Barbra reborn at concert
Streisand returns to city roots in Garden song, political fest
October 10, 2006
Barbra Streisand isn't one for surprises.
From the rose-filled vases on the stage perimeter to the half-dozen TelePrompTers scattered throughout Madison Square Garden to ease her worry about forgetting lyrics, Streisand has it all planned out. Only a handful of artists could make such intense scripting work, but she is definitely one of them.
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Unlike earlier shows on the tour, Streisand was in fine voice from the moment she began "Starting Here, Starting Now," as she appeared in the middle of her 55-piece orchestra. And her skill at phrasing showed in the intricate twists of "Come Rain or Shine" and the subtle reworking of "The Way We Were."
For her first New York concert in six years -- since, you know, the one that was supposed to be her final live concert performance ever -- Streisand was determined to give the crowd what it wanted. "I still think of myself as a New Yorker," said Streisand, who plays the Garden tomorrow as well. "Go Mets!"
That New York attitude emerged later in the show, too. After a skit that poked fun at President George W. Bush, and a man yelled taunts at her, she said, "Shut the -- -- up if you can't take a joke," and then offered to return his money.
Politics aside, Streisand's show was, on the whole, well-paced and elegantly executed. She drew heavily from 1967's "Funny Girl," including an energetic "Don't Rain on My Parade" and the show-stopping ballad "My Man."
Her return was sparked by a desire to raise money for The Streisand Foundation, which will make contributions to health and education issues, as well as fight global warming, taking a bit of the sting out of tickets priced between $100 and $750. Streisand's return also gives her a platform for her political views, which, to no one's surprise, run counter to the Bush administration.
Her political skit, where a Bush look-alike spouts ridiculous ideas like selling off Canada to balance the budget, is harmless enough. The problem comes when "Bush" sings "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" with her, ruining one of her best songs.
The other main problem is bringing Il Divo, the multi-culti pop-opera hunks, into her show. Not only were they unnecessary, but the quartet brought the momentum to a halt when their mini-set was injected into the middle of Streisand's set. They also stomped on the lovely "Evergreen" with their over-singing, a feat they duplicated on another of her showcase songs "Somewhere."
It's a tribute to Streisand's mastery as a performer that she could build the energy level back after each of these setbacks, using a mix of familiar and unexpected songs. In a lesser singer's hands, a song like "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?" could come off schmaltzy, but Streisand made it gripping and emotional.
After six years, she hasn't lost anything off her game. Maybe her surprise will be how comfortable she looks onstage and how much she enjoyed performing aga
