Hi! I'm Matt Howe, and I created this site. Thanks for dropping by!Welcome to Barbra-Archives! Streisand news follows my Tweets below ....
Tweets by @babsdudeJune 18, 2013
Barbra On Tour
Streisand is currently in Israel. I've added photos and stories to the June 20th Israel concert page here.
My new page on Streisand's performance at Israel President Shimon Peres' 90th birthday celebration is up!
Click to see photos and the songs that Barbra sang for Mr. Peres.
She performs in concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
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Berlin set list is up. Barbra was *golden*
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June 13th: Barbra's Europe tour is amazing! I'm just back from Amsterdam where I was very lucky to see the June 10th show and also go backstage and meet and have a picture taken with Barbra—who was warm, beautiful in person, and appreciative of this site.
Here's my partner, Dan, Barbra and me!
Many thanks to Richard Jay-Alexander, who orchestrated the whole evening. Not only is he a great show director ... he's also very kind! Here we are, below: Richard Jay-Alexander, Craig Hall (BarbraStreisand.com content), super-fan Robin Lipman (who finally got to meet Barbra, too!) and me.
Meanwhile, Barbra killed it in Cologne last night (from what I hear)—21 standing ovations from an appreciative crowd. And wait till you see what she sang (complete: not a snippet!)
Set Lists & More:
Please, concert-goers, email me with the upcoming set list, pics, or any reviews or celebrity sightings! matt@barbra-archives.com
“The Way We Were” Blu-ray Coming
Barbra's classic romance film will be released on November 12, 2013 by the Twilight Time label.
“TWWW” was a Columbia Pictures film, and in 2011 Twilight Time struck a deal with Sony to license and release titles from the Columbia Pictures library (which Sony owns).
All titles are sold online exclusively through Screen Archives Entertainment.
Note: PRE-ORDERS begin approximately 25 days BEFORE the release date listed next to each title. Dates are subject to change without notification.
There is no word yet about what, if any, bonus features will be on the Blu-ray. I'll report it here as soon as I find out.
June 1, 2013
Barbra at the O2
Streisand was in excellent voice tonight at London's O2. The show was retooled with Roslyn Kind taking a solo in Act One (in place of Il Volo from the 2012 shows), and with Jason Gould singing an extra song in Act Two (“Misty” and “Morning Prayer” were his two solos).
May 29, 2013
Europe Tour!
Barbra Streisand's 2013 European tour opens this Saturday at London's O2 arena. Team Barbra is in London right now rehearsing for the shows.
As usual, I'll be updating this site with tour info and set lists — The timing is bad for me and I won't be able to attend any of the Europe shows ...... so please email me all the details: matt@barbra-archives.com
(Use one of the set lists from the 2012 North American tour and adjust it as necessary. For example: Il Volo is not part of the show this time, but the rest of the structure will probably be very similar.)
Meanwhile, Jason Gould has talked to David Munk over at Stargayzing again and offers a few tidbits about his part in the tour:
- Jason has a new MP3 "album" coming out June 1st with two songs: “Morning Prayer/Groove” and “Misty” (the lovely Garner/Burke standard). [Pre-Order it from Amazon.com]
- Jason will probably sing more songs in Europe than he did in North America
Barbra Archives Turns 10 Years Old
Wow! I started this website in May 2003 ... and “I'm Still Here!”
Back then I got the idea of doing a website all about Barbra Streisand because I had all these facts in my head about her career and wanted to keep them straight. So I bought some website software, taught myself HTML, and started Barbra Archives.
It's been a fun time for me, because I'm such a fan of Barbra's. I've had amazing access behind-the-scenes, met some very cool people on Team Barbra, met amazing Streisand fans around the world who I am friends with, and I've been to some great Streisand concerts, and even a taping of the Oprah show!
Talk about “following my bliss!”
Well, it's Barbra Streisand who has been blissfully entertaining me all these years, and she's the reason this site exists. I am so grateful I got to meet her face-to-face in Brooklyn (she was exactly as I imagined! So sweet and pretty!) And I am very grateful as a fan that Barbra is still a vital and working artist, still striving for the best, and still busy doing albums, concerts, movies, and more. She is truly an inspiration!
Here's a look back at some of the various front pages that I posted over the last ten years ... and thanks for all the Barbra Streisand fans who've sent me emails, photos, scans, links, and words of encouragement.
I appreciate you!
Matt Howe :)
May 9, 2013
“Back To Brooklyn” Concert On PBS This Fall
Official Public Broadcasting System announcement:
PBS ARTS FALL FESTIVAL: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn”
The legendary Barbra Streisand makes a historic homecoming back to Brooklyn at the new Barclays Center arena, marking the superstar’s first Brooklyn concert since her childhood years. Joined by special guests Il Volo and Chris Botti, Streisand performs an extensive selection of songs from her five-decade career, including a touching duet with her son, Jason Gould. Friday, November 29, 9:00 p.m. ET
Also of note this PBS season:
AMERICAN MASTERS “Marvin Hamlisch: The Way He Was”
By age 31, Marvin Hamlisch had won four Grammys, an Emmy, three Oscars and a Tony. His famous singles and scores made him the go-to composer for film and Broadway and the go-to performer for every president since Reagan. When his unprecedented streak ended, he fell into despair. With a rich archival legacy, collaborators from Liza Minnelli to Steven Soderbergh and complete cooperation from his family, this documentary has a wealth of material to tell Hamlisch’s rich, bittersweet story. Friday, December 27, 9:00 p.m. ET
Giveaway—Winner!
Guilt Trip Giveaway!!
Barbra Archives has a winner in the Target Exclusive: The Guilt Trip (Blu-ray/DVD) (Includes Digital Copy) (UltraViolet) giveaway.
Congrats to Adella Gonzalez! I'll be sending the prize out to you soon.
And thanks for everyone who participated!
May 3, 2013
Blu-ray Reviews
Here's my (quick) thoughts on The Guilt Trip and Funny Girl Blu-rays which were released this week.
The Guilt Trip
Not much to report here regarding video quality—this movie is less than a year old, so it looks pretty darn good on my home screen. The reason to own the Blu-ray is for all the bonus material. “Barbra's World” is a loving dedication to Streisand and shows/tells us how much fun she was to work with on set. The deleted scenes are fun—many were seen by fans last summer as The Guilt Trip was going through audience testing. I am less a fan of the alternate opening than I am of the alternate ending—Barbra and the cowboy! The gag reel is fun, too. Watching the movie for my second time, I still think it's good. Mostly, it's all about Streisand and Rogen's chemistry, and you can't deny they've got it.
[Order The Guilt Trip from Amazon]
Funny Girl
I will gush just like a lot of the Blu-ray enthusiast blogs and forums are: Funny Girl on Blu-ray from Sony Home Video is GORGEOUS. It looks and sounds simply amazing. You'll be hard-pressed to find a studio catalog film looking this good on Blu-ray! I hope it wins some awards for its 4K digital restoration.
What looks good?
Well, I am seeing Irene Sharaff's gowns anew! See how many bangles and sparkles Streisand has on her costumes—the “People” gown just shimmers. The colors really stand out—Barbra's blue eye makeup, purple gown, and the red dining room during “You Are Woman”—wow!
It looks like the folks at Sony fixed some things, too: for instance, there was always a strange cut at the very end of the Swan Lake number, as Streisand is flying in the rafters—almost as if it was missing a few frames. That seems to be fixed on the new Blu-ray.
