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Timeless

Links to Dates/Venues on this page:

Las Vegas (Dec. 31, 1999 & Jan. 1, 2000)

Sydney, Australia (March 9—10, 2000)

Melbourne, Australia (March 15 & 17, 2000)

Los Angeles (Sept. 20—21, 2000)

New York (Sept. 27—28, 2000)

(Above: Streisand and backup singers performing “The Main Event” at Madison Square Garden.)

“My priorities have shifted,” a newly-wed Streisand said, “I want to work less these days, travel and enjoy my life. If this engagement goes well, I may decide later to appear in a few cities around the world that my husband and I would like to visit.”

Streisand fans were elated when it was announced that the MGM Grand Hotel had signed Barbra for an appearance on December 31, 1999, at the 13,000 seat MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Other than a 1996 fundraiser for President Clinton, the New Year's Eve performance was the first public performance by Streisand since the conclusion of her 1994 six city tour. Marvin Hamlisch was announced as her conductor/arranger for the Grand Garden gig. Ticket prices ranged from $500 to $1500, with Golden Circle pricings at $2500.

Tickets were placed on sale on Sunday, May 2. Shortly after the big announcement, a second show was added for January 1, 2000.

Las Vegas Shows
(Dec. 31, 1999 & Jan. 1, 2000)

Act One

• Overture
• You'll Never Know (Lauren Frost)
• Something's Coming (with L. Frost)
• The Way We Were
• Shirley MacLaine Y1K dialogue
• Cry Me A River
• Lover, Come Back To Me
• A Sleepin' Bee
• Miss Marmelstein
• Funny Girl Medley: I'm The Greatest Star / Second Hand Rose / Don't Rain On My Parade
• Something Wonderful / Being Alive
• As Time Goes By / Speak Low
• Alfie
• Evergreen
• Papa, Can You Hear Me? / You'll Never Know (with L. Frost)
• A Piece Of Sky (with L. Frost)

Act Two

• Entr'acte / Putting It Together
• On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
• Send In The Clowns
• Duets Section—Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy (with Judy Garland)—Crying Time (with Ray Charles)—Guilty (with Barry Gibb)—I Finally Found Someone (with Bryan Adams)—Tell Him (with Celine Dion)—You Don't Bring Me Flowers (with Neil Diamond)
• Sing (with Jason Gould)
• I've Got A Crush On You (with Frank Sinatra)
• Simple Pleasures
• The Main Event/Fight
• I've Dreamed Of You
• At The Same Time
• Auld Lang Syne
• The Music That Makes Me Dance *
• People
• Everytime You Hear Auld Lang Syne
• Happy Days Are Here Again
• Don't Like Goodbyes
• I Believe / Somewhere (with L. Frost)

* “Music” was sung on 12/31/99 only. Barbra did not sing it at the 1/1/00 show.

Jay Landers' liner notes for the Timeless CD explained Barbra's rehearsal process at Dress Rehearsal for this big concert:

If there is any tension in the air tonight, it's due to the giant overhead L.E.D. screens, intended to videocast private and professional milestones from Barbra's eventful life—they seem to have taken on a rebellious personality of their own ... And while everyone around her is scurrying, Barbra seems unfazed ...

After more technical delays, Barbra and the orchestra finally take the stage at 8:45 p.m. ... another long evening in store.

Allison Waldman (The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook) interviewed Timeless' producer, Don Mischer, in 2009. He spoke to her about working on Timeless with Streisand and Allison contributed them to this page:

Waldman: What was it like working with Barbra Streisand on Timeless, because I saw that show in Las Vegas live, and I thought the DVD really captured what I had seen…

Mischer: Well, thank you. For anyone in my business, who does what I do, to have the opportunity to work with Barbra it’s something that you dream about. And you know it’s not the easiest. There’s a process you go through in which everything is examined and it’s re-examined and all avenues are explored constantly, so the process is extremely focused and very consuming, but always with Barbra, you end up at the right place, with the right material. I remember being at her house many times with long, long meetings. And if there was some reason that we’d want to hear music, she would get up, go over to the piano and Marvin Hamlisch would be there, he was our musical director, and she’d sing “Some Enchanted Evening” and you just go goose bumps. I mean, I’m here in a room with Barbra and Marvin Hamlisch and she’s just singing “Some Enchanted Evening” for the three or four of us there. What an honor! I just have the greatest respect for her.

