Timeless Australia-Sydney-Melbourne 2000

Streisand / LIVE 

Ad from Jacobsen, the Australian tour promoter.
AUSTRALIA CAST:

Brother Time: Kip Gamblin

Young Girl: Lauren Frost

Piano Player: Alec Ledd

Mother: Randee Heller

Background Singers: Natalie Miller, Lisa Edwards, Venetta Fields

Sydney Children’s Choir and Sydney Philharmonia Choir and The Melbourne Chorale
The announcement that Barbra Streisand would play landmark concert events in Australia was made on December 10, 1999. The concerts, in Sydney and Melbourne, were the first ever for Streisand outside the United States and London, and they followed Barbra’s highly successful Millennium concerts on New Year’s Eve and January 1, 2000 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bringing Streisand’s Las Vegas show Down Under was a massive undertaking. 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.”

Also shipped over were Streisand’s LED screens, TelePrompTers, the pyramid stage 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 Kevin Jacobsen Entertainment (the Australian promoter) confirmed that the profits of the concerts were split 90/10, with Streisand receiving 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 lived in Australia at the time—joined Barbra onstage as one of her backup singers during the concerts.

Who Weekly spoke with Barbra shortly before she left L.A. for Sydney. She provided two reasons for choosing to bring Timeless to Australia. The main reason is that these days she wishes only to visit “places where we want to go as a couple,” adding that while “the director part of me says, 'Barbra, you should go around the world and sing everywhere,' and I wish I could do that, I just don't enjoy public performance. I don't enjoy being on a stage, strutting my stuff.”

Australian celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Olivia Newton-John attended Barbra’s shows.

Australian fans were able to purchase a handsome, full-color, 11 x 14-inch tour program with loads of rare photographs of Ms. Streisand—similar to the programs sold in the U.S.
Herald Sun story:
Note About This Page:  Barbra Archives did not exist in the year 2000.  I was also unable to attend any of Barbra's “Timeless” concerts.  Back then, I read all about these shows at The Barbra Streisand Music Guide – Mark Iskowitz's informative and fact-filled website that, unfortunately, is no longer online.  Mark has given me permission to reproduce his text here, which I greatly appreciate.  I've made a few edits to make the text more concise.  But most of it is Mark's, supplemented by the fans who contributed information about these concerts to his website. Many of the Australian newspaper clippings on this page were scanned by Anthony Lucca, from his collection. Thank you!

... Matt Howe, January 2020.

Sydney Football Stadium: March 9, 2000

Newspaper clipping about rain postponing Barbra's first Sydney concert.

Promoter Kevin Jacobsen revealed some the special acoustic arrangements for the stadium recently in the Sydney Morning Herald. The stadium's superstructure was draped with about AUS$180,000 of heavy black curtains in an attempt to curb reverberations and simulate the feel of an intimate indoor theater. Jacobsen said, "They're very fastidious with regard to sound quality, and it's the most sophisticated operation you could imagine. She wanted it to be a little more intimate than we could have achieved in the Olympic Stadium." 


Jacobsen said fans were flying in from nearby New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore to see Barbra, whom he called “unique, up there with Elvis and The Beatles.”


Barbra Streisand and James Brolin were expected to arrive in Sydney on March 4 via Air New Zealand and were originally to stay in a private harborside home. Reportedly, they had previously spent three days at Taupo, New Zealand's Huka Lodge.


On Feb. 27 the Sydney Morning Herald featured a full-page ad announcing the opening of a "Barbra Department" in the David Jones store located on Elizabeth Street in Sydney. Before closing in the weeks following the concerts, the store sold "specially designed merchandise commemorating her Australian tour, such as the tour program, "Barbra's favourite plush toys," and embroidered t-shirts.


