The Barbra Experience

What could possibly be worth the money that people, including Mikey and myself, shelled out to see Barbra Streisand live on the closing night of her tour at The Staples Center in Los Angeles? Nothing.

So instead of high-tech sets and pyrotechnics, for this tour, Barbra scaled down to an extremely minimal set very sleek in its design; just railings and steps with a chair or two and a few vases of roses to frame her. No backdrop even! No video montage. For Barbra, it must have been like going back to 1962 when it was just her and the music. And truth be told, all she needed to wow us was a spotlight and that voice.

That voice, of course, isn't what it used to be. No one stood for an ovation upon the legend ending her opening number, "Starting Here, Starting Now" and even a few heads turned when performing a very slowed down version of the upbeat classic from the vaults, "Down with Love." Her voice, much deeper than ever with age, is hoarse -- but not gritty, if you can imagine rhaspiness strained through, well, butter, that's what it sounds like. Smooth as ever, but breathy without much power to it.

It was amazing to be so close to the living legend while she performed the next songs "The Way We Were," "Ma Premiere Chanson" and "Evergreen" (with Il Divo) but it wasn't until she returned from taking a break (during which Il Divo entertained with three brilliantly arranged songs of their own) that her voice seemed fully warmed up. When she stepped back onto the stage with "Come Rain or Come Shine," (the unique arrangement from her 1979 album, Wet, the year I was born) her belting notes and bravado were thricefold stronger, clearer and more powerful.

To me, the best part of the show was her Funny Girl set. I had heard that show was heavy on Funny Girl material so I watched the movie with Mikey before heading out to the show -- which was a really good idea, we both agreed! Here, it really seemed like Barbra was returning to not only the songs, but the character of Fanny Brice, acting out each number as she sang. The highlight for me was the first song, "Funny Girl," where she was so overcome with the character and so in the moment, her eyes welled up with tears. This was followed by a partial version of "The Music That Makes Me Dance" and the full film version of "My Man." She wrapped up the set with the classic "People," for the first time singing live the movie intro to the song, "We travel single-o..."


After intermission, she returned for a much stronger second act that included "The Music of the Night" (with Il Divo), "Carefully Taught/Children Will Listen," "Unusual Way," "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?," "The Woman in the Moon," "Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair?," "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Somewhere" (with Il Divo), and "My Shining Hour" followed by two encores, "Don't Rain on My Parade" (a rare version, the Broadway reprise!) and "Happy Days Are Here Again."

Her voice seemed at its peak during the new songs, "Unusual Way," "A Cockeyed Optimist" (a very fast and upbeat arrangement, fans will love when the CD comes out!) and "My Shining Hour."

This evening was the only one taped for an upcoming television special, most likely to air on HBO. We were sitting amongst tons of celebrities on the floor: Tom Hanks, Bill Mahr, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Dr. Laura, Quincey Jones, Barry Mannilow, Rosie O'Donnell, Shirley MacLaine, Ben Stiller, Martha Stewart and Jeff Bridges were among those in attendance. I even had someone ask me if I was a movie star! I felt like saying, ala Barbra in her accent, "Well, if you have to ask, I guess not."

Thankfully, the show started nearly an hour late due to parking and traffic congestion that left hundreds and hundreds of people waiting to get into the arena at 7:30 when the show was supposed to start. Mikey and I were caught right in the middle of it all and ended up having to run a mile to get there on time. Security at Staples said, "We've never seen anything like this." It was a mass sea of people and cars everywhere you turned.

Barbra made a lot of jokes about her weight gain. She said she was so glad to be back home and to get a "taste" of Los Angeles, that she went to three restaurants and a bakery before coming to the Staples Center to have her dinner. She also mentioned there was Domino's thin crust waiting for her back stage during intermission.


There was a Q&A portion of the show where she took questions people dropped off in a box for her at intermission. Among the most interesting, one was: You played a hooker in The Owl and The Pussycat and Nuts. Would you ever consider playing one again? She answered, "How much are you offering?" Another fan asked her what she enjoyed most, singing, acting or directing? She answered, "Right now I'm really enjoying napping. I think I'm going to take a nap after all of this is over with. A real long one."

She dedicated the show to her friend Evelyn who passed away this year, as she had mentioned in her interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show a few months back.

Now for the real juice and for what, to me, was the greatest moment of the show. The entire second act was filled with political commentary, though usually through song ("Woman in the Moon" was dedicated to Barbra Boxer and Nancy Pelosi, both in the audience, while "Somewhere" was a prayer for those at war) or in jest. The now infamous George Bush impersonator, Steven Bridges, took to the stage for some hardcore jabs at the President's lack of both education and understanding of what's going on in the real world. While some moments were, as Angel Benton would say, "slap your elbow" funny, like Bush saying "bi-parmesean" instead of "bi-partisan," other moments were just awkward and made even me uncomfortable. When he tells Barbra, "Don't worry about the economy. That's my job. And I'm not worried about it!" there was nothing funny about it because it seemed all too true. And when he walks off to the orchestra playing The Presidential Overture... I don't know, I'm all for bucking the system, but there's something to be said for The Presidential Overture only being played when the President enters a room. Saturday Night Live has never even been so bold!

Someone from the audience shouted, "I'm a Republican!" to which Barbra retorted, "So is Steven Bridges. So what does it mean, really? What does that mean today? I tell you what I'd like to do. Let me hear how many people out there in the audience are Democrats." She then waited a few minutes and said, "Now let me hear how many are Republicans."

The sounds from the audience were nearly identical as though the room had been split 50/50.

"Isn't that interesting?" she said. "About the same. Isn't it amazing that we can all get together in the same room and for the same cause? I don't think anyone out there tonight is Democrat or Republican. We're all just people who want the best for America and the world."

THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE!

She then read from the foreward of William Saroyan's play The Time of Your Life, before going into the song "Cockeyed Optimist": "In the time of your life, live. Seek goodness everywhere and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed. Be the inferior of no man, or of any men be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. Despise evil and ungodliness, but not men of ungodliness or evil. These understand. In the time of your life, live -- so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it."

I felt like Barbra Streisand for those few seconds single handedly brought the idea of unity and equality together in each and every one of our hearts. You could feel the energy being lifted at that moment and it was so inspiring. You really felt like anything is possible and that you can love anyone despite their differences because of our innate similarities.

And therein lies the difference between our great ladies of the belt, Babs and Liza. Liza is most intimate with her audience in song but somewhat detached when speaking. Babs is a brilliant speaker who, in a sold out stadium, can make you feel like she's talking directly to you, but remains unable to really "let go" when singing.

Still, to be in her presence when she hits those notes of sheer perfection, and she still has more of them than not, it's like listening to God come through a single person. At 62, Barbra is not as interested in fame or even the arts as she is in getting money to benefit her many causes and charities. She's more interested in making a difference in the world than whether or not she hits the note spot on. ...But strike up the band to start the opening strings of "Don't Rain on My Parade" and damned if the bitch hasn't still got it! Seeing her live on the week of my birthday was a once in a lifetime experience I'll never forget.