By Andrew Gans
11 May 2007

FOR THE RECORD: "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006"
Barbra Streisand's voice is arguably the most recognizable sound of any American-born singer living today. It is a voice that has graced the Broadway stage, countless records and films as well as concert stages throughout the world. The award-winning actress is blessed with a rich, full, lush sound that ranges from smoky low notes through a gloriously pure middle register to a powerful high belt that reverberates with an emotion-filled vibrato.

Streisand's recent 2006 fall tour, which was co-directed by the Academy Award winner and Richard Jay-Alexander, was thankfully recorded and recently released in a lavish-two disc set by Columbia Records. Entitled "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006," the recording brims with a palpable excitement; just listen to the roar of the audience the moment the overture — the original Broadway Funny Girl Overture — begins. Streisand's simple murmur of "wow" as she enters the stage is equally telling of the lovefest that occurred between performer and audience as she made her way to cities throughout the country.

For her recent tour Streisand chose to revisit many tunes from her early career, including a healthy dose from both the stage and film incarnations of Funny Girl. But the celebrated performer wasn't content to rest on her laurels — she also tackled songs she had never before performed onstage, including her stentorian opening number, Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire's "Starting Here, Starting Now." Should fans have been at all concerned, that opening number proved that Streisand's voice is still in fighting form. Some notes are now more dark chocolate than milk, but the sound is as rich as ever, the range remains astonishingly wide, and the actress still has the power to move an audience profoundly. This recording also offers Streisand as free as she has ever been, singing melodies with an artful playfulness, adding a riff here and a gentle lick there. It is Streisand in a joyous mode.

Streisand also has the chance to strut her stuff as songwriter (both the little-heard "Ma Premiere Chanson" and the Grammy-winning "Evergreen"), pianist (she accompanies herself on the aforementioned "Chanson"), proud mother (the 58-piece orchestra, led by conductor William Ross, plays the lovely "Jason's Theme," composed by son Jason Gould) and social and political activist (thoughtful commentary about the state of the world, both global and national, pepper her intelligent patter).

Other highlights of the first half of Streisand's generous concert include a spirited "Down With Love"; a touching, beautifully sung rendition of her signature tune, "The Way We Were"; and several tunes from Funny Girl that climax with a thrilling version of that show's anthem, "People."

The second half of the recording is equally bountiful and includes perhaps the finest rendition one will hear of Maury Yeston's haunting "Unusual Way"; a gorgeous, full-voiced "Music of the Night"; a wonderful pairing of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carefully Taught" with Sondheim's "Children Will Listen"; heartfelt readings of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" and "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair?"; and a roof-raising version of "Somewhere" that brings the audience to a near frenzy. (The latter is performed with Il Divo, the strong-voiced vocal quartet that were Streisand's special guests.) The singer also offers three equally terrific encores: "My Shining Hour," the reprise of "Don't Rain on My Parade" and the charming "Smile."

"Streisand: Live in Concert 2006" is a magical recording from a woman whose powers as a spellbinding artist remain undimmed.

DIVA TIDBITS
Tony Award winner Faith Prince will return to Broadway in spring 2008 in the new Harvey Fierstein-John Bucchino musical A Catered Affair. The production, directed by Tony winner John Doyle, will play a Jujamcyn theatre to be announced and will make its debut at San Diego's Old Globe in September. Prince will portray Aggie Hurley, mother of the bride. Fierstein will play Aggie's brother Winston. Prince, who was seen earlier this year in the Reprise! Marvelous Musical Mondays staging of Baby, will also head the cast of the English National Opera's summer production of Kismet. The June 25-July 14 run will mark Prince's London stage debut.

Liz Callaway will take on the role of the Narrator in the upcoming summer production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the St. Louis Muny, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre. Directed by Pamela Hunt with choreography by Darren Lee, the cast of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical will also feature Eric Kunze in the title role with David Hibbard as the Pharaoh. Performance dates are July 30-Aug. 5. Tickets are available by calling (314) 361-1900, ext. 550; for more information visit www.muny.org.

Karen Mason, the acclaimed singer-actress most recently on Broadway in Mamma Mia!, will head the cast of the Westchester Broadway Theatre's upcoming production of Gypsy. Mason will play Rose in the forthcoming production, which is scheduled to begin performances May 31 for a limited engagement through Aug. 4. The production — directed by Richard Stafford — marks Mason's third time playing the stage mother of all stage mothers; she previously starred in the Arthur Laurents-Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim musical at the St. Louis Muny and at the Sundance Theatre in Utah. The Westchester Broadway Theatre is located at 75 Clearbrook Road in Elmsford, NY. For tickets call (914) 592-2222. For more information visit www.broadwaytheatre.com.

Lauren Pritchard, who plays Ilse in the award-winning new musical Spring Awakening, will perform a solo concert at the Ars Nova May 22. Part of the Uncharted series at the West Side cabaret, the evening will feature Pritchard's original music as well as her covers of Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, David Gray and CSNY tunes. Spring composer Duncan Sheik will accompany the singer on piano. Show time is 8 PM. The Ars Nova is located in Manhattan at 511 West 54th Street. There is a $15 cover charge. For reservations call (212) 268-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com.

And, finally, congratulations to Leslie Kritzer, who won a Clarence Derwent Award earlier this week for her performance as Serena in the new Broadway musical Legally Blonde. In the Heights' Lin-Manuel Miranda was also a recipient of the award honoring "the most promising female and male performers on the New York metropolitan scene." It's an award-winning time for Kritzer, who also recently picked up a MAC Award for her much-extended Joe's Pub show, Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches. Now that she's established herself, I think it's time for Leslie Kritzer Is Leslie Kritzer at Joe's Pub or, perhaps, that long-awaited Broadway revival of Funny Girl.

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.

(l.-r.) Barbra Streisand; Leslie Kritzer in Legally Blonde.
photo by Kevin Mazur; Joan Marcus

View article on single page

Previous Page   1 | 2 Next Page