"Hello Gorgeous" ...Becoming Barbra Streisand

[foxy]

I just finished reading this new biography by William J. Mann which concentrates on the years 1960 -1964 of Barbra's career. I found it fascinating. A distant cousin of mine who I never met, Burke McHugh is sometimes considered the man who "discovered" her when she appeared at the gay club Lion. This is her 50th anniversary in show biz and she is now 70 years old and still going strong. I have been listening to a lot of her music and watching a few of her old films and will go see "Guilt Trip" in the next few days. While I don't care for all of her albums her voice is always astounding. An album I always liked but not a major seller is "Classical Barbra". Serious opera lovers might take issue with it but I like the way it nibbles on my ears. Another Barbara (Cook) still sounds great and she's 86. I have no doubt Streisand will too at that age.

[wnybear]

I saw Streisand in concert for the first time when she was in Toronto in October. She still sounds amazing at 70 years old. She struggles a bit with those signature high, held notes, but otherwise she is just unbelievable. It was a great concert, worth every penny I spent on the ticket.

[+ Cock Eyed Optimist]

Thanks for the tip on the Mann book! My "claim to fame" is when I came to NY from Chicago to see Funny Girl and she was out sick that day. That is noteworthy because she rarely missed any performances during her run in that show.

[Cooper]

Foxy, thanks for starting this thread. You certainly have peaked my interest in not only listening to Barbra songs again but in reading William J. Mann's book.

 

I watched a recent interview with Barbra and she mentioned that her son Jason Gould has released his 1st album. How proud she must be. Here's a YouTube video of the two singing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIbkVmm-kYU

 

CEO: Do you recall who Barbra's understudy was? What difficult shoes to fill.

 

Coop

[+ WilliamM]

I read parts of the book during two days off due to Hurricane Sandy. I saw an early perfromance of "Funny Girl" during the Boston tryout in early 1964. Streisand was very good, better singing than during the book scenes. Almost fifty years later I have even more respect after reading that part of Mann's book. It turns out that the director, Garson Kanin, was mostly absent. Streisand was essentially directing herself until Jerome Robbins agreed to return as the "unofficial" director. Amazing because Streisand was about 21 years old & "Funny Girl" was a very complex out-of-town tryout (i.e., many problems with the musical's book).

[foxy]

I saw that Youtube video of Barbra and Jason singing was very impressed. Can you imagine growing up with Barbra as your mother? and he's gay which Barbra and Elliott took in stride (I think). Boy I'll bet Jason has some really good stories that will never be told. Barbra's mother Diana wanted to be a singer also but never got further than singing in her apartment. You can find her on Youtube along with Barbra's half sister Roslyn Kind who had her share of singing fame. There's a duet of them on Youtube at one of her concerts. They are like the Trapp Family Singers... only Jewish.

[edjames]

Lainie Kazan was Barbra's understudy on Broadway in Funny Girl. When Barbra exited the show Mimi Hines took over.

 

Finally, has anyone ever seen Steven Brinberg's cabaret show...Simply Barbra??? He's been around for a while and has performed at several small nightclubs here in NYC. He's recently been at Studio54 Below, a club I like very much and I'm interested if i should book a ticket for his next appearance.

No lip sync, he uses his own voice.

 

ED

 

FYI, my most memorable Barbra "performance" was watching the porno tape she made years and years ago....

[foxy]

I never heard of Steven Brinberg and watched a few of his videos on YouTube. He does sound sort of like Barbra but I wished he hadn't done it in drag as I think he looks awful that way. I think it cheapens his ability and he becomes one more drag queen pretending to be a famous woman. As far as Barbra doing a porn tape I'm truly shocked and never heard of this. How can I see it?

[+ WilliamM]

I never heard of Steven Brinberg and watched a few of his videos on YouTube. He does sound sort of like Barbra but I wished he hadn't done it in drag as I think he looks awful that way. I think it cheapens his ability and he becomes one more drag queen pretending to be a famous woman.

 

I have a CD of Steven Brinberg as Streisand in a live performance about 10 years ago. I play it occasionally, and most enjoy how much he sounds like Streisand. Brinberg has a great sense of humor about what he does. But, I might change my opinion if I saw him do his act in person.

 

This is the first I have ever heard about a Streisand porno tape, and I am only 16 months younger than Barbra...so I have followed her career since the beginning. If a porno tape exists, I am shocked that it's never been mentioned on gay gossip Internet sites like datalounge.

[foxy]

Maybe it was Steven Brinberg in the porn tape.

[+ WilliamM]

Streisand wanted to be a movie star from a young age. There is no porn tape. She's always been smart and canny about her career, and the way she's lived her life.