Waldman: Working with someone like Barbra who’s so meticulous, it’s challenging but it’s also rewarding in the end.

Mischer: Oh yes, what you want is someone who cares so much about the product and cares so much about how it works and explores every single little avenue – would it be better if we do it this way, or what if we did it that way, what if she switch these two things around – that’s how you get to the right decision. That’s the kind of process that Barbra has. And there are other artists the same way who are really, really careful about what the content is. They really think about it. They don’t just come out and perform a song. They think about how they’re put together, how they’re structured. We had a similar experience with Prince. Stars like Barbra have good instincts about themselves and you need to help them develop that and make suggestions, throw out options, but in the end, they must feel they’ve made the right decision for themselves.

(Below) Barbra designed her garments for the Timeless shows, including alternate pieces for her first act outfit: a wrap, a skirt, and a full top.

(Photo, above): Streisand designed a burgundy taffeta gown with empire waist for the second act of Timeless. Underneath the gown was a crinoline hoop to give the garment volume.

Timeless Tour Program

Fans were able to purchase a handsome, full-color, 11 x 14-inch tour program with loads of rare photographs of Ms. Streisand. Some pages are pictured below ...

Australia Shows

On December 10, 1999, an announcement was made:

Barbra Streisand will make her first visit to Australia in March 2000 and play landmark concert events in Sydney and Melbourne. The engagements were announced today by Australian promoter and entrepreneur Kevin Jacobsen OAM and Ms. Streisand's career-long manager, Martin Erlichman.

The concerts, the first ever for the artist outside the United States and London, will follow the highly anticipated Millennium concert on New Year's Eve, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

It was previously confirmed that the engagement at the MGM Grand would be her final concert or concerts in the United States, but the artist said today she had long wanted to fulfil a lifetime dream of performing for her Australian fans.

The touring version of her Las Vegas show was massive. Streisand's team paid their own travel costs, which Billboard Magazine said included “a team of 333 people including production staff; a 78-piece orchestra conducted by Marvin Hamlisch; and locally hired choirs of 87 people each in Sydney and Melbourne.”

Technically, Streisand brought a LED screen, TelePrompTers, the original Timeless pyramid set, and “a 250,000-watt sound system.”

It's estimated that the cost of mounting the concerts was in the range of $9.4 million-$13.2 million U.S. dollars.

Billboard and Jacobsen Entertainment confirmed that the profits of the concerts were split 90/10, with Streisand getting 90% of the revenue and Jacobsen getting 10%.

Barbra brought Marvin Hamlisch and the other original cast members with her to Australia (minus Savion Glover as Brother Time). Venetta Fields, who was in A Star is Born with Streisand as one of the Oreos—and who lives in Australia—joined Barbra onstage as one of her backup singers during the concerts.

Australian celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Olivia Newton-John attended the concerts.

Sydney Football Stadium (March 9—10, 2000)
Melbourne Colonial Stadium, Docklands (March 15 & 17, 2000)

The March 8th show in Sydney was postponed to March 9th due to rain.

March 10th in Sydney was a particularly memorable concert because it rained.

“I've been singing 'Don't Rain On My Parade' for 35 years, and it's worked up until now,” Barbra said from onstage. For the second act donned an Akubra hat and wore a black athletic outfit.

Mark Iskowitz wrote this wrap-up about the Australia shows in 2000:

How Did This Show Vary From Las Vegas?

• Backing vocal personnel changed in Australia. Venetta Fields (sang frequent background vocals on many 1970s Streisand recordings and played one of the Oreos in A Star Is Born; now lives in Australia) joined Barbra's two Australian female background singers, featured prominently for "The Main Event." Also, the show's choir was composed of 87 Australians - Sydney Children's Choir and Sydney Philharmonia Choir - who performed downstage, instead of on the top tier during "At The Same Time."
  
• Songs omitted (Sydney & Melbourne): "Miss Marmelstein," "Speak Low," "Simple Pleasures," "Crying Time" (duet video excerpt), "Friends" solo, and Vegas overture (replaced by the familiar 1994 overture). "As Time Goes By," less than 1 minute long in Las Vegas, was extended to 2 minutes in Australia in the absence of "Speak Low." The "Moonlight and love songs..." verse and final chorus were added but not repeated as on Barbra's original 1964 studio recording. "Auld Lang Syne," sung in two parts in Las Vegas, was consolidated in Australia.
  