The sound is amazing, too. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 lossless soundtrack has plenty of fun, directional sound for your home theaters—the Springtime/Summer brides' voices, for example, are separated into left, center, and right channels. [“...of June, July, and such!”]
Funny Girl is prototypical Streisand ... she's just amazing in this film.
My only major complaint is the lack of bonus material. Both featurettes on this Blu-ray are the same ones included on the 2002 Funny Girl DVD—and it's unfortunate that they are in SD not 1080p quality, too. The 2001 rerelease trailer is not included. There's no commentary track or featurette about the making of Funny Girl. No behind the scenes photos. The Look of Funny Girl featurette about Streisand's costumes is absent. The extended Swan Lake isn't there either. It just seems like Sony Home Video missed the opportunity to really do this Blu-ray right. This is probably the last time Streisand fans will re-buy this movie (we just bought the DVD ten years ago), so it's a shame Funny Girl wasn't given a grander home video treatment. (Even the Blu-ray for A Star is Born had a booklet with photos!)
That being said ... the film looks gorgeous. And it can be yours for under $20—which is not a bad deal.
[Order Funny Girl from Amazon]
Site Updates
Inspired by Barbra's Chaplin Award for her film work, I've spent a few days doing some major and minor updates to most of the FILM pages on Barbra-Archives. Of note are:
- Updated Yentl ... and two new Yentl pages here and here.
- Updated Prince of Tides .... and a new page here.
- Nuts ... new and improved.
- Funny Girl ... the restoration page is updated.
Wait! There's more!
- A new page for Barbra's 1983 City Lights interview
- I finally put the Places That Belong to You and For All We Know video pages back up.
- Did you read my interview with Phil Ramone that I re-posted?
- Updates on Barbra Beginnings page one and page two.
April 29, 2013
Barbra Wishes Willie a Happy Birthday
They've recorded an unreleased duet together ... Now Barbra has sent Willie Nelson video birthday wishes:
April 28, 2013
D.C. Correspondents' Dinner
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin attended 2013 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner—an annual dinner that attracts almost 3,000 capital leaders as well as stars of cinema and television held at the Washington Hilton—on Saturday (April 27) in Washington, D.C. She was snapped having conversations with NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Mark Warner.
Afterward, Streisand attended the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair after-party at the French Ambassador's residence. Pictured above is Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter, Donna Karan, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin.
Historically, Barbra attended the 1963 Press Correspondents dinner, where she sang for President Kennedy.
All About Barbra Magzine #74
From editor Lynne Pounder:
Visit www.allaboutbarbra.com and get your order in now! Remember, they sell out quickly (72 is gone! And issue 73 is almost done!) Inside #74: The Way We Were, Inside The Chaplin Award, The Oscars! Hello, Dolly! The Guilt Trip comes to DVD & Blu Ray, lots more..
AAB #74 also has an exclusive article written by Jay Landers about working on Barbra's album Release Me. Lynne has sent along a teaser for you all:
Barbra keeps lists. She can't always find them, but eventually they resurface and jog her memory. That's when I might get the email, "Did you ever hear the songs I did with Randy Newman?". However, usually it's something more cryptic like "Garden Grow-Rupert". Fortunately, after all these years, I'm well-versed in "Barbra-speak" and understand how to decipher her shorthand. In this case, she's been thinking about a powerful way to close her concert and wants to hear the unfinished recording of "Make Our Garden Grow" that she made in the late 1980's with co-producer/arranger Rupert Holmes. The note also implies the need to find the orchestra parts for this version, or if they've "vanished" to call Rupert and ask him if he knows where they are. It also means she'll want to send a copy to her conductor Bill Ross so he can have a listen as well. All in a days work, and another reason to revisit "The Vault".
Also in this issue: A round up of all the news, Jason Gould, plus our tribute to Allison Waldman. Limited print run, don't miss out!
Go to All About Barbra's website to order.
Funny Girl Blu-Ray
Home Theater Forum's Robert Harris has seen the Funny Girl Blu-ray that comes out on Tuesday and is raving. Harris—responsible for the uncut version of Lawrence Of Arabia and the restorations of Vertigo and Rear Window—... says:
The new Blu-ray of Funny Girl will be one of the most perfect catalog releases of 2013. Bar none.
Color, density, shadow detail, grain structure. It's all there. In spades. David Bernstein was in charge of color for this one.
If one doesn't fall for Fanny Brice by the 20 minute mark, either the viewer isn't human or has no heart.
The main titles are perfect for the first time on video. The dark reds are dead on. The flesh tones, perfect, as are the blacks.
One of the greatest musicals of all time.
An absolutely perfect Blu-ray release. This is a thousand dollar Blu-ray at a trifle of that cost.
You can pre-order Funny Girl from Amazon.com here. It is released April 30, 2013.
APril 24, 2013
Happy Birthday, Barbra!
Happy Birthday to the lady this website is all about!
Barbra, I hope you have a great day. Best wishes to you and I hope you're celebrating with the ones you love and the food you love!
You're an inspiration and a great lady. Here's to you!
April 22, 2013
Streisand Lincoln Center Chaplin Award
What a great evening!!
It's late, but here's a quick review of what happened tonight:
- It was announced that Lincoln Center Film Society raised the most ever -- $2 million -- this evening.
- Liza Minnelli sang "Isn't This Better" from FUNNY LADY and "What Did I Have I Don't Have Now" from ON A CLEAR DAY. Billy Stritch, on piano, included a great "I Had A Dream" coda from GYPSY at the end of the medley.
- Omar Sharif appeared on tape ... sweet and funny as he clarified that he loved Barbra cinematically ... not sexually!
- Previous Chaplin Award winners Michael Douglas and Catherine Deneuve toasted Streisand
- Wynton Marsalis serenaded Streisand with "Hello, Dolly!"
- George Segal on OWL & THE PUSSYCAT: "I played a failed novelist and Barbra played a failed hooker. I still don't know which one is more improbable." (Lots of laughs).
- Robert Redford, on tape, said kind words about working with Barbra on THE WAY WE WERE
- Lots of great film clips from Barbra's movies!
- Alan Bergman sang "The Way We Were" for Barbra ... then charmed us all with special lyrics to the tune that honored Barbra. Very sweet.
- Kris Kristofferson told some STAR IS BORN stories (and looked great!)
- Amy Irving reminisced about YENTL and said Barbra was the best "girl-on-girl action" she's ever experienced (i.e. kissing Barbra in the film).
- Pierce Brosnan was fabulously self-deprecating about singing in MAMMA MIA and said working with Streisand on MIRROR HAS TWO FACES was a warm-up for his musical debut.
- Blythe Danner spoke candidly about being directed by Barbra in PRINCE OF TIDES, then described her as a reluctant actress getting into makeup for the FOCKERS movies who enjoyed "playing in the sandbox" once she got to set with the other actors.
- Ben Stiller told the story of how he wooed Barbra to appear in the first FOCKERS movie. Then he introduced ....
- President Bill Clinton gave a wonderful speech about Barbra and inspired us all.
- Barbra's wonderful speech was about 15 minutes long. She compared Chaplin, Clinton and herself as multi-hyphenates who lost their fathers early in life. She talked about the directors she has worked with during her career. She told some great stories about ideas she offered to William Wyler and Peter Bogdanovich while filming FUNNY GIRL and DOC. She mentioned how hard it was to get movies made/financed when she was directing/producing/starring. She talked about directing Lauren Bacall.
- Tony Bennett sang "Smile" to close out the evening.