Rain Postpones Concert


On March 8th, Promoter Kevin Jacobsen held a press conference outside Sydney Football Stadium to announce that the evening's Barbra Streisand Timeless performance would be postponed until March 9 because of rain. Under such conditions, he said that the safety of the public and the production and technical staff left no other options. He relayed Streisand's disappointment and belief that safety for all concerned was of paramount importance. In a radio interview Barbra's manager Marty Erlichman said it was felt that the wild wind and rain made conditions both in the stands and on stage too dangerous to proceed tonight. "Barbra's heartbroken," said Erlichman. "She's come halfway around the world to perform for her Australian fans."
Last Night's show rescheduled to tonight, March 9th
The following review first appeared on The Barbra Streisand Music Guide website. The review was credited to Streisand fan Kim Hatherly, exclusive to The BSMG.

In the descending darkness, 28,000 fans clutching oversized programs file to their seats on the field before, and in stands around, the huge stage at the southern end. The buzz of excitement is tangible. Anticipation, already at fever-pitch, is further heightened by the show's 24-hour delay due to rain. 

At 8.30pm the stadium lights dim and all eyes focus on the spotlit stage as Marvin Hamlisch raises his baton. The familiar strains of the overture, so well-known and loved from the US ’94 concerts, fill the arena, and 28,000 spines tingle in unison. Enter Brother Time, tonight renamed Time Wizard and played by Australian Kip Gamblin, substituting modern dance for Savion Glover’s tap routine, as the ticking, exploding, whirling clock video sequence is played out on the giant screen above him.

Reprising their Las Vegas roles, Alec Ledd, Randee Heller and young Lauren Frost reproduce the Nola Studios recording session of "You’ll Never Know."  From behind a flourish of black cape, to a roar from the crowd and a standing ovation, Barbra Streisand steps for the first time ever onto an Australian stage. On its feet, fibre-optic torches waving, the audience cheers its welcome, the first notes from that unmistakable voice barely audible above the din. "Something’s coming, I don’t know what it is, but it is gonna be great." 

“Thank you for coming, almost, last night and for coming back tonight. Thank you so much!” said Barbra Streisand the crowd. “Isn't it a beautiful night? It was worth waiting for,” Streisand added. Wearing the shimmering Act 1 pantsuit costume she debuted in Vegas, Barbra recounts that her first proposed visit to Australia was to have been 25 years ago for the opening of A Star is Born. An ear infection barred her from flying, and it has taken 25 years for her to fulfill her own ambition — to thank her Australian fans for their years of support.

"The only place I wanted to sing outside of the United States was your country," she confides, to a roar of approval from an audience that has waited so long to be here. She considers for a moment, then shrugs wryly. "Actually, it wasn't even a shlep to get here."


Barbra sparkles as the show finally goes on.
From "The Way We Were," Barbra takes us back to Greenwich Village and her early nightclub appearances.

"I don’t know if you know what Greenwich Village is like, but it’s like your Darlinghurst, I’m told. Lots of little clubs and bars." Familiar to fans through her early album versions, at last we hear "Cry Me a River" and the wonderfully jazzy, brassy "Lover Come Back to Me" live. The pace slows with "A Sleepin’ Bee." Barbra confesses to a hoarse voice thanks to two nights of long rehearsals in the cold night air and apologizes that her voice is a little scratchy.

"We love you anyway!" cries an audience member, and she laughs in appreciation. "Thanks, that’s nice."

Streisand drops "Miss Marmelstein" from the Sydney show. Instead, Barbra tells of her arrival here and of being greeted by a hotel clerk calling her "Bubra Strei-zund." Correcting the mispronunciation, and assuring us it happens to her everywhere, she moves on to the Funny Girl medley that brings the crowd to its feet again at the conclusion.

Throughout the night she has a lot of fun with the Australian accent and expressions. In four days she’s accumulated a battery of expressions to throw back at us, obviously enjoying our way of calling her "Bubra," our laid-back use of "No worries," and our pronunciation of "fourteen" as "fordeen" or "party" as "pahdy."

From the magic of the "Something Wonderful/Being Alive" medley, Barbra turns to "As Time Goes By," and, minus the participation of Brother Time or the "Speak Low" verses, on to "Alfie." The audience loves her story about hearing it years later and wondering why she hadn’t recorded it, only to be told that it was her own version she’d been listening to.