• Songs added: Bonus encore - "The Music That Makes Me Dance" (3/9 only); "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (3/10, 3/15, 3/17)
  
• Monologues and content customized for the show's non-New Year's setting and Australian audiences: Shirley MacLaine dialogue abbreviated; "Mom" offered Barbra a meat pie in addition to a sandwich; Barbra made references to the country and upcoming Summer Olympics; and she toyed with an Australian accent at times and well-known Aussie words like "mate." A "Time Wizard" (not played by Savion Glover) danced to open Act 1 but virtually nothing more. On 3/10 Barbra introduced Olivia Newton-John in audience, calling here "Livvie" and thanking her for being so supportive in efforts to receive Malibu building permits. The "Clickers" poem, placed directly before "The Main Event," was significantly shorter, starting with "Nowadays..."
  
• Etc: As in Vegas, Lauren Frost played the pre-adolescent Barbra, and, surprisingly, the audience received new Duracell commemorative "Australian Tour" flashlight wands. Other concert souvenirs which were on sale were not redesigned for Australia. The heavy red and gold velvet curtains remained drawn above the stage, Barbra explaining that the curtains kept blowing and distracting everyone during rehearsals.

Read 2 reviews + set list from the Sydney shows here >>

Read 2 reviews + set list from the Melbourne show here >>

‘Final’ Concerts: Los Angeles, New York (Sept. 2000)

When Streisand announced her “final” concerts, she decided to perform two shows in California and two in New York. The advertising tag line was: "FOUR LAST PERFORMANCES, TWO BIG CITIES, ONE LEGENDARY VOICE"

The set lists for these last four shows followed closely what had been sung in Las Vegas.

With director Richard Jay-Alexander on board, and music director Bill Ross replacing Marvin Hamlisch, the Second Act differed slightly from Las Vegas.

Streisand added some introductory patter and sang "The Music That Makes Me Dance" and "My Man" together. Then she spoke about leaving this part of her life behind and launched into "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello, Dolly!. Barbra finished the show with "People" in the final spot.

America Online webcast the last five minutes of Barbra's farewell performance ("People").

For the final concerts, Barbra wore a copper-colored, sequined version of the Act One pantsuit. And in Act Two, the voluminous gowns were replaced by a simple, off-the-shoulder, sequined top over a black skirt — with a slit that showed off her leg!

Mark Iskowitz wrote these wrap-ups about the “final” shows in 2000:

Notes from 9/20/2000 Staples Center, L.A. Concert

Barbra's Stage Patter

• "My last shows and I'm still nervous!" exclaimed Barbra during the show's opening moments.
• During her cast and orchestra thank-yous, Barbra made a special thank you to manager Marty Erlichman for all his "unending support of my career and my dreams."
• Referred to herself and husband as a "couple of alter kochers" when dismissing the gossip about them adopting a baby.
• Thanked friend Evelyn for sending an arrangement of 150 roses with a pearl inside each bloom.
• Barbra turned down her stage mother (Randee Heller)'s offer of a cheese knish from Cantor's in her introduction to "The Clicker Blues."
• Barbra informed audience that her real mother, Diana Kind, 92, currently receives long-term care in a nursing home.
• Dedicated "The Music That Makes Me Dance" to late composer Jule Styne.
• In Act 1 Barbra remarked, "This is going so fast." She said she normally dreads doing 35 songs and after every song would count down 34, 33, 32. However, she said L.A. was a terrific audience, which made things move very quickly.
• After trying to keep in step with her three female backup singers during "The Main Event" / "Fight," Barbra made an aside to them, "Well, that's out first real rehearsal!"
• "Do you know what it's like to have to walk around in high heels and sing 35 songs a night, to have to diet to get into these dresses?"
• Returning for a final curtain call with the screens on each side still projecting and the curtain closing, Barbra yelled, "Thank you and drive home safely!"