It was a great event, filled with lots of love for Barbra. She sat in a box in Avery Fisher Hall next to husband James Brolin, and Marilyn Bergman. I hear that Universal Pictures head Ron Meyer and his wife were in the box with her ... another sign that the GYPSY movie is alive and well.
(Below, left to right: Kris Kristofferson, Marty Erlichman, Richard Jay-Alexander, Rose Kuo, George Segal, Amy Irving, Barbra Streisand, Alan Bergman,Hillary Clinton, Tony Bennett, Bill Clinton, Michael Douglas, Blythe Danner, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Stiller. Photo by Kevin Mazur)
April 20, 2013
Lincoln Center Film Society Chaplin Award
This Monday, the Lincoln Center Film Society will present Barbra Streisand with their prestigious Chaplin Award.
I'll be at the event, hopefully able to report soon after it's over. (I've got my laptop with me!) The evening promises to be exciting and will probably have a few surprises. The performers are fantastic (Tony Bennett! Liza Minnelli!) and the presenters are intriguing.
April 16, 2013
Rest in Peace, Allison Waldman
I'm sad to share the news that Allison Waldman died yesterday evening in Florida after battling cancer for so long. Indeed, she was plucky and positive when I last spoke to her two weeks ago.
Many Streisand fans appreciated her YouTube videocasts in which she shared news about Barbra's career, shared her Streisand collection, and even shared her health challenges. In her last episode, Allison had lost her hair but not her passion for all things Barbra.
Last year, Allison did an amazing job assembling a book filled with fan stories about Barbra Streisand called Barbra Memories. I was there in Brooklyn with Allison when she was able to hand Barbra a copy of the book. I remember Barbra saying to her, “Allison Waldman ... you're a very good writer.” Allison was over the moon that she finally got to meet her idol.
Allison wrote The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook and was an active participant in the Barbra Streisand Forum that Craig Hall set up. Mostly I appreciated her positiveness over there, and her knack for setting fans right with the facts about Barbra's career.
In the 1990s, Allison wrote and produced a great little fan newsletter called BarbraFile, in which she reported all the news about Barbra. She continued using that name recently when she set up The BarbraFiles website.
Here at Barbra Archives, Allison was an integral reference. A few years ago she mailed me many of her scrapbooks, which I am still scanning and referencing.
(Above: Here we all are, attending Marty's backstage get-together in Brooklyn. That's Craig Hall on the left, Allison, Richard Jay-Alexander, and me. “Mem'ries....”)
Allison was a friend made in the Internet Age—we only emailed each other to begin with. Then we started calling each other, and that's when we became friends. I didn't meet her face-to-face until last October in Brooklyn, and it was like saying hello to an old friend. I talked to Allison on the phone almost every week. Sometimes, like leading up to the Brooklyn concerts, we talked more often. She was always kind, positive, and didn't want to burden me with complaints about her health, even though I asked how she was doing.
Allison was a good person, and I am glad I knew her. She was well loved in the Barbra Streisand fan community where she reached out and befriended many people. She impressed us all with her energy and attitude. I send love and healing thoughts to her friends and family.
UPDATE: Barbra has posted a very sweet message about Allison on her official site.
April 10, 2013
New Streisand Video on AFHU
Barbra Streisand speaks about her National Scopus Award and congratulates Patricia L. Glaser, Vice Chairman of the AFHU Western Region, on winning the 2013 National Scopus Award.
April 9, 2013
Tuesday News
Roger Friedman has posted a follow-up to Thursday's news about Streisand directing a movie about Margaret Bourke-White. Read his report here.
(I do not think Gypsy is off the table, by the way.)
Meanwhile, one of Barbra's European concerts was canceled. “Following a change of schedule, Streisand concert originally scheduled Monday, June 10 in Paris was canceled” according to the Bercy website.
June 10 in Amsterdam has been added today. More info over at BarbraStreisand.com.
Streisand has been very busy lately (her Fall 2012 tour) and looks to be in the near future, too. Besides her European concert tour in June, we will most likely see the Back to Brooklyn concert video released ... Barbra is also working on an album of duets ... and then there is the big retrospective DVD set. None of these projects have official release dates yet, by the way. Her future film plans probably fit into all of the scheduling, too.
April 4, 2013
Streisand Directing By Year's End
Deadline is reporting that Barbra Streisand will direct her version of the Margaret Bourke-White/Erskine Caldwell love story. Deadline says “casting is underway with an eye to shoot before the end of the year. Streisand is currently overseeing the screenplay for the project. She had previously sought to film the story, but that production did not come to fruition. This is a new take.”
Behind the scenes, Deadline says “Mark Manuel’s Kilburn Media will finance the film and Aldamisa will handle worldwide sales. Aldamisa’s president of international sales & aquisitions, Nadine de Barros, will serve as a producer.”
I have no idea what this means for Gypsy ... although it looks like the Bourke-White love story will be Streisand's next project, as she is concertizing in Europe in June.
UPDATE 4/5/13: The Independent's story on Stephen Sondheim (lyricist for Gypsy) has the following tidbit: Barbra Streisand, meanwhile, remains committed to a fresh screen take on Gypsy...
It's also interesting that Deadline does not mention the Skinny and Cat title (the previous script about Bourke-White that Streisand had worked on) nor Cate Blanchett's involvement (she was previously announced as attached to the Skinny and Cat project.)
April 2, 2013
Lincoln Center Announces Presenters/Performers
The Lincoln Center Chaplin Award (which will be presented to Barbra Streisand at Avery Fisher Hall on April 22nd) just announced their celebrity guests.
The event will be attended by a host of notable guests and celebrities honoring Ms. Streisand’s film career, including Pierce Brosnan, Blythe Danner, Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving and Kris Kristofferson. In addition, the evening will feature show-stopping musical performances by Tony Bennett, Kristin Chenoweth, Wynton Marsalis and Liza Minnelli. The tribute will culminate with the presentation of the Chaplin Award to Ms. Streisand by President Bill Clinton.
I got tickets and will be attending the event, so look for my report!
Meanwhile, tickets are on sale to the general public here, helping to support the organization’s ongoing work in education, artist development, and cross-cultural film outreach.
Dolly Blu-ray'll Never Go Away Again
I was able to check out the Fox Home Video Hello, Dolly! Blu-ray last evening and ... Wow! It's gorgeous!
Fox has produced this Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and the sound is much better than the 2003 Fox DVD. On the original DVD, the Additional Dialogue Recording (ADR) was very obvious. On this new Blu-ray, the transitions between live sound and ADR are much more seamless. Plus the music and directional sound (The sound of the train in the opening shot comes from screen-right! Louis Armstrong is on the left speaker!) are impressive.
The movie is in the original Todd-AO aspect ratio—2:20:1 (not 2:35:1, as listed on the back cover). The Todd-AO screen credit appears in the opening credits, and Streisand does not almost lose her hat during “Before the Parade Passes By,” so this Blu-ray is obviously the remastered Todd-AO print. (See more about Todd-AO and the different takes here).
I'm very impressed by details and colors on the new Dolly Blu-ray—Barbra's golden gown at Harmonia Gardens just glistens! Indeed, most of Irene Sharaff's beautiful costumes really pop. Look below: you can see production designer John DeCuir's paint speckles on the trees while Barbra's singing “Before the Parade Passes By!” (Which makes the film like a living painting!)
“Love is Only Love” looks much improved to my eyes since the 2003 DVD. It looks like Fox did some restoration work on that scene, originally filmed by Harry Stradling in very low light.
The opening scene (the frozen view of 1890 New York with the blue-green-red color washes) looks a bit oversaturated, but this is a slight complaint compared to how good everything else looks.
