streisand's free concert in the park by stating, "I declare this park Miss Streisand's."

On cue, an audience estimated at 135,000 made it official by shouting back repeatedly, "Streisand Park!" Under the circumstances, most appropriate. Hecksher announced that the gathering made up the largest audience ever to attend an entertainment event in the park's history, nearly doubling the estimated 75,000 who showed up last summer for a New York Philharmonic concert under Leonard Bernstein.

Despite the throng, Miss Streisand appeared to be right at home. Dressed in a flowing chiffon gown and sipping tea between songs, she joked casually with the audience and sang mostly her best-known numbers in a two-hour show. She sang more than 20 songs, among them: "Cry Me A River," "Second Hand Rose," "Anywhere I Hang My Hat" and, fittingly enough, "People."

The crowd was relaxed, too. No unusual incidents were reported, despite the close quarters, although the cleanup job yesterday was monumental. People sat on their own chairs or blankets, if they got there early enough to find room. Many had to stand, or sit elbow-to-rib. Those who didn't make it will be able to see it next season on TV, since CBS was on hand to tape the show. Rheingold Breweries sponsored the concert. Miss Streisand returned to Hollywood yesterday to resume filming "Funny Girl."