Celebrity Attendees: John Travolta (introduced by Barbra) & Kelly Preston, Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shaye Smith, Lucy Liu, Salma Hayek, Jane Krakowski, Leann Rimes & Andrew Keegan, Burt Bacharach (introduced during "Alfie" intro), Neil Diamond (introduced), Orson Bean (introduced prior to "Cry Me A River"), Jeff Bridges, Ray Stark (introduced during "The Music That Makes Me Dance" segment), Sidney Poitier, Sydney Pollack, Kevin Spacey, Sherry Lansing (seated next to James Brolin), Helen Hunt, Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell, Anjelica Huston, David Foster, Noah Wyle, Harry Hamlin, Christine Lahti, Sela Ward, Courtney Cox Arquette, Calista Flockhart, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sally Kellerman, Jackie Collins, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Josh Brolin & Minnie Driver, Bill Mahr, Roseanne, and James Brolin.

Notes from 9/21/2000 Staples Center, L.A. Concert

Barbra's Stage Patter

• Many fans were shouting out "We love you!" or "Don't stop singing!" and Barbra tried to catch everything. She sometimes paused to ask, "What did you say? I didn't hear that." If it still wasn't clear, she noted, "There's reverb in here, and by the time it gets to me, it's totally different." Just before beginning "Happy Days," Barbra and the audience were exchanging "greetings," one of which was "We're going to miss you!" to which she replied, "That's so sweet of you to say! Don't worry, I will keep making records and movies."
• After "The Way We Were" Barbra remembered her first visit to the Staples Center to see a Lakers game. Now she's using the Lakers' dressing room. "The thing to dry your hands is 8 feet up!"
• Introducing Jack Nicholson, Barbra recalled, "He worked with me in On A Clear Day, and he was so stiff, Vincente Minnelli kept telling him to move his legs and arms."
• Barbra admitted loathing heels and nearly always wearing sneakers. She wants to take the time to do things she really enjoys, like eating, without having to worry about her appearance, since she won't be on the stage anymore. She spoke to Elizabeth Taylor, observing, "We both love to eat! Right, Elizabeth?" Noting that Ms Taylor was sitting next to James, Barbra warned "I know you're not married now, so watch it!"
• Right before singing "Before The Parade Passes By," Barbra accidentally used a rose in her hand as a microphone. It was humorous when she had the rose in her right hand and the mic in her left, and she started talking to the rose, thinking it was the mic.
• She referred to her young family members in the audience by name and said she was so glad there were children around her, because she feels so warm and comfortable around them.

Celebrity Attendees: Front row center were James Brolin with daughter Molly and son Josh, Jack Nicholson & Lara Flynn Boyle, Elizabeth Taylor, Roger Clinton. Other notables included Dustin Hoffman, Lauren Bacall, Barry Manilow, Quincy Jones, Carole Bayer Sager, Michael Crawford, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Julianna Margulies, Renee Taylor, Angie Dickinson, Barbara Sinatra, Dick Clark, Debra Messing, Dick Van Dyke, Ellen DeGeneres, Blythe Danner, Charlene Tilton, and, for the second consecutive night, Alan & Marilyn Bergman.

Set List from 9/27-28/2000 Madison Square Garden, NY Shows

Act 1

• Overture (tap dancing)
• You'll Never Know (Lauren Frost)
• Something's Coming (with Frost)
• The Way We Were
• Shirley MacLaine Y1K (comedy dialogue)
• Cry Me A River
• Lover, Come Back To Me
• A Sleepin' Bee
• I'm The Greatest Star / Second Hand Rose / Don't Rain On My Parade
• Something Wonderful / Being Alive
• As Time Goes By
• Alfie
• Evergreen
• Papa, Can You Hear Me? / You'll Never Know (with Frost)
• A Piece Of Sky (with Frost)

Act 2

• Entr'acte
• Putting It Together
• On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) {with choir}
• Send In The Clowns
• Come Rain Or Come Shine
• Duets
  • Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy (with Judy Garland)
  • Guilty (with Barry Gibb)
  • I Finally Found Someone (with Bryan Adams)
  • Tell Him (with Celine Dion)
  • You Don't Bring Me Flowers (with Neil Diamond)
  • Sing (with Jason Gould)
• I've Got A Crush On You (with Frank Sinatra)
• The Clicker Blues
• The Main Event / Fight
• I've Dreamed Of You
• Love Like Ours (not performed on 9/28)
• Happy Days Are Here Again {with choir}
• Don't Like Goodbyes
• I Believe / Somewhere (with Frost) {with choir}

Encores

• The Music That Makes Me Dance
• My Man
• Before The Parade Passes By
• People

Celebrity Attendees 9/27/2000: Rosie O'Donnell, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, Tony Bennett, Michel Legrand, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore, Penny Marshall, Vince Gill & Amy Grant, Elaine May, Christie Brinkley, Regis & Joy Philbin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Ann Hampton Callaway, Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson, Shirley Jones, Isabella Rossalini, Polly Bergen, David Dinkins, Harvey Weinstein, and James Brolin.