It looks like Fox has scanned and restored the 1969 featurette in 1080p, too—the colors and clarity on it look much improved since the 2003 DVD.
The documentary (Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered) is hosted by his smart and beautiful widow, Patricia Ward Kelly. She tells some nice stories about Kelly and Dolly, and the short piece includes some cool behind-the-scenes photographs.
It's too bad Fox didn't include those Dolly screen tests (available on a 2002 DVD at Amazon.com) or any additional bonus features (like the 1969 radio show?!). The new Blu-ray includes a nearly perfect print of Dolly, though, so I suppose that's good enough.
[Thanks to Frank "Levinsky" for the Blu-ray caps used here]
As for Dolly, the movie—I'm such a big fan of this movie musical! I think it has aged better than its reputation. I don't think all the stories often repeated about Dolly are true (it bankrupted 20th Century Fox?! Not to mention all the elaborated stories about the fighting between Streisand and Matthau ... I don't think Barbra ever hit him, LOL.) Although I could argue that the scale of the movie outweighs the lightness of its plot, Hello, Dolly! for me, is just pure joy. The high quality of Dolly's movie craft is obvious—it was a first class film production from top to bottom.
It's funny that the exact same issue of Streisand's age has come up then and now—They said she was too young for Dolly and, today some say she's too old for Rose in Gypsy—which, supposedly, is her next screen acting role. I echo what Gypsy's book writer Arthur Laurents said to the press shortly before he died: “Does it really matter?” Streisand is charming and funny and great as Dolly Levi. She sings the heck out of Jerry Herman's score of Dolly. And Barbra looks ravishing in the Sharaff dresses and period jewlrey. I'm so happy Hello, Dolly! on Blu-ray looks and sounds so good.
You can order Hello, Dolly! on Blu-ray from Amazon.com here.
April 1, 2013
Six Degress of Barbra—Bert Stern: Original Mad Man
I wanted to alert Streisand fans about this new documentary Bert Stern: Original Mad Man.
(Above: Poster for the documentary, with Stern's photo of Streisand featured prominently.)
In the unconventional documentary, the original mad-man photographer reveals himself for the first time. Bert's meteoric career began as a mailroom-boy at Look Magazine, where he formed a close relationship with a young staff photographer, Stanley Kubrick. The launch of Stern's career and the Golden Age of Advertising would coincide with Sterns Driest of the Dry campaign for Smirnoff. Sought after by Madison Avenue, Hollywood, and the international fashion scene, along with Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, Stern minted the concept photographer as a star in his own right.
Stern photographed Barbra Streisand in 1964 for Vogue Magazine.
A couple of his Streisand photos are featured on the official Bert Stern Mad Man site.
March 31, 2013
Phil Ramone ... A Music Legend Passes
From the NY Times:
Phil Ramone, a prolific record producer and engineer who worked with some of the biggest music stars of the last 50 years, including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand, died on Saturday in Manhattan. He was 79.
[...]
Mr. Ramone’s career was one of those exceptions. He was a trusted craftsman and confidant in the industry who was also one of the handful of producers widely known to the public. He won 14 Grammy Awards, including producer of the year, nonclassical, in 1981, and three for album of the year, for Mr. Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” in 1976, Mr. Joel’s “52nd Street” in 1980, and Mr. Charles’s duets album, “Genius Loves Company,” in 2005. He also produced music for television and film, winning an Emmy Award as the sound mixer for a 1973 special on CBS, “Duke Ellington ... We Love You Madly.”
Mr. Ramone was born in South Africa and grew up in Brooklyn. His father died when he was young, and his mother worked in a department store. A classical violin prodigy, he studied at the Juilliard School but soon drifted toward jazz and pop, and apprenticed at a recording studio, J.A.C. Recording.
In 1958, he co-founded A & R Recording, a studio on West 48th Street in Manhattan, and built a reputation as a versatile engineer, working on pop fare like Lesley Gore as well as jazz by John Coltrane and Quincy Jones. He ran the sound when Marilyn Monroe cooed “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, and three years later won his first Grammy as the engineer on Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s landmark album “Getz/Gilberto.”
As a producer, he had a particularly close association with Mr. Joel and Mr. Simon; the back cover of Mr. Joel’s 1977 album “The Stranger” features a photograph of Mr. Ramone posing with Mr. Joel and his band at a New York restaurant.
Barbra Streisand posted her reaction to Phil Ramone's death:
I’m so saddened to learn of Phil’s passing.
We first worked together in 1967 when I did a free concert in Central Park. His brilliance at capturing sound was immediately evident.
Later we worked together on the film “A Star Is Born” where Phil was able to record me singing live, including “Evergreen”. In the next decade we worked on the soundtrack to “Yentl” and many other recordings.
Phil had impeccable musical taste, great ears and the most gentle way of bringing out the best in all the artists he worked with. The monumental recordings he produced will endure for all time.
I had the honor of interviewing Mr. Ramone in 2005 where I asked him about his work with Barbra Streisand. He was very down-to-earth and candid about his craft.
I loved hearing his memories of the concert in Central Park, which I asked him about in my interview:
Matt Howe: Let’s talk about the first time you worked with Barbra. You engineered the sound for her in Central Park in 1967. In the introduction to the home video version of A Happening in Central Park, Barbra says that your cables got cut and you were worried that there wouldn’t be sound past the first ten rows. Was that the biggest challenge for that concert?
Phil Ramone: Well, it was a challenge because we had to share the microphones between the record company’s truck and our independent truck. A spotlight was brought in, and when they lowered the back elevator off the truck that was carrying it, it cut right through the cables. You’ve never seen so many engineers with soldering guns … Not just the P.A. system was in jeopardy, but the recording system was jeopardized.About 5 o’clock that afternoon, the day of the concert, we finally got most of the cables back.
Matt Howe: What else do you remember about the concert in Central Park?
Phil Ramone: That’s a memorable show. It’s memorable for a lot of people. It was before the big Woodstock, massive audience concerts. Sound systems weren’t designed to do that. We added a whole, complete, additional system. Marty, Barbra’s manager, said to me, “You know I’m worried. Who knows how many people are going to show up? Can you make sure nobody yells, ‘We can’t hear you, Barbra’.” I said, “I promise you that won’t happen.”
They were concerned that there may be more than 10,000 or 15,000 people. I was experimenting with these “long throw” horns, which were humongous-looking, ugly horns on top of the scaffolding. But they were guaranteed to go at least 300-400 feet. And 300-400 feet is a lot. Of course, with the open air, and the sound bouncing off the buildings it added another couple of hundred feet. Little did any of us know that the sound of Barbra’s voice actually just lofted all the way up the park. People just kept walking closer and closer to the sound and romantically sitting near The Pond, which was quite a bit away from the stage. People were just enchanted. That was my first encounter with the city of New York and I didn’t get into trouble (laughs) “It’s too loud, it’s too loud.”
The guy’s truck that I was using, his Weimaraner, which is sort of a watch dog, got nervous. He bit a cop (laughs). There were so many sub-stories to that adventure. Crazy stuff. I’m not sure Barbra knows all the stories about trying to get [the sound] right. I mean, it absolutely poured rain that day. So we never had a sound check with her or her band. The orchestra said, “We can’t come out there with our violins and beautiful oboes. It’s too damp.” Around 5:30 or 6:00 they finally agreed. It had just started to dry up.
