September 27, 2000 Celebrities Who Attended:
Rosie O'Donnell, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, Tony Bennett, Michel Legrand, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore, Penny Marshall, Vince Gill & Amy Grant, Elaine May, Christie Brinkley, Regis & Joy Philbin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Ann Hampton Callaway, Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson, Shirley Jones, Isabella Rossalini, Polly Bergen, David Dinkins, Harvey Weinstein, and James Brolin.
September 28, 2000 (the “last” show) Review by Mark Iskowitz:
With hundreds, if not thousands of binoculars, phones, and vocal people who simply couldn't get enough Barbra, the Garden erupted in a huge ovation on Barbra's 8:30 p.m. entrance. "It's so great to be home in New York!" Barbra screamed, the initial outpouring always surprising her. "What a nice way to say goodbye," said Barbra after her first number, just one of many personal observations, unscripted comments, asides, and witty responses to audience shout-outs sprinkled liberally throughout this special evening. Discussing her 1955 Nola Studio session, which her cast re-created, she asked her brother, Shelley, sitting down front, if he remembered. Prior to a gorgeous "The Way We Were," which included her hummed intro, Barbra noticed people turning around to check the prompter monitors and warned that she would be ad-libbing a lot, taking a dig at the press's often critical remarks regarding her use of prompters. Indeed, Barbra was noticing everything, even a woman having difficulty finding her seat, causing her to call out and insert "I love real life" between lyrics. So apparently energized and relaxed for the show, Barbra comically improvised,
The way we was / The way we were .
Highlights and unique moments were abundant—virtually every number. Before "Cry Me A River," Barbra recalled
The Lion in Greenwich Village
by name (her professional singing debut, June 6, 1960) and admitted to feeling a bit chilly even in her gold shawl, which dancer Mark Mendonca placed around her incorrectly ("Not too high, you're messing my hair"). Wishing she could have filmed these NYC shows, Barbra explained that she had already filmed for TV extensively in Las Vegas (12/31/99-1/1/00), because she didn't think she would do subsequent shows. "Lover, Come Back To Me" ended with a wily final "Nowww" and Barbra playfully suggesting, "I could do anything tonight; they couldn't fire me." After the always beautifully delicate "A Sleepin' Bee," Barbra fondly recalled her earliest songs and how she never forgets their lyrics, enabling her to sing them with eyes closed. Someone yelled out, "Marmelstein!" and Barbra took a moment to explain that she dropped the song "Miss Marmelstein" because she "couldn't really sing it in sequins...I'm not that good an actress...It didn't feel right," but that it would be in her forthcoming TV special.
The audience's first standing ovation for Barbra occurred after she surprised herself and the orchestra with a 9-second final "Parade" high note. "I don't know where that came from. It's my last night, I can hold the notes," she boasted. As usual, her Broadway and Movies sections were wonderfully dramatic and moving. Once again, the "Alfie" story broke up the audience, and Barbra added a public P.S. to Michel Legrand (in audience) for the arrangement. Perhaps inspired by familiar faces in the NY crowd, Barbra remembered Broadway, opening nights, and people telling her, "You're never gonna make it, kid, because you're too undisciplined. You never do it the same way twice." She proudly admitted, "I still don't do it the same way twice," which is part of what makes Barbra Streisand such a uniquely talented artist. Segueing into "Evergreen," Barbra's recollection of songwriting aspirations led to someone screaming out "By The Way," and Barbra asking everyone if they liked that song (which she co-wrote with Rupert Holmes in 1975 for
Lazy Afternoon ). More improvisation resulted from naming her close friend, Joanne Siegel (in audience), with whom she discussed their fathers some years ago. The audience's applause for her friend surprised Barbra, who proceeded to invite Joanne on stage to play piano (of course she didn't accept the offer), because she likes performing in front of people. Next, Barbra wondered how people can enjoy it, since "You have to stand up straight...good posture, holding your tummy in." In contrast, Barbra said she wears sneakers and sweat suits at home, much more preferable.
Preceded by a lengthier intro about how Barbra received her father's love poem to a woman before he married Barbra's mother, "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" / "You'll Never Know" and the thunderous Act 1 finale, "A Piece Of Sky," overflowed with tearful poignancy and thoughts of what could have been for Barbra and her dad. Turns out the 92-year-old Esther Posner Grodin ("a little pistol"), who had a two-year relationship with Emanuel Streisand, attended the previous evening's show and had given the letter to Barbra's cousin, Mel Streisand, after meeting him in synagogue. Touching, to say the least.
At 9:40 p.m. Act 2 kicked off with a rousing Entr'acte, the wondrous career-spanning video montage during "Putting It Together," and Barbra's absolutely thrilling "On A Clear Day," debuting the offstage Central Baptist Church choir (from Manhattan). In a variation of the piano-player-serving-tea bit, Alec Ledd initiated the conversation, saying he always knew Barbra would make it, and that his real job is running the George W. Bush's presidential campaign. Predictably, Barbra wished him good luck, and after a few beats, added "You'll need it." The Democrats laughed, and the Republicans hoped she'd be wrong.
Perhaps to pay tribute to Stephen Sondheim (in the previous night's audience), Barbra returned "Send In The Clowns" to the set list, and, of course, her rendition was remarkable. As the thousands of sun-showering diamond lights poured down on the stage for "Come Rain Or Come Shine," the audience gasped ("Wow!"), causing Barbra to chuckle and repeat, "What a great audience."