Songwriting "may not be my day job," as she says, but "Evergreen" is well-loved and well-received, before she recounts the touching story of finding her father’s letter 60 years after it was written. From the first notes of "Papa Can You Hear Me?" excitement fills the stadium. The gorgeous cross-over of this and "You’ll Never Know" is followed by the stunning "A Piece of Sky." It is obvious the audience has been hoping for a repeat of the ’94 concert’s duet, and the split-screen images of the film’s Yentl, Lauren Frost, and Barbra bring them to their feet once more, torches flashing and a massive burst of applause to conclude Act 1.
Page revision from Streisand's Australian Timeless script.
The proposed one-hour interval is shortened to 20 minutes. As in Las Vegas, Act 2 opens with the Entr’acte and the spectacular "Putting It Together" video montage. Barbra returns in a flowing white gown and a sequin-studded wrap that she tells us is her wedding veil. After "On a Clear Day" (her voice strong and assured again after the break), she sits to sing the poignant "Send in the Clowns." 

Clearly reveling in the show’s theme of "looking back with fondness," the audience loves the video duet sequence ("Crying Time" has been cut). "Your own Barry Gibb!" Barbra points out and, as a murmur of recognition goes up at "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers," she asks "Remember that?" Popular, too, are the clips of Jason’s party and the clever black-and-white "duet" with Frank Sinatra.

Now appearing very relaxed, Barbra plays with the "clicker" sequence and enjoys the crowd’s laughing responses. "You call these TV remotes, right? We call them clickers." Strangely, however, the piece is not followed by "Simple Pleasures," as in Las Vegas. Instead, three backing singers enter for "The Main Event/Fight," another number warmly appreciated by the crowd, particularly when Barbra joins the girls in a few dance steps. At its conclusion, Barbra introduces the girls, Natalie Miller, Lisa Edwards, and much-loved singer (now Australian resident) Venetta Fields. Reunited after 25 years, Barbra and Venetta reminisce over the last time they worked together, when Venetta was one of the Oreos in A Star is Born. One line raises a huge laugh from the Sydney audience. Barbra calls the girls "Yentl As Anything," a play on the name of Australian band Mental As Anything.

The audience obviously agrees with Barbra’s cheeky "Hello, Gorgeous" when husband James Brolin’s face appears on the video screen for her lovely rendition of "I’ve Dreamed of You." Joined by the Sydney Children’s Choir and Sydney Philharmonia Choir on the stage’s lower level for "At the Same Time," Barbra takes this moment at the song’s conclusion to thank her fellow singers and musicians, before moving on to "Auld Lang Syne." She asks the audience to sing along, in her "first duet in a foreign country," while she sings the "Friends" counter-melody. However, "Friends" does not receive its own stand-alone performance, but this is planned. One thing that isn't planned is Marvin Hamlisch missing Barbra’s slightly altered cue to him ("It's good to think about that.") at the end of her "At The Same Time" spoken intro. The orchestra remains silent, and Barbra gently prods, "Marvin, I said think about it." The music then begins, and she laughs it off, teasing, "He fell asleep." Both recovered from the awkward moment quickly.
Australian Timeless security bracelet.
"We may be divided by oceans and continents," says Barbra, but we‘re all just "People, people who need people." Arguably the number most identified with her, "People" gains yet another enthusiastic ovation, as does "Happy Days are Here Again," which concludes the show. Returning from the opposite side of the stage for her encores, Barbra laughs "I just shlepped the whole way 'round there," then quiets the mood with "Don’t Like Goodbyes."

Just before "Don't Like Goodbyes," as people were yelling out various greetings and song requests, Barbra asked if this was the "audience participation part, talk amongst yourselves kind of thing." Surprised and taken aback for a moment, she replied, "I never took requests. When I was a kid 18 years-old in the nightclubs, people would yell out things. I'm gonna sing what I'm gonna sing, ya know?"

"Sydney, we’ll miss you," she admits. Sensing the inevitable coming, the audience responds with prolonged applause and more waving torches to "I Believe" and the spine-tingling "Somewhere," on which Barbra is joined by Lauren Frost, and both are seen off the stage by the Time Wizard. After a few minutes, a renewed roar goes up as Barbra returns from stage right and turns to Hamlisch. "Marvin, you think we should do another song?" eliciting a roar of audience approval. "We didn't plan this," Barbra claims. "Okay, we'll take hands. You wanna hear 'Music That Makes Me Dance'?" Another roar of approval. Barbra confirms, "I think 'Music That Makes Me Dance'...I sang this for the first time in 1963, and now I have someone to sing it to, really."