I remember the last shot, which is classic. The director had a long, long track for the camera to move slowly out away from Barbra as the last song played. It’s so funny because the people, they all sort of crowded towards Barbra. And the camera can’t make any move but back. I could hear [the director] saying, “I’m losing my shot! I’ve got nothing left.”
Rest in peace, Phil Ramone.
March 25, 2013
“Funny Girl” Blu-ray Official Announcement
CULVER CITY, CALIF. (March 25, 2013) – Legendary superstar Barbra Streisand demonstrates why she’s the greatest star in her Academy Award® winning role (Best Actress, 1968) as “Fanny Brice” in the celebrated musical biography FUNNY GIRL. Commemorating its 45th anniversary, the classic film was meticulously restored from the original negative by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 4K at Sony Pictures’ Colorworks and will screen at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival on April 25th. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release FUNNY GIRL for the first time on Blu-ray April 30th, exclusively available at Amazon. [Pre-order it here]
In her first starring film, Streisand recreated her Tony Award® nominated Broadway role for three-time Academy Award winning Director William Wyler (Best Director: Mrs. Miniver, 1942; The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946; Ben-Hur, 1959), playing the comedienne in a story that contrasted Fanny’s comic onstage antics with her dramatic offstage romance with Nicky Arnstein, a dashing gambler. The film co-stars Oscar® nominee Omar Sharif (Best Supporting Actor, Lawrence of Arabia, 1962) as Arnstein, Kay Medford as Fanny’s mother, Anne Francis as a Ziegfeld showgirl, and two-time Oscar nominee Walter Pidgeon (Best Actor: Mrs. Miniver, 1942; Madame Curie, 1943) as legendary Broadway showman Florenz Ziegfeld.
The Blu-ray will feature two previously released vintage featurettes: “Barbra in Movieland,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film; and “This is Streisand,” chronicling the early years of the performer’s career.
FUNNY GIRL, which earned more than $52 million at the box office, was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a Best Supporting Actress nod for Kay Medford, Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics) for Best Original Song for “Funny Girl,” and Best Score for Walter Scharf, with Barbra Streisand taking home the statuette for Best Actress. The score consists of classic standards, including “My Man,” “Second Hand Rose” and “I’d Rather Be Blue Over You (Than Happy With Somebody Else)” to tunes that have become standards, including “People,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and “I’m the Greatest Star.” In 2005, the Streisand’s immortal opening line, “Hello Gorgeous,” was named #81 on the American Film Institute list, “AFI’s 100 Years ... 100 Movie Quotes” and the film itself ranked #16 on “AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals” list.
Synopsis:
One of the most popular movie musicals ever made is now better than ever on Blu-ray™! FUNNY GIRL follows the early career of stage comedienne Fanny Brice, a role that earned Barbra Streisand the 1968 Oscar® for Best Actress. Only her mother believes Fanny can make it in show business, but when she gets her first break at Keeney’s Music Hall, her hilarious debut gets her hired as a comedienne. Fanny becomes a star, falls in love and marries Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif), a handsome gambler. The film’s many memorable songs include “Don't Rain on My Parade” and the Streisand classic “People.”
Bonus Features Include:
- “Barbra in Movieland” Featurette
- “This is Streisand” Featurette
More Concert Dates
Barbra Streisand has added another London show.
Barbra's official site has all the dates and info.
- June 1: London, UK (O2 Arena)
- June 3: London, UK (O2 Arena) ... tickets on sale March 27
- June 6: Amsterdam, NL (Ziggo Dome)
- June 10: Paris, FR (Bercy)
- June 12: Cologne, DE (Lanxess Arena)
- June 15: Berlin, DE (O2 World)
- June 20: Tel Aviv, ISRAEL (Bloomfield Stadium)
March 20, 2013
Streisand European Concert Dates
Barbra's official site has all the dates and info.
Streisand has announced “four five exclusive engagements with additional dates and venues to be announced soon.” On the tour with her are Chris Botti, her son Jason Gould, and sister Roslyn Kind.
- June 1: London, UK (O2 Arena)
- June 6: Amsterdam, NL (Ziggo Dome)
- June 10: Paris, FR (Bercy)
- June 12: Cologne, DE (Lanxess Arena)
- June 15: Berlin, DE (O2 World)
See Barbra's official site for FAN PRE-SALE dates. Good luck to everyone buying tickets! (And, maybe ...Ich werde euch im Juni zu sehen!)
UPDATE: On March 23, it was announced that Barbra Streisand will perform her first concert ever in Israel on June 20 at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv.
Tickets for the Bloomfield show, a joint production of Shuki Weiss and Live Nation, will go on sale on March 29 at 10 a.m.
March 18, 2013
Streisand Going Abroad?
There's been several unofficial reports on the internet that Barbra Streisand will perform in Israel on June 18 in honor of Israeli President Shimon Peres’ 90th birthday. Some of these stories say Streisand will perform two concerts (June 15 and 16) at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium. And yet other reports mention Streisand will be stopping in Israel “during a rare European tour organized by concert promoter Live Nation, a company that has a working relationship with Israeli promoter Shuki Weiss.”
The performers who joined Streisand on her Fall 2012 North American tour look to be free: Chris Botti is not showing any solo concerts booked in late-June and July. And Il Volo are not currently booked for concerts this summer.
These reports about Israel concerts are not official announcements from Live Nation or Team Barbra. So .... Stay tuned for an official announcement that will lay out Streisand's upcoming concert tour plans.
March 7, 2013
Streisand Attends IoES & Signs with UTA
(Above: Managing Partner of the Pritzker Group Tony Pritzker, producer Lawrence Bender, Barbra Streisand and producer Norman Lear attend the UCLA Institute Of The Environment And Sustainability's 2nd Annual Evening Of Environmental Excellence on March 5, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by: Alberto E. Rodriguez.)
Barbra Streisand attended the UCLA Institute Of The Environment And Sustainability's 2nd Annual Evening Of Environmental Excellence on March 5, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.
(Above: Streisand and director J.J. Abrams. Photo by: Alberto E. Rodriguez.)
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES), is an organization dedicated to generating knowledge and solving regional and global environmental problems. Its 2nd Annual An Evening of Environmental Excellence, March 5 at the Beverly Hills home of Jeanne and Anthony N. Pritzker, recognized the extraordinary environmental accomplishments of Al Gore, Former Vice President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Lyn Lear, Co-Founder of the Environmental Media Association. The event featured entertainment by Grammy Award-winning artist Jason Mraz and comedian Sarah Silverman.
SIGNS WITH UTA
Variety reports Barbra Streisand has signed with UTA as she prepares to step up her activity as a director. United Talent Agency will represent Barbra as a director, actress and producer and will also represent her film and television company, Barwood Films.
Marty Erlichman will continue to represent Ms. Streisand as her manager.
In 2008, Streisand signed with Hollywood talent agency, Endeavor, so this is a change in agencies for her. Wondering if this is a move to get all ducks in a row for casting/packaging Gypsy or directing Skinny and Cat?
February 28, 2013
Terre Blair Hamlisch Sends Thanks
At MarvinHamlisch.us, Terre Blair Hamlisch shared her thank you to Barbra Streisand for singing “The Way We Were” on the Oscars:
To my dear friend Barbra Streisand:
Barbra,
Thank you for your generosity to our Marvin! You were stunningly brilliant.You gave us all such a powerful transformative tribute for Marvin out of your deep love for him.
Words are inadequate to express the deeply felt gratitude I feel to you for your kindness, courage, integrity and love. It was an unforgettable moment in my life and others.
I love you and thank you from the depths of my heart. Marvin will always love you deeply forever and beyond.
