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.
The sold out stadium 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." 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." 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. During an audience question-and-answer bit, Streisand addressed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his vows to axe PBS funds. "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.)
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.