Waving her final thanks, Barbra exits for the last time, the orchestra playing her out with the stirring "People" theme.

“There's no doubt that Streisand in the flesh, or up close through binoculars if you sat in the $137 seats, comes at a steep price. But to experience her live brings ample rewards – not only her mixture of defiance and grace but the actor's discipline, passion and musical willpower on which her extraordinary career is built.”

.... Sydney Morning Herald review   by Bryce Hallett

Australia (Sydney & Melbourne) Set List

ACT ONE

  • Overture (1994 version) / instrumental medley
  • 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 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)
    • 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
  • At The Same Time
  • Auld Lang Syne / Friends
  • People
  • Happy Days Are Here Again
ENCORES
  • Don't Like Goodbyes
  • You Don't Bring Me Flowers †
  • I Believe / Somewhere (with Frost)
  • The Music That Makes Me Dance **
  • Come Rain Or Come Shine ***
* Sydney only
† Melbourne, March 17 only (in place of “Don't Like Goodbyes”)
** Sydney, March 9 only
*** March 10, 15, 17

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.

 

Sydney Football Stadium: March 10, 2000

Streisand wearing a brown Akubra hat during a rainstorm in Sydney Australia.

Barbra Streisand and her second night Sydney audience experienced a very special version of Timeless under rainy skies. Not only was Barbra's voice packed with more power than ever and near perfect the entire evening, but she also exuded extraordinary charm and humor, establishing a unique rapport with the somewhat uncomfortable audience for whom she continually expressed concern and appreciation ("Are you all okay?). 


Despite being rained on, the nearly full house was wildly enthusiastic from start to finish. Getting her first look at the poncho-covered audience, Barbra observed, "You look so cute, it looks like Halloween out there." She added, "I've been singing 'Don't Rain On My Parade' for 35 years, and it's worked up until now." 


Indeed, this was only one of Barbra's many rain-related ad libs, which began after her first line in "Something's Coming." Barbra's greeting: "Welcome to the Wet album - live!" 


During "The Way We Were" she remarked, "The rain doesn't affect the sound" and "It's good for the skin." 


Her Act 1 costume matched that of the previous evening while adding a matching wrap worn mainly near the end of this act when the damp winds kicked up. Barbra informed the crowd, "I haven't sung in a stadium since 1966. By the way, it rained then too. I came out in a yellow slicker with yellow galoshes. I was pregnant with my son Jason." 


While singing "Evergreen" downstage under the raindrops, she finally had to retreat backward, laughing with the audience in amazement and wonder at the unusual performing conditions. 


Barbra frequently thanked everyone for being so willing to sit in the rain, wondering at one point, "Is my hair beginning to curl?" 


In the midst of particularly heavy winds, she changed her "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" lyric from "The wind is so much colder" to "The wind is so much stronger." 


Hurrying her "A Piece of Sky" intro during a steady downpour, Barbra admitted, "Thank God, this is the last song of the first half." 


A stagehand spent the entire intermission mopping the stage while others wiped down parts of the set.
Streisand singing in the rain.

Returning to the stage after the "Putting It Together" video montage, Barbra wore a casual black outfit - the familiar turtleneck top from the "If You Ever Leave Me" music video, form-fitting sweat pants, and black sneakers, saying, "I thought that I'd be comfy, you know what I mean? They told me the stage was all wet, and I normally wear a white satin gown with a beautiful diamond necklace – I'll send you pictures. ... You don't mind, do you?" 


Pointing out her other wardrobe changes – adding an Australian outback-style brown Akubra hat and brown Driz-a-bone rain jacket – she said, "I love this hat" and then signaled the orchestra to launch into "Clear Day" – "So anyway, okay, Marvin, go!" 


Between song lyrics, she noted, "It's so easy to walk with sneakers!" and later added, "My outfit is by Speedo." 