Terre Blair Hamlisch
February 27, 2013
Blu-ray Barbra-Palooza
Amazon is listing the Funny Girl Blu-ray as being released April 30, 2013 from Sony. I haven't seen an official announcement on this yet, but I'll put up the link to pre-order just in case you want to proceed. [Looks like they've posted temporary cover art, as well.]
Turner Classic Movies is debuting a brand new restoration of Funny Girl —restored in 4K from the original camera negative—on April 25 in Los Angeles. I read that Sony had considered a limited theatrical release of the restored Funny Girl, but this Blu-ray release date seems to indicate the disc will be out shortly after the TCM debut.
Below is a list of the several Streisand Blu-rays coming out in the next few months:
- April 2 — Hello, Dolly! [pre-order from Amazon]
- April 30 — Funny Girl [ pre-order from Amazon]
- April 30 — The Guilt Trip [ pre-order from Amazon ]
Of course, this month, Warner Home Video released A Star is Born on Blu-ray—and it looks gorgeous.
February 24, 2013
Streisand Sings on Oscars
Barbra sang “The Way We Were” on the Oscars tonight, following the In Memoriam segment, in tribute to Marvin Hamlish, who passed away last year.
“Marvin Hamlisch was a composer of extraordinary depth and versatility. He was also a very kind and generous friend who could always make me laugh,” she said. “Over the years, we shared many adventures together. Marvin left us way too soon, but I'll always have those wonderful, wonderful memories ... ”
Watch it here:
Barbra looked simply gorgeous in her Donna Karan New York gown designed by Ms. Karan specifically for Barbra. Entitled 'City Lights' the black asymmetrical, bias-cut dress was a waterfall of chiffon layers encrusted with matte gold sequins and beads. A long-sleeve capelet added the final layer of chiffon, its back dramatically falling to the floor. “Everything I do with Barbra is a collaboration born of our artistry, our friendship and our love for one another. We're sisters,” Karan said.
(Below: Although the show cut to commercial quickly after Barbra performed, she received a standing ovation for her tribute to Hamlisch.)
(Above: Streisand photo by Kevin Winter)
(Below:Barbra Streisand, Adele, and Shirley Bassey attend the Oscars Governors Ball at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Adele told E! Entertainment's Marc Malkin: “I was more nervous last week when I met her for the first time. Even though she is who she is, it's so amazing because she's so normal.”
Sitting at Barbra's Governor's Ball table were James Brolin, Dame Shirley Bassey, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Donna Karan.
(Below: Streisand and Richard Gere backstage during the Oscar show. Photo by Christopher Polk)
(Below: Hello Gorgeous! Photo by Kevin Mazur)
February 21, 2013
Dolly Blu-ray
Information on the Hello, Dolly! Blu-ray, due April 2, is showing up online. Here's what the disc will contain:
- Video Resolution/Codec: 1080p/AVC MPEG-4
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Audio Formats:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- French Dolby Digital 4.0
- Spanish Dolby Digital Mono
- Subtitles/Captions: English SDH, Spanish
- Supplements:
- Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered
- 1969 Featurette
You can pre-order Dolly at Amazon here.
February 20, 2013
Barbra on the Oscars
Deadline is the only entertainment outlet to actually ask what Barbra Streisand will be singing on Sunday's Academy Awards show. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron answered:
Zadan: Everyone has been asking us that. When we went to Barbra the first day we got the job , we said we are doing this theme of music and we said ‘how can we do it without you? We must have you’ and she said ‘yes’. What we didn’t know when we asked her is that she hadn’t sung on the show in 36 years since she won for “Evergreen”. How thrilling is it to have her be part of this. And she also likes the fact that in planning what she’s going to do on the show – we had to spend several meetings planning what she is actually going to sing on the show – she said ‘I love the fact that you announced me but you didn’t announce what I would be doing because I really want to surprise people when I come out as to what I am going to be doing’.
Meron: But we love the speculation.
The Oscars air live on Sunday, February 24th at 7e/4p on ABC TV.
Zadan also told The Hollywood Reporter:
“During the course of the show, at some point, Barbra Streisand is going to come on and do something really special and blow people away.”
And this from Vanity Fair:
“We showed her the design for the [number] that she is doing, and she was enormously enthusiastic. I’ve only heard positive things from her and am absolutely looking forward to seeing her onstage.”
Groban on Duets
Singer Josh Groban told Metro:
“I’m actually going to be singing with Barbra on her next CD. And we’ve been emailing back and forth about what song we should do and I’m reading ‘love Barbra’ and thinking: ‘Hey, that’s Barbra Streisand.’”
Streisand has been working on a new album of duets since last year. No release date has been announced yet.
February 13, 2013
Bill Clinton To Present Streisand Chaplin Award
The Film Society of Lincoln Center's press release today:
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that President Bill Clinton will present the 40th Chaplin Award to Academy Award-winner Barbra Streisand, the first American woman artist to receive credit as writer, director, producer and star of a major feature film, YENTL, during a Gala Ceremony held at Lincoln Center on the evening of Monday, April 22, 2013.
The event will be attended by a host of notable guests and celebrities honoring the international film legend’s groundbreaking career and will feature film and interview clips culminating in the presentation of The Chaplin Award.
The Gala is the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s most significant fundraiser of the year. Tickets to the Gala Tribute and champagne reception will be available for purchase by the general public. For ticketing and additional information, go to filmlinc.com/gala.
The Film Society’s Annual Gala began in 1972 and honored Charlie Chaplin – who returned to the US from exile to accept the commendation. Other honorees include many of the film industry’s most notable talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas, Sidney Poitier, and most recently Catherine Deneuve.
“Guilt Trip” Comes to Home Video
Official press release:
The "hilarious and heartfelt" (Shawn Edwards , Fox-TV) story of one man's cross-country road trip with his mother, THE GUILT TRIP hits the road on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand April 30, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Screen legend Barbra Streisand and comic master Seth Rogen "are the perfect comedy duo" (Shawn Edwards , Fox-TV) in director Anne Fletcher 's (The Proposal) delightful and heartwarming comedy that is "packed with laugh-out-loud moments" (Meriah Doty , Yahoo! Movies). As inventor Andy Brewster (Rogen) is about to embark on a road trip to sell his latest product, he feels compelled to invite his mother, Joyce (Streisand), along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of adventure and antics both Andy and Joyce discover that while they have their differences, they also have more in common than they ever realized.
An ideal gift to share with your mom on Mother's Day, THE GUILT TRIP will be available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™. The two-disc set comes packed with over an hour of hilarious bonus features including featurettes on Barbra and Seth, a look inside Barbra's world, an alternate opening and ending, over 10 deleted scenes and an uproarious gag reel. The film will also be available as a single-disc DVD.
The Blu-ray release available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – reliably and securely – to a variety of devices.
THE GUILT TRIP Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack
THE GUILT TRIP Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a digital copy of the film as well as the following:
Blu-ray
- Feature film in high definition
- Barbra & Seth
- Barbra's World
- Guilt Trip: A Real Mother of a Road Trip
- In the Driver's Seat
- Not Really a Road Trip Movie
- Alternate Openings
- Alternate Ending
- Over 10 Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
DVD
- Feature film in standard definition
THE GUILT TRIP Single-Disc DVD
The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.
Pre-order Blu-Ray/DVD Combo pack here
February 8, 2013
News + “Star is Born” Blu-ray
- William Ross will conduct the Oscar orchestra for the Academy Awards® show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. "We are happy to have Bill Ross conduct the Oscar orchestra," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. "With a show so rich with music, we are so pleased to have someone as talented as Bill on our team." [Ross conducted Streisand's recent Back to Brooklyn concert tour.]
- Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting: Barbra Streisand has signed a helming [directing] deal with production and sales company Aldamisa International. "We are thrilled to provide underwriting for a filmmaker of (Streisand's) vision, stature and accomplishment," said Nadine de Barros, president of international sales and acquisitions at Aldamisa. No details are yet available, with Streisand contemplating several projects. The film will be financed by Mark Manuel's Kilburn Media and produced by de Barros and Aldamisa co-chairman Sergei Bespalov.
“A Star is Born” Blu-ray
Here's my mini-review of the Blu-ray that just came out Tuesday.
This is only the second Streisand film to be released in the hi-def format (the other is What's Up, Doc?... well, that's not counting the Fockers movies. Also not counting her concerts, The Village Vanguard and Live 2006.)
For me, Warners has done an excellent job on this 1080p transfer of Streisand's rock-world film. Often, Blu-ray enthusiasts complain that studios apply too much digital trickery to their older catalog films, "Photoshopping" the film grain away or over-enhancing edges. This is not the case on A Star is Born. Robert Surtees' cinematography looks gorgeous on the Blu-ray! The entire disc has a very filmic appearance, and the soft 1976 photography and colors just glow. The soundtrack, too, [DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1] is done very well. Streisand's voice pops in the live concert scenes. The Altman-esque overlapping dialogue throughout the movie is sonically sound on this Blu-ray, too.
Commonly, Blu-ray films get a 1080p treatment, and bonus features are included in standard definition. This is true for A Star is Born—the cut scenes, wardrobe tests and trailers are all 480i. This is not offensive ... it's just too bad these weren't included in hi-def, since they contain the same content that appeared on the 2006 Warner DVD, which I already own.
I haven't made it all the way through Streisand's commentary on the Blu-ray. (It's the same commentary that was on the 2006 DVD.) But it's fascinating to hear Streisand talk about this movie—she's so smart and has a great memory for details. Most telling (for those who know the backstory about director Frank Pierson and his horrible article about the behind-the-scenes drama on this film) is Streisand talking about herself as a director, perhaps a lesson she learned on A Star is Born: “The relationship between a director and an actor is like a doctor or a lawyer, it's a priviliged confidential relationship. You never ever disclose information that you hear from your actors.”
Also found in the commentary is this gem from Streisand: “I was a Leon [Russell] fan, and we went to his home and I recorded his songs with him and his wife at the time, Mary, playing Gospel piano and I have [the recording] in my house and I want to do a record with these things that are unreleased. Me singing with her, and both playing this gospel piano—it's fantastic, like a church song.”
Release Me Volume Two?!
You can order the Star is Born Blu-ray from Amazon here.
January 30, 2013
Barbra Streisand To Perform On The Oscars® For The First Time In 36 Years
Two-time Academy Award® winner Barbra Streisand, who has sung on the Oscars only once before, will perform on the upcoming Oscar® telecast on February 24. Streisand last sang the love theme from "A Star Is Born" on the March 28, 1977 show, winning the Best Original Song Oscar for "Evergreen" that same night.
"In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music," said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, "how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand? We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year's Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years."
Streisand won her first Oscar for Best Actress in "Funny Girl" (1968), and was nominated again in 1973 for her lead performance in "The Way We Were." She was also nominated for producing the Best Picture nominee "The Prince of Tides" (1991), which she also directed, and for co-writing the original song "I Finally Found Someone" from "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996).
(Pictured, left: Streisand sings Evergreen at the 1977 Oscar show.)
Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
Star is Born on Blu-ray Tuesday
Streisand's 1976 version of A Star is Born is due out on Tuesday from Warner Brothers. They've posted official scenes from the Blu-ray on YouTube.
You can order the Blu-ray from Amazon.com here.
January 24, 2013
Ann Hampton Callaway's Streisand Show
Streisand fans ... Ann Hampton Callaway is a “Six Degrees of Barbra Streisand” person you should be following. Besides being an amazing vocalist, cabaret performer, and song writer, Ann is also the talent behind Streisand’s “At the Same Time” and “I Dreamed of You” ... and don't forget the lovely “Christmas Lullaby!”
Please read:
AWARD-WINNING SONGSTRESS ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY TO PERFORM TUNES FROM “THE BARBRA STREISAND SONGBOOK” WITH THE BOSTON POPS; BOSTON POPS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE MARVIN HAMLISCH WITH MUSIC FROM ICE CASTLES AND A CHORUS LINE
Keith Lockhart leads the Boston Pops in a ten-concert, nine-city tour of the Southeast United States with performances in Newport News, VA; Winston-Salem, NC; Greenville, SC; Athens, GA; Sarasota, FL; Melbourne, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; Miami, FL; and St. Petersburg, FL, February 24 to March 6, 2013. The tour will feature a tribute to The Barbra Streisand Songbook with celebrated vocalist and award-winning songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, whose songs are featured on six of Barbra Streisand’s recent albums. The Boston Pops’ 2013 Southeast USA Tour is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.
(Photo, right: Ann Hampton Callaway by Bill Westmoreland)
Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops will open their tour program with some of the most beloved themes from musical theater and film, including Marvin Hamlisch’s “Through the Eyes of Love,” from the film Ice Castles, and the overture to A Chorus Line, as part of a special tribute to the late composer and his most celebrated music. Keith Lockhart will also lead the Boston Pops in such musical theater masterpieces as Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, the title song from Jerry Herman’s musical Hello, Dolly!, and Jule Styne’s overture to Gypsy, as well as John Kander’s theme song to Martin Scorsese’s film New York, New York.
Ann Hampton Callaway, whom Keith Lockhart describes as having a “gorgeous voice and an unmatched musical intelligence,” takes center stage during the post-intermission set to sing “The Way We Were,” “Don't Rain On My Parade,” and a medley of “People” and “Being Alive” also featuring American jazz pianist Ted Rosenthal.
For ticket information and more, visit Ann's official site here.
2013: Barbra Dates!
Ms. Streisand is just as busy in early 2013 as ever!
- FEB. 5—Classical Barbra re-released, remastered, with 2 bonus tracks. AMAZON.COM. [Read BarbraStreisand.com's story about it here.]
- FEB. 5—A Star is Born on Blu-ray. AMAZON.COM.
- FEB. 24—The Oscars. Will Barbra appear? Stay tuned!
- APRIL 2—Hello, Dolly! arrives on Blu-ray.
- APRIL 13—Barbra attends (and I have heard she is not performing) the Power of Love Gala, Las Vegas.
- APRIL 22—Barbra attends/receives Film Society of Lincoln Center's Chaplin Award.
- APRIL 25—A restored version of Funny Girl opens the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Los Angeles. Doubtful Streisand will attend (since she will be in New York for the Chaplin Award) ... but this still is a major event!
- MAY 12—Mother's Day ... Stay tuned for announcements about The Guilt Trip on DVD/Blu-ray, as well as Barbra's Back to Brooklyn concert special, which was filmed last year at the Barclays Center. Both will probably surface around this time. Nothing official yet.
January 23, 2013
Streisand Attending Power of Love Gala April 13th
From the press release today:
Las Vegas will celebrate the lives and legacies of two of the entertainment world's most influential stars, Quincy Jones and Sir Michael Caine, at the 17th annual Power of Love Gala on April 13, 2013 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, while raising funds in support of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
The celebrity-guest lineup for the night includes the expected attendance by superstar Barbra Streisand along with performances and heartfelt tributes from some of the world's hottest entertainers including music and film legends Bebe Winans Chaka Khan Herbie Hancock Jordin Sparks Terrence Howard Patti Austin , will.i.am, Whoopi Goldberg and more.