[operalover21]

I've never heard a singer twist a song out of all recognition like Barbra Streisand. Absolutely horrendous singer. She makes Judy sound emotionally stable.

[foxy]

Well if I could only listen to one female singer for the rest of my life it would be Ella Fitzgerald. Barbra does get rather overwrought at times.

[edjames]

Streisand wanted to be a movie star from a young age. There is no porn tape. She's always been smart and canny about her career, and the way she's lived her life.

 

The version I saw was advertised as Barbra but knowing how people what to cash in on the fame of others and make a fast buck, I'll go with the assumptioon that it was not brbra, here is an excerpt from one of Brbra's many fan sites:

 

In the 1970s — before DVDs! — an 8mm porn film was sold and advertised as Barbra Streisand in Hardcore!

Although the “actress” in this “film” resembles Barbra, it is not her.

The movie is actually called The Personal Touch. The same actress that looks like Barbra also appeared in another movie called Auto-Sex.

Streisand even joked about it in a 1977 Playboy interview: “I couldn't resist the temptation to see what the actress looked like—and also to check out her performance—so we got a copy. The film, naturally, is very blurred. The girl has long hair, like I did back in the Sixties, although she was chubby, while I was very skinny. But the dead giveaway came when the camera zoomed in on her hands around the guy's you-know-what. There they were: short, stubby fingers! Definitely not mine. So all you would-be buyers, don't waste your money.”

 

Clips are available for viewing on the web but once again, poor to horrible condition. Also beware, many of sites are notorious for phishing and trojans...

 

I've decided to go se Steven Brinberg on his next NYC appearance just for the fun of it. I remember back in the '70's when Jim Bailey performed, using his own voice, in the first act as Barbra and then the second as Judy...Carnegie Hall, no less! Never got to see him as Peggy Lee.

 

ED

[Phil_musc]

Maybe it was Steven Brinberg in the porn tape.

 

Yes, that must be it. Let's look at his fingers next time we see him to see if they are long or stubby.

[operalover21]

Well if I could only listen to one female singer for the rest of my life it would be Ella Fitzgerald. Barbra does get rather overwrought at times.

 

Absolutely. Ella is the bomb, as they say. Absolutely the tops of all-time.

[operalover21]

Streisand wanted to be a movie star from a young age. There is no porn tape. She's always been smart and canny about her career, and the way she's lived her life.

 

 

The idea of a Barbra Streisand porn tape makes me glad that I'm gay.

[+ WilliamM]

I was very lucky to watch & hear Garland, Fitzgerald and Streisand perform in person many times. My opinion: If Garland was in the mood and in good voice, she was the best. That's a might big 'if.' But, I never heard Fitzgerald give a less than all-out performance, so I also would put her first as the best female pop vocalist.

[operalover21]

I was very lucky to watch & hear Garland, Fitzgerald and Streisand perform in person many times. My opinion: If Garland was in the mood and in good voice, she was the best. That's a might big 'if.' But, I never heard Fitzgerald give a less than all-out performance, so I also would put her first as the best female pop vocalist.

 

And no female singer, well no singer period, tops Ella's recorded legacy. She recorded more great albums than anyone else. Judy was wonderful but only for a certain type of song. She couldn't do everything and, as you pointed out, she wasn't consistent. I wouldn't cross the street to hear Streisand for free.

[+ WilliamM]

To me, Frank Sinatra came closest to Ella in recording great albums. Despite her significant limitations, Judy Garland was a superb singer-actress, although I am not a big fan of her films. I do not remember why you dislike Barbra Streisand so much.

 

The recent PBS special on Jewish composers make me wonder how many major Broadway stars were Jewish. I laughed at the story of Merman reminding everyone all the time than she was German, not Jewish.

[operalover21]

To me, Frank Sinatra came closest to Ella in recording great albums. Despite her significant limitations, Judy Garland was a superb singer-actress, although I am not a big fan of her films. I do not remember why you dislike Barbra Streisand so much.

 

The recent PBS special on Jewish composers make me wonder how many major Broadway stars were Jewish. I laughed at the story of Merman reminding everyone all the time than she was German, not Jewish.

 

I find that Streisand simply destroys both lyrics and melodies with her tortured way of singing. She just twists a song out of all meaning. Listen to Yentl. It's enough to make you want to break the record -- or cd -- in half.

 

Sinatra had a good run of albums in the 1950s and early 1960s but it was a short one, then his voice started going. But his best stuff is outstanding.

 

I think singers like Johnny Hartman and Billy Eckstine, among others, don't get the credit they deserve.