Barbra's clever unscripted quips and ad libs, particularly those placed between lyrics in the middle of songs, are worth noting. In addition to those mentioned above, she said, in introducing "Alfie," "It was written by my friend Burt Bacharach, who also wrote 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'." 


During "A Sleepin' Bee," after the line "Where you'll see a sun-up sky," she interjected, "I wish."


Another "I wish" came just before beginning "On A Clear Day" and later in "Happy Days" ("The skies above are clear - I wish - again"). 


In "I Believe," after the lyric "I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows," she inserted, "There's always a positive to the negative." 


A rare lyric interjection in "People" occurred near the song's end, as Barbra sang the last line this way: "People who need people are the luckiest people (like me to have you here) in the world."


In her cast and orchestra thank-yous, she remarked, "The strings don't even sound like they're going out of tune. Not bad." She surprised everyone with the very appropriate "Come Rain Or Come Shine" as a bonus encore (instead of "The Music That Makes Me Dance") with an arrangement similar to her original recording, magnified for the larger orchestra ("I hope I remember this, Marvin"). 


She absolutely wowed the wet but jubilant crowd with a sparkling rendition of a wonderful Harold Arlen song she hadn't sung in 20 years, exclaiming "Yeah!" in the middle and placing special emphasis with an added word on the last line - "I'm truly with you rain or shine." The song was subsequently issued as a limited edition bonus disc with the U.S. and Australian Timeless - Live In Concert CD set, available exclusively at Barnes & Noble and Sanity stores. B&N also provided the track as a free download at bn.com. 


Several fans consider this particular evening Barbra's best of the Timeless shows, largely due to her overflowing enthusiasm and spontaneity in less than ideal weather conditions. "I'll never forget you, Sydney," promised Barbra during her final bows. 
A Japanese fan's photos from the Sydney, Australia concerts.

Melbourne Colonial Stadium: March 15, 2000

Advert for Streisand's concerts at Colonial Stadium, Melbourne.
Brian Walsh, Australian publicist for Barbra Streisand and Marty Erlichman, issued a statement on March 12 regarding the sound system for the new stadium. Following Roger Daltrey's onstage complaints about the stadium's acoustics while performing the venue's first concert with the Ultimate Rock Symphony last Saturday evening ("This would make a great place for football, but f... it for music."), Walsh assured the public that a separate specially designed sound system would be installed tomorrow in the recently opened $60 million stadium to ensure "spot on" superb sound for Barbra and her audience. He said that Ultimate Rock Symphony and its promoters used "conventional sound system technology...and don't appear to have spent enough time or effort figuring out how sound works best in the venue." Conversely, Walsh explains, "Ms. Streisand is using the very latest technology. By using computer modeling, Bruce Jackson (Streisand's sound engineer) has determined where the best stage and speaker locations are for the Streisand concerts." Employed to assist Jackson in analyzing the stadium's acoustics, mathematician David McGrath praised the stadium's "absorptive ceiling" and said the computer modeling indicated that the stage should be "off-center." Further, says Walsh, "the new speaker system, being used for the first time in Australia, provides a totally controllable sound field, eliminating much of the stray sound energy that can make a large stadium sound too reverberant and echoey." Delay towers will be installed, and acoustic curtains will be hung over all glass areas to absorb sound, so it doesn't bounce around the stadium. 

Meanwhile, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin arrived in Melbourne Monday evening, March 13, following a drive originating in Sydney on the Princes Highway along Australia's east cost.

Barbra Streisand's Timeless arrived at Melbourne's brand-new Colonial Stadium on March 15, the third Australian performance and fifth overall, since debuting the show in Las Vegas on December 31. Fans were delighted to see and hear Barbra's wonderful production, but the sound quality in the enclosed stadium left much to be desired. One newspaper reviewer still glowed – "From ballads to quick medleys, she handled every vocal assignment with ease. ...It's a voice that does not disappoint when heard live, sounding clear and powerful and ensuring every song that the 57-year-old performs rings with passion." 

