Barbra Streisand Barclays Concert: Legend Returns To Brooklyn For First-Ever Hometown Performance
Royalty returned to Kings County last night as Barbra Streisand performed in her hometown for the first time since she left the borough more than 50 years ago.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
Royalty returned to Kings County last night as Barbra Streisand performed in her hometown for the first time since she left the borough more than 50 years ago.
"Barbra: Back To Brooklyn" kicked off its first of two New York City performances Thursday evening in the new and very polished Barclays Center.
Advertisement
The sold out arena housed more than 18,000 screaming Streisand fans, including the likes of Woody Allen, Rosie O'Donnell, Regis Philbin, and Katie Couric, all eager to witness the highly anticipated homecoming. And while the venue is impressive in its size and grandeur, it ain't no match for Ms. Streisand.
The show started with a montage of photos from Streisand's earliest years that set the tone for the evening: This show was as much about reminiscing as it was about where she -- and the borough for that matter -- have come.
The curtains dropped to reveal a sensational 60-piece orchestra divided into two rectangular pits and conducted by the tour's musical director Bill Ross. Streisand rose from the center of the stage, dressed head to toe in black sequins.
"Like the outfit?" she later teased. "Donna Karan!"
Quite appropriately, Streisand opened with a touching "As If We Never Said Goodbye," complete with lyrics in Brooklyn's honor. The phrases were delightful, highlighting the "Brooklyn docks and nova lox" and encouraging audience members to "tawk amongst yourselves."
Advertisement
Streisand's voice, though phenomenal without doubt, grew raspy at times. And while she seemed vocally more cautious at some climactic opportunities, the 70-year-old singer is certainly still killing it.
During a moving tribute to her dear friend and sometimes-musical director Marvin Hamlisch, Streisand accompanied "The Way We Were" with his original film orchestration. That first oh-so-profound hum seemed to awaken all the senses all over again, a feat that only Streisand can achieve.
Perhaps due to the cold she recently woke up with (that led her to sip chicken soup on stage), she did not take the song up into its higher range.
However, she did take "Don't Rain On My Parade" to new levels - a spectacularly fun and loose rendition that was part of a larger Broadway medley. The audience was on its feet, roaring in applause in no time.
Streisand's banter with the audience is one of the reasons why seeing her perform live is so fun.
"Do you know you look like Dick Cheney?" she told an audience member in the front row. "This is what happens when I look at the audience, not good."
Advertisement
After a brief intermission, Streisand sang "Smile" with pop-opera trio "Il Volo," and moved into more classics with famed trumpeter Chris Botti.
Streisand's son Jason Emanuel Gould joined her on stage to perform "How Deep Is The Ocean?"
"Do you need a sweater? Chicken soup?" a kvelling Streisand asked. Their duet was beautiful - tender yet powerful. The Josh Groban comparisons seem inevitable because Gould is simply outstanding (and wears the same hair style).
Streisand grew somewhat political at moments, talking about environmental protection before performing Leonard Bernstein's "Make Our Garden Grow" with the Brooklyn Youth Choir.
"I hope no one shows him the way to Sesame Street--or Pennsylvania Avenue," she quipped to great reception. (Streisand made the exact same comments at her earlier concert in Philadelphia.)
Advertisement
She closed the main show with an effortless "Some Other Time" before returning to deliver an energetic "Happy Days" for an encore, recalling her wonderful 1963 duet with Judy Garland and surely sending concert-goers home with skips in their steps.
"It's as if we never said goodbye," Streisand sang when she opened her first-ever Brooklyn concert. But we did for some time, and we're all the better for it.
View a slideshow of some of Streisand's most notable performances below:
Barbra Streisand: Performances Through The Years
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.