Celebrity Attendees 9/28/2000: Streisand family including son Jason Gould and brother Sheldon Streisand, Rosie O'Donnell, Lauren Bacall, Barbara Walters, Michel Legrand, Amy Irving, Glenn Close, Martha Stewart, Brooke Shields, Lorraine Bracco, Billy Crystal, Anne Meara & Jerry Stiller, Bud Cort, Billy Gilman, Scott Glenn, Jesse Jackson, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Peter Bogdanovich, Phyllis Newman, Donna Karan & Steven Weis, Linda Richman (Mike Myers' mother-in-law), Maggie Styne (widow of Jule Styne), and James Brolin (who attended all 10 of his wife's Timeless shows this year).

Credits for this page: Many thanks to Mark Iskowitz for sharing set lists and concert details.

End.

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1960s Live Performances:

Main Page - Live Performances 1957 - Streisand in Summer Stock 1959 - Driftwood (Off Broadway) 1960 - The Boyfriend (Summer Stock) 1960 - The Insect Comedy (Off Broadway) 1960 - The Lion 1960 - Bon Soir 1961 - Village Vanguard 1961 - Caucus Club 1961 - Crystal Palace 1961 - Town & Country Supper Club 1961-1962 - The Blue Angel 1961 - Harry Stoones 1962 - I Can Get It Wholesale 1962 - Bill Hahn Resort 1962 - Dutch Treat Club 1963 - Fight For Sight Benefit 1963 - Revere Frolic 1963 - The Chateau 1963 - Cafe Pompeii Eden Roc Hotel 1963 - hungry i 1963 - Basin Street East 1963 - D.C. Press Correspondents Dinner 1963 - Mister Kelly's 1963 - Concord Hotel 1963 - Riviera Hotel 1963 - Lido Club 1963 - Cocoanut Grove 1963 - Harrah's Lake Tahoe 1963 - Mayor Shelley for Mayor 1963 - Hollywood Bowl 1963 - Harmonie Club 1963 - McCormick Place Arie Cown Theater 1963 - Clowes Memorial Hall 1963 - San Jose Civic Auditorium 1963 - San Fran Masonic Auditorium 1963 - Shrine Auditorium 1964 - Funny Girl (Broadway) 1964 - Forest Hills 1964 - Democratic Convention 1965 - President Johnson Inaugural 1965 - Broadway Answers Selma 1966 - Funny Girl London 1966 - London Concert 1966 - Evening with Barbra Streisand (Tour) 1967 - Hollywood Bowl 1968 - Broadway For Peace 1968 - McCarthy Benefit 1968 - Belafonte, Streisand, Cosby, Alpert at the Bowl 1969 - Friars Club Roast 1969 - Las Vegas International Hotel 1969 - Evening for John Lindsay

1970s & 1980s Live Performances:

1970 - Broadway For Bella 1970 - Riviera Hotel 1970-72 - Hilton Hotel 1971 - Motion Picture Television Relief Fund 1972 - Forum McGovern 1973 - ACLU Ellsberg Fundraiser 1976 - Sun Devil Stadium (Star is Born) 1980 - ACLU Bergman Concert 1988 - Voices For Change (Dukakis)

1990s & 2000s Live Performances:

1992 - Women for a Change 1992 - APLA Commitment to Life Concert 1994 - The Concert 1994 - The Concert Tour 1996 - LA National Presidential Gala 2000 - Timeless 2000 - Gore Nomination Concert 2002 - Democratic Gala 2004 - Kerry & Friends 2005 - Sondheim at 75 2005 - Agassi Grand Slam Concert 2006 - North American Tour Pages 2007 - Europe Tour Pages 2007 - Planet Hollywood Opening 2008 - Obama Fundraiser 2009 - Village Vanguard 2011 - MusiCares Concert 2011 - FIDF Western Region Gala

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