Before "The Way We Were" and before noticing the serious echo in the stadium, she greeted the audience warmly ("G'day, Melbourne, it's great to finally be here. How's it goin'?") and complimented the facility, noting its professional soccer affiliation – "the new home of the AFL, formerly known as the VFL." Despite virtual guarantees from spokesmen prior to this evening, the persistent sound echoing throughout the huge space was most noticeable in the cheapest seats but was also evident down front by some in the VIP section. Just after beginning her monologue before "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" Barbra finally addressed it. "There's an echo here, do you hear it?" Some shouted "Yes!" and she replied, "You do hear it? I thought I only heard it. Well, this is a brand-new stadium. Do you really hear an echo?" Barbra asked again, appearing slightly annoyed with the situation. Another roar of "Yeah!" to which Barbra replied, "Is that good or bad? Either there are two of me, or it's very disturbing." Still, she praised the audience and the evening just before intermission – "You can hear back there? This is such a nice stadium; it's so close. Doesn't feel like there's 30,000 people here, does it? It feels like you're in my living room." 
Seating chart for Melbourne stadium.

For Act 2, undoubtedly after Barbra's insistence, sound engineers readjusted the direction of the sound in the stadium, greatly reducing the nagging echo, and Barbra asked the audience, "My echo is better, isn't it? See what a knob will do." Her performance seemed freer and more comfortable in the show's second half. She and Randee Heller (Mother) nagged at each other with more fun, Heller pushing Barbra to eat a chili wrap and a sandwich, in addition to the now obligatory Australian meat pie. "Marvin, you want a meat pie? asked Heller before finally disappearing. Also, during the duets segment, Barbra added that she and Neil Diamond went to the same high school, as their 1980 Grammy Awards performance was screened. "The Main Event / Fight" was a big hit as usual, after which Barbra asked whether everyone had received the Duracell light wands, because one audience section hadn't used them during the number. Again, Barbra impressed the audience with her Australian dialect and expressions. Sprinkled throughout her banter were local expressions, like "fair dinkum," "no worries," "ridgy didge" ("I was in the bush the other day and heard that expression"), and of course "ma-ate." The Melbourne audience was reportedly more enthusiastic and demonstrative from start to finish than the Sydney audiences.


The song line-up was identical to the March 10 Sydney show, with the exception of "A Sleepin' Bee," which was dropped. Again, the final encore was "Come Rain Or Come Shine," which was a major crowd-pleaser. 


Barbra introduced a new costume for Act 1, a matching glittering silver sleeveless top, long slit skirt and wrap, which may have debuted at the Golden Globe Awards in January or bears a strong resemblance. She returned to her white gown for Act 2. 


Joining her on stage for "At The Same Time" and below the stage for other Act 2 numbers were the Melbourne Chorale and Children's Concert Choir, totaling 87 voices, with 75 from the Chorale. No official photographs were taken in Melbourne. 


Promoter Kevin Jacobsen said the sound and seating problems would not be an issue for the March 17 performance. Reportedly, both nights saw around 31,000 in the audience.

Melbourne Colonial Stadium: March 17, 2000

Barbra Streisand's closing night in Melbourne, the final performance of her Australian Timeless tour, was a terrific one. The much-discussed stadium echoes were non-existent for this second show. Her Act 1 costume changed from the previous Melbourne performance, matching pants substituting for the skirt. Act 2 saw Barbra wearing the familiar white gown. 

She was as warm as ever, as was the audience. "It's wonderful to finally be down under, as you say," Barbra said in her formal greeting following her exciting "Something's Coming" performance. "What about this fantastic stadium? It even has a roof that shuts when it rains (I coulda used that the other night in Sydney)," she jested. "It's hot tonight though, huh? Wooh!" to which a male audience member exclaimed, "You're hot, Barbra!" As always, she received the compliment humbly and appreciatively - "Oh, thank you, thank you." Later in the show, remarking on the closed stadium heat, Barbra wondered, "Maybe we should open up the roof. No? It might rain," thinking better of the idea. 

Another reference to the warm conditions followed "The Main Event/Fight," the number which, as usual, got everyone on their feet dancing. Barbra noticed someone sipping water and sympathized, "Oh, it's so hot out there for you, isn't it? One night it was all rain, everybody was sitting with the plastic raincoats. Tonight they're sweating, what can we do? Life."

