A Tribute to Alan and Marilyn Bergman For the Benefit of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California
Los Angeles Music Center
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Los Angeles, California
June 1, 1980
Friends of lyricists Marilyn and Alan Bergman paid tribute to them in a live show which was directed by Barbra’s long-time collaborator, Joe Layton.
Barbra was reportedly suffering from stage fright that evening. She confessed later that she had a yogi backstage doing breathing exercises with her to calm her nerves. Barbra’s performance, however, was out of love for her good friends and that love conquered all her performing fears.
Credits: A Tribute to Alan and Marilyn Bergman
Starring their friends
- Bea Arthur
- Joel Grey
- Jack Jones
- Norman Lear
- Melissa Manchester
- Carmen McRae
- and Barbra Streisand
Produced and Staged by Joe Layton
Musical Direction Peter Matz
Journalist Wanda McDaniel described Barbra’s entrance in her review in The Los Angeles Herald-Examiner:
The show limped off to a 20-minute tardy start, but when the curtain finally went up, complaintsturned- shrieks flew to the rafters. Standing at center stage, nervously toeing her mark, was the warm-up act. No introduction necessary. Barbra Streisand. The roaring ovation, (several minutes long) virtually made it impossible for Streisand to launch into her dreamily hummed introduction to ‘The Way We Were.’ If you can imagine Frampton at the Forum multiplied by four, that was what happened in the sedate Pavilion when Streisand stepped into the spotlight for an exceedingly rare concert appearance.
After singing “The Way We Were,” Barbra asked the audience to be quiet — “I can’t hear my intro.” Then, acknowledging all the love she felt from the audience, Barbra sang an exquisite version of “After the Rain.” She must have been nervous, because she sang an incorrect lyric near the end of the song, but covered her mistake well. Barbra promised she’d be back and then left the stage.
Jack Jones sang “Pieces of Dreams” and Melissa Manchester entertained with “I Believe In Love.” Composer Michel Legrand played an up-tempo “Summer Me, Winter Me” and then Barbra appeared on stage again to more cheers from the eager audience.
After Barbra sang her special version of “Summer Me, Winter Me” she began to loosen up. She joked to Legrand: “Michel, you write the most extraordinary melodies. If you were only Jewish, they’d have an evening like this for you, too! I think secretly you are!” Streisand delivered another indelible live performance of the Legrand/Bergman tune, “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” Then she introduced the alternate version of the song, “The Way We Were,” which she called “The Way We Weren’t.” The audio of this was included in the 1991 Streisand box set, Just For The Record. During the live performance, however, Barbra seguéd into an eager reprise of the well-known melody, the orchestra filling the auditorium. It's really a lovely rendition of the Hamlisch/Berman song. Click the player below to hear it:
Next, Barbra teased the audience with the first few bars of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Neil Diamond was in attendance that evening, but not listed in the program. Again, journalist Wanda McDaniel described the performance:
The balcony contingent fairly lost their composure as Streisand went on to encore the show with the first lines of ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ ... it came to the point in the song for Neil Diamond’s vocals and the audience — in unison — slid to the edge of their seats, anticipating the improbable. When the spotlight hit the harmonizing Diamond, rising from the choice orchestra seats and making his way to the stage, the musicmania thundered through the hall, shaking the chandeliers ... The songstress waited for the clamor to subside. Teased Streisand, ‘I don’t think they recognize you, Neil.’
Streisand had taken the first step toward conquering her fear of public performing. It’d be six years until she sang in public again.
Auctioned in 2004 for $3,000, Barbra wore this “custom crepe silk two piece pantsuit adorned with silver rhinestones” at both the Bergman concert and on the Grammy Awards when she sang with Neil Diamond. The auction described the pantsuit as having “a high neck collar which features fabric covered buttons in the back, full length sleeves and a gathered front, pajama style pants clasp and snap at the side, having self waist and hidden side slit pockets.”
End.
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