Celestial twins, born in the same year, same month, same hour and within minutes of each other, one in Chicago, the other in London, Jones and Caine met decades ago and have since been great friends. This glittering star-studded gala will bring together the world's celebrities of music and film to mark this milestone year for these two entertainment marvels.
January 22, 2013
What Matters Most
Singers and piano players out there, take note: The piano/vocal/guitar sheet music for Barbra's 2011 album of Bergman songs, What Matters Most, was just published. Included in this folio are the songs Alone in the World, I'll Never Say Goodbye, Nice 'n' Easy, The Same Hello The Same Goodbye, So Many Stars, Solitary Moon, Something New in My Life, That Face, What Matters Most, and The Windmills of Your Mind.
January 18, 2013
FSLC announces Barbra Streisand as recipient of the 40th annual Chaplin Award
From the official press release:
The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced that Academy Award-winner Barbra Streisand, the first American woman artist to receive credit as writer, director, producer and star of a major feature film, YENTL, will be honored at the 40th Annual Chaplin Award Gala held at Lincoln Center on the evening of Monday, April 22, 2013. The event will be attended by a host of notable guests and celebrities honoring the international film legend’s groundbreaking career and will feature film and interview clips culminating in the presentation of The Chaplin Award.
The Film Society’s Annual Gala began in 1972 and honored Charles Chaplin – who returned to the US from exile to accept the commendation. Since then, the award has been renamed for Chaplin, and has honored many of the film industry’s most notable talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas, Sidney Poitier, and last year, Catherine Deneuve.
"Barbra Streisand is an American icon whose groundbreaking work significantly opened the doors for other female filmmakers. She has been an inspiration to me and so many of my peers," said FSLC Executive Director Rose Kuo. "She is the perfect recipient for our 40th anniversary because, like our award's namesake, she is a world class, multi-faceted film artist."
"The Board is very excited to have Barbra Streisand as the next recipient of The Chaplin Award," said Ann Tenenbaum, The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Board Chairman. “She is an artist whose long career of incomparable achievements is most powerfully expressed by the fact that her acclaimed YENTL was such a milestone film. We welcome her to the list of masterful directors who have been prior recipients of the Chaplin Award Tribute."
[...] We could not be more excited that Barbara Streisand, a true legend of song, stage and screen, will be coming to Film Society to receive the 40th annual Charlie Chaplin Award and we hope to see all you funny girls, boys, women and men there!
For ticketing and additional information, go to filmlinc.com/gala.
January 17, 2013
Here Comes Dolly!
According to a press release from 20th Century Fox Studio Classics, Fox will release Streisand's 1969 film musical Hello, Dolly! on Blu-ray on April 2, 2013.
January 15, 2013
Barbra at Health Matters Conference
(Photo Credit: Adam Schultz/Clinton Foundation)
Barbra Streisand today spoke briefly at the Clinton Health Matters Initiative in La Quinta, California.
Speaking about women and heart disease, she announced from the podium that the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars Sinai is pledging $2 million dollars for a national campaign to address prevention and advocacy for women's heart health.
“The pledges made during this conference will undoubtedly impact many lives for years to come,” Barbra said before leaving the stage.
(Below: Streisand and James Brolin)
January 7, 2013
Happy New Year!
Happy 2013 to everyone! I hope everyone had joyous Holidays.
I finally managed to see The Guilt Trip the week it opened and I enjoyed it very much. It's been out for about 3 weeks now and looks to have earned $31.2 million at the box office so far. That doesn't even count its worldwide box office yet—The Guilt Trip doesn't open in Europe until March/April/May 2013. [You can see the official worldwide release dates here.] And don't forget that The Guilt Trip will have another life soon on cable, video-on-demand, and DVD/Blu-ray.
So ... The Guilt Trip may not be a runaway hit ... it may have gotten a little lost due to other bigger movies released during the holidays ... and some people may have quibbles with the way Paramount sold it as a raucous comedy (when it's really a sweet, small movie with a big heart) ... but the good news is that Barbra was back on the big screen, and she did such nice, solid work as Joyce Brewster.
Now, hopefully in 2013 she'll move on to her more passionate movie projects: starring as Rose in Gypsy and directing Skinny and Cat.
Other Streisand projects that could possibly happen in 2013:
- Back to Brooklyn TV show and/or Blu-ray/DVD released around Mother's Day
- Barbra's album of duets ... produced by Walter Afanasieff and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.
- Barbra Streisand: My Life in Words and Music. This is the big, multi-DVD set that Team Barbra has been working on. Look for rare videos, a biography video, television appearances and more.
- Blu-rays! Funny Girl, Funny Lady, The Way We Were, and Hello, Dolly! are all being worked on as we speak.
Classical Barbra—Remastered w/ Bonus Tracks
In 1973, Barbra Streisand went into the studio to make one of the first – and still considered one of the best – classical crossover recordings, Classical Barbra. This unique collection of art songs and arias was originally released in February 1976, with its striking cover portrait by Francesco Scavullo, and has never gone out of print. The German composer and arranger Claus Ogerman conducts the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and accompanies Streisand at the piano in music of Canteloube, Fauré, Handel, Orff, Schumann and Wolf.
(Pictured above: The album cover for Classical Barbra as it appears on the remastered CD.)
Thirteen-time Grammy–winning producer Steven Epstein has remastered the original recording for this reissue [pre-order at Amazon], the first since its original CD release in 1987. Most importantly, it contains the first ever release of two additional tracks recorded during the original sessions but never available until now – two of Franz Schubert’s best-known songs, “An Sylvia” and “Auf dem Wasser zu singen.”
TRACKLIST:
- “Beau Soir” - Debussy
- “Brezairola” (Berceuse) from Chants d’Auvergne (Part III) - Canteloube
- “Verschwiegene Liebe” (No.3) from Eichendorff Lieder - Wolf
- Pavane in F Sharp Minor, Op. 50 (Vocalise) – Faure
- “Aprés un rêve” from Trois melodies, Op. 7, No. 1 – Fauré
- “In trutina” from Carmina Burana – Orff
- “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Rinaldo – Handel
- “Mondnact” from Liederkreis, Op. 39, No. 5 – Schumann
- “Dank sei Dir, Herr” – Ochs
- “I Loved You” - Ogerman
BONUS TRACKS:
- “An Sylvia”, D.891 – Schubert
- “Auf dem Wasser zu singen”, D. 774 – Schubert
You can pre-order from Amazon here.
Streisand sang “Auf dem Wasser zu singen” in her 1973 television special Barbra Streisand And Other Musical Instruments. On that show it was done in comedic fashion. The track on the remastered Classical Barbra album is a serious take on the Schubert song.
“Star is Born” Blu-Ray Coming, Too
Warner Home Video will release Streisand's 1976 film, A Star is Born, on Blu-ray on February 5, 2013. The film will be packaged with a 40-page Blu-ray book filled with live performance and rare photos.
Special Features Include:
- Commentary by Barbra Streisand.
- Additional Scenes.
- Wardrobe Tests.
- Soundtrack remastered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- A Star Is Born Trailer Gallery.
Bonus features appear to be the same as the DVD, which was released in 2003. You can pre-order the Blu-ray here at Amazon.com.
All 2012 Streisand news has been archived here.
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