Introducing "The Way We Were," Barbra admitted that visiting and performing in Australia for the first time was many years in the making. "You know, this is true - I was about to come here 25 years ago for the opening of Star Is Born, and I got an ear infection, and I couldn't fly. I always felt bad about that, so now the only place I wanted to sing outside of the United States was your country and that's why I'm here. And that's fair dinkum. So we have a lot of catching up to do. There's a lot of Memories..."
Streisand overcomes sound problem to sparkle.
Interview with Venetta Fields in Aussie newspaper.

Before her comic dialogue with Ziegfeld preceding the Funny Girl medley, Barbra related her experiences with the Aussie pronunciation of her name. "When I first landed in Australia, someone called me 'Miss Strei-sund.' I told them my name was 'Strei-sand' and they said, 'No worries.' Later at the hotel, someone called me 'Bah-bra Strei-zand' with a Z. I tried to tell them, 'It's Strei-sand with an S, like sand on the beach.' They said, 'No worries.' But, now I gotta tell you, I am worried," joked Barbra to the crowd laughing along with her, "because you pronounce Aussie with a zed, though it's spelled with Ss, right? So, of course, you're gonna get my name wrong, but that's okay. No worries, I tell you. I don't mean to sound like a whinger, but it's so rare that anyone gets my name right, ya know?" 


They may not always voice her name correctly down under, but Barbra's Australian fans clearly adore her. In Act 1 before "Something Wonderful" when a guy yelled "We love you, Barbra!" she took a moment to respond spontaneously, "I feel it. I feel it too, because I was watching. Yesterday, I went for a ride in the country and went to see the ocean," she recalled. "I was playing this documentary of people coming out of the arena last week, and I just was so thrilled to hear the love that I got from these people that were coming out. It warmed my heart, it really did. So know that I see you, know you, hear you, and appreciate you." These words especially impressed and touched the Melbourne audience.


Speaking of seeing each other, another audience member stopped Barbra's show midway through her "Clickers" monologue. "Now, I'm fascinated to know what you're doing. You're looking through binoculars, so you're up my nostrils, right?" causing everyone to start laughing. "I mean you're in the front row, and you have binoculars. This is amazing to me." Everyone continued laughing, and Barbra was nearly speechless – "But what can I say. Oh, well. Every pore, you're gonna see every pore," to which a woman and the binoculars-holder responded, "You're gorgeous!" Of course, Barbra had to be appreciative and humbled – "Thank you, thank you. So what was I saying?"


Among the 31,000 in the audience, Barbra had some special guests, including husband James Brolin and close friend, the fashion designer Donna Karan. Introducing "I've Dreamed Of You," Barbra remarked, "This is a song that I had written for my wedding day. ...And my friend Donna Karan, who's here tonight, made me this beautiful gown (pointing to photo on screen), and this was my wedding veil fabric (waving her costume's sequin-covered overlay)." Before the song "At The Same Time," Barbra turned to Brolin – "My husband has seen every show. What a sweetie pie." 


With the show nearing an end, Barbra observed, "The more you travel, the more you realize how much we have in common. I may prefer a little cream cheese on a bagel to your Vegemite sandwich, but we all wash it down with a good cup of tea. This next song is a particular favorite of mine. Its lyrics never seem out of date. They're as true today as the first time I sang them many, many years ago. And even though continents and oceans may divide us, at the end of the day, we're just...People..." This signature song needs little or no introduction, and certainly realizing this, throughout the years, Barbra has cleverly customized or expanded the meaning of the Styne-Merrill number to fit each performing occasion.


