Streisand / LIVE 

PHILADELPHIA SET LIST



ACT ONE

 

• You'll Never Know (video introduction)
• Funny Girl Overture
• Being Good Isn't Good Enough
• As If We Never Said Goodbye
• Medley: Nice ‘n Easy / That Face
• Didn't We
• Smile (with Il Volo)



Il Volo:



• Un Amore Così Grande
• O Sole Mio 



Barbra:



• The Way He Makes Me Feel
• Ask Barbra: Enough is Enough
• Marvin Hamlisch: The Way We Were / Through the Eyes of Love
• Jule Styne: Rose's Turn/Some People / Don't Rain On My Parade



 



ACT TWO



• I Remember Barbra film clip
• You're The Top
• Bewitched
• What'll I Do? / My Funny Valentine (with Chris Botti)
• Lost Inside of You (with Chris Botti)
• Evergreen (with Chris Botti)



Chris Botti:



• Emmanuel (with Caroline Campbell)
• When I Fall In Love



Jason Gould:



• Jason's video for Barbra's birthday (“Nature Boy”)
• How Deep Is The Ocean (Barbra and Jason)
• This Masquerade (Jason)



Barbra:



• People
• Here's To Life
• Make Our Garden Grow (with Il Volo, Brooklyn Youth Choir, Chris Botti)
• Somewhere (partial; with cast)
• Some Other Time
  

“She sang a beautifully burnished version of People, then an autumnal Here's to Life. It was a touching, masterful rendition from an aging pro, and she toasted the audience with a cup of tea, ending with "l'chiam" (to life).”

Notes from the Dress Rehearsal

I was lucky to attend Barbra Streisand’s Dress Rehearsal on October 5, 2012.  Because of this website and the research I do for Barbra’s team, I was extended an invitation to see a preview of the show at Temple University, Philadelphia at 2:00 p.m.  This was the first time Barbra performed the show for an audience; because we were all “friends and family,” we provided her with the first live feedback for the show.  She’d been rehearsing at the Liacouras Center with no applause, laughs, or audience interaction, and this was an important step in the process of mounting such a big concert.



There were about eight hundred of us in the Liacouras Center, where Barbra’s stage and lighting had been built (and would be transported to  the Wells Fargo Center three days later). I sat in the third row next to the lovely Donna McKechnie and her manager.



Almost immediately, the show ran into troubles when the giant Kabuki curtain failed to fall.  Barbra’s co-director, Richard Jay-Alexander, got on the microphone to discuss the technical glitch with the crew, then told us, the audience: “Like I said, it's a rehearsal.” We applauded in support. Bill Ross cued the orchestra to play ... and the curtain didn't move again. “It worked fine yesterday,” Richard joked.  Third time was a charm and the Kabuki curtain fell to reveal the orchestra. (It did not malfunction in Philly or Brooklyn).



Barbra’s first song for this Dress Rehearsal was “As If We Never Said Goodbye” with the special Brooklyn lyrics. (When she opened in Philly for a paying audience, she sang “Being Good” as her first song.)



• Nice ‘n Easy / That Face
• Didn't We
• Dialogue with Il Volo (there were a few more jokes between them all during the Dress)
• Smile (with Il Volo)



The trio sang their two songs, then Streisand came back out wearing her gray gown with the cape. As she introduced “The Way He Makes Me Feel,” she stalled a moment and said, “I like that trill,” that the orchestra was playing.



Next, Barbra did the Q&A section of the show.  For the Dress Rehearsal,  we actually filled out “Ask Barbra” cards — and my question was chosen first!  “This is from Matt, Washington, D.C.” and she read my question: “Chocolate ice cream or Angel Food Cake? Which one?” Barbra answered quickly: “Angel Food Cake with Chocolate ice cream!”



What a thrill. Me and the fans in my row giggled.



During her introduction to the Marvin Hamlisch bit, Barbra noted to the team watching that her chair was a little low. She also sang “Being Good” after the Hamlisch songs.



For act two and “You’re the Top,” Streisand didn't quite have the syncopation of the song down. “Oh, I messed up,” she exclaimed. The song was also structured with a reprise, beginning with the “you're a Botticelli” verse. The song was shortened for Brooklyn and other cities.



Next:

• Bewitched
• What'll I Do? / My Funny Valentine (with Chris Botti)
• Lost Inside of You (with Chris Botti)
• Evergreen (with Chris Botti)



Botti performed his two solo songs, then Streisand returned to the stage ... late.  She apologized, “Sorry, that was a very hard costume change. We may not be able to do it, but whatever. It better be worth it, right? I was gonna try to curl my hair a little ... forget it!” The invited audience loved this part and clapped in support. When part of her dress didn't close correctly, Barbra said over the mic to her dressers backstage: “So we'll have to have hooks and eyes, girls.”



Barbra introduced Jason Gould and they sang their duet and he performed “This Masquerade.”



• People
• Here's To Life
• Make Our Garden Grow (with Il Volo, Brooklyn Youth Choir, Chris Botti)
• Somewhere (with cast; just the end)
• Some Other Time



The entire experience was quite special — we were allowed to see a work in progress days before a paying audience, and a rare opportunity to see Ms. Streisand at work.

End / 2012 North American Concert Tour – Philadelphia