Knowing she was about to surprise the audience with one of its all-time favorites, Barbra appeared genuinely contented with the evening and in a jovial mood, as she returned for her first encore. "I just had a thought – the drapes," announced Barbra. "I finally figured out what to do with the drapes after we close. We'll send them up to the Olympic Stadium to block out the draft on the running track," drawing more laughter. "Isn't that cool?" Then, she got serious – "In ancient Greece during the first Olympics, countries that were in conflict put down their weapons to come together in the spirit of friendly competition. I love that. And, as Melbourne is host (Notice how I say Mel-ben, right? My friends say, 'Are you in Mel-borne?' I say, 'No, I'm in Mel-ben') to the soccer competitions, I want to say may your games flourish in that same wonderful ancient spirit. In September when you open your country to the athletes and the eyes of the world, everyone will come to know the tremendous warmth and generosity that I felt here tonight and throughout my stay. Yes, I'll miss you Australia," Barbra confirmed. "I had a good time here." 


Getting to her surprise encore, she said, "Now, I usually sing a different song here. I sing a song called 'Don't Like Goodbyes,' but this is a song I haven't done in these concerts until tonight, because I heard that it was a favorite here." As you might expect, the audience was buzzing with anticipation. "So, I'm gonna try it. Go along with me if I goof up the words and stuff," urged Barbra. You don't bring me flowers (Shoulda done it every night, huh?) / You don't sing me love songs / You hardly talk to me anymore when you come through the door at the end of the day (Marvin, I shoulda rehearsed it with you) / I remember when..."


"Wow, I should have done that every night in Australia," a pleased Barbra told the audience before imparting her parting thought. Adding an extra line from her rain-soaked Sydney concert, she said, "We all want to change the world into a better place, but that's an overwhelming task. I think all we can really do is change ourselves a little bit at a time, because that's the only thing we have control over. And as we change ourselves inside, I believe we can change the world. I believe that. Everybody takes a little responsibility, and think of the positive instead of the negative. I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows..."


Before leaving the stadium for the night, Barbra Streisand, perhaps predictably, returned to the stage to a thunderous ovation following "I Believe / Somewhere." "Well, if you insist - a little encore for the encore, huh?" Barbra said, before "Come Rain Or Come Shine," pleasing the crowd to no end. "This is my last performance here in Australia. ..."Well, I'm gonna tell you a thing or two. I love this song. I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you come rain or come shine (Harold Arlen) / High as a mountain..." How appropriate to wrap her Australian tour with a song about loving regardless of the weather. On this continent during the late summer of 2000, Barbra Streisand and her audiences certainly exchanged overflowing torrents of love on humid evenings, rainy evenings, and perfect evenings. Some would say that every night was perfect.
VIP concert ticket to 17 March Streisand show courtesy of Anthony Lucca

Bruce Jackson Saves the Sound

Streisand's sound man, Bruce Jackson, talked toThe Sunday Age (5 March 2000) about perfecting the sound at Melbourne's enormous Colonial Stadium.


“It kills a lot of seats doing it the way she wants to do it, bringing the best sound to even the cheapest seats,” he explained.  Streisand was willing to lose 25,000 seats to get the excellent sound she requested. “For someone to go this far is unique to Barbra,” Jackson said.


The article states that Jackson covered empty chairs with drapes, “and the stadium operators ave accepted his recommendation to buy many kilometers of expensive heavy wool serge to hang from the roof in front of all that glass.”


A computer model of the stadium informed Jackson where to instruct the touring company to place the stage inside the stadium. “We angled the stage and twisted it round in this contorted position, then found the best spotlight angles – it gave us a pretty weird seating plan but in the process we've made it much more intimate.”

Jacobsen Entertainment placed a full-page thank you message to Barbra in Billboard's May 13, 2000 issue. In addition, on its Web site reads the the following: 

Jacobsen Entertainment presented Barbra Streisand in the only concerts outside of the US and her London appearance in 1966. The four concert appearances achieved the highest gross of any in the world. The Barbra Streisand appearances in Australia proved to be landmark events both artistically and financially.

In fact, box office returns totaled AUS$34 million, with about AUS$30 million going to Streisand, and the veteran promoter clearing AUS$2 million in profit. Barbra used a large portion of her fee to finance virtually the entire Timeless production, including the cast, its production and tour staff of over 300 people, a 78-piece orchestra, and locally hired choirs. Her technical backup sported a very large LED screen, TelePrompTers, a tri-level set, and a 250,000 watt sound system estimated to cost more than AUS$10 million alone. 
End / Sydney, Melbourne Australia Concerts, 2000
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