I’ll be listening to this:
I can’t wait to buy the album! But it will never beat the real-life experience of seeing her onstage again.
April 19, 2007
November 15, 2006
Babs
I returned home from my trip to Chicago and San Jose yesterday night. Since then, I’ve sat down to write about my experience, specifically the Barbra Streisand concert, but have found myself woefully undertalented and unequipped to convey to you just how extraordinarily lovely the concert was for me.
I’ll write about Chicago and some of the other parts of the trip. But, for now, the concert is what shines in the forefront of my mind and still causes a ripple of excitement to run up my spine.
What can I say about the show?
My mother and I sat and chatted with the couple seated next to us before the show started. Various song and movie titles were dropped and every time I was asked, “Have you seen that movie?’” or “Have you heard that song?” my answer was, “Yes, I own it.” Finally it was commented, “Wow, you are a big fan, aren’t you?”
My answer? “You have no idea.”
There was speculation, “What will she sing first, Heather?” I thought about it. “Hmmmm. She opened the 1993/1994 concert with “Everything’s as if We Never Said Goodbye” and the 1999/2000 concert with “Something’s Coming.” But I seriously couldn’t predict what song she might sing first that night.
The overture began and it was, we later found out, the overture from the Broadway score of Funny Girl. That made a lot of sense because some of the music sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it when I ran through a mental list of albums in my head. It’s been many, many years since I listened to the Broadway soundtrack to Funny Girl.
As the overture reached its peak, we all leaned forward in our seats, anticipating the moment when Barbra would come on stage. None of us were certain it would be her. We thought she might have Il Divo perform first. But she did come onstage at the end of the overture. I saw the top of her famous blond head as she walked up the stairs at the back of the stage and I immediately began jostling my mother while I breathlessly exclaimed, “Ohmigod, ohmigod! There she is! THERE SHE IS! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
And then, La Barbra opened her mouth and started the show with a beautiful rendition of “Starting Here, Starting Now” (Duh! Why didn’t I think of that!) and I was completely bowled over again by her voice, her talent, her presence –HER. Her voice is a gift not only bestowed upon her but also bestowed upon the world. Such beauty. To hear her sing in person. To watch her body language and facial expressions whilst that honey sweet voice poured over the crowd — it was a gift. A priceless gift that I will cherish just as I have cherished the memory of her last concert.
Barbra seemed so much more relaxed than she was at the concert I attended on the Millenial New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Eve 1999, it was the first time she’d given a concert in many years and she seemed nervous, a little stiff and rehearsed. But Monday night was different. She’s already given several concerts over the past few months and only has three concerts left in her tour. She took her shoes off and pranced about barefoot for most of the evening. She flirted with the audience when she shrugged her jacket off of her shoulders (“Is it hot in here or is it just me?” she asked.) and teased, “I can’t show you everything.”
When I thought I couldn’t be any more impressed, Il Divo took the stage. I have always thought there is none worthy of sharing a stage with my beloved Babs. But Il Divo changed my mind. I LOVED Il Divo as a group. But I lusted after the Spaniard whom I affectionately refer to now as “my boyfriend.” As the group sang, “Unbreak My Heart,” I sat in my chair, melting.
Barbra returned to the stage after Il Divo’s performance of three songs and together they sang “The Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. If I’ve ever heard anything so beautiful, I’d be hard pressed to tell you what it was. I’ve been enchanted by the arrangement of “The Music of the Night” that Barbra and Il Divo sang ever since I first heard it on the Back to Broadway album.
First, in the musical, “Music of the Night” is a solo. Barbra turned it into a duet and she sings a beautiful, haunting harmony. She sang:
Floating, falling,
sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me
savour each sensation!
And I did savour the moment, the intoxicated happiness I was feeling as I sang along in my mind since I knew every word and every nuance of the harmony from singing it along with the CD a million times the summer I bought it.
The night passed by so quickly. I was thrilled with so many of her song selections. She sang “Down With Love” which has always been one of my favorites with its jazzy styling and saucy lyrics.
I was enthralled by the lyrics to a song that I’d never heard until that night. She described it as a song for relationships that are difficult to define and I thought of how many such relationships I’ve had in my lifetime.
In a very unusual way one time I needed you.
In a very unusual way you were my friend.
Maybe it lasted a day, maybe it lasted an hour.
But, somehow it will never end.
In a very unusual way I think I’m in love with you.
In a very unusual way I want to cry.
Something inside me goes weak,
Something inside me surrenders.
And you’re the reason why,
You’re the reason why
You don’t know what you do to me,
You don’t have a clue.
You can’t tell what its like to be me looking at you.
It scares me so, that I can hardly speak.
In a very unusual way, I owe what I am to you.
Though at times it appears I won’t stay, I never go.
Special to me in my life,
Since the first day that I met you.
How could I ever forget you,
Once you had touched my soul?
In a very unusual way,
You’ve made me whole.
Toward the end of the evening, she sang “Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair?” and I told my mother sadly, “She’s beginning to say good-bye.” Anyone who knows me well knows that I loathe good-byes. They pain me. They sadden me. And Barbra’s good-bye was no different.
When she exited the stage for good, after her second encore, I stared hopefully at the stage and sighed, “I wish she’d come back.”
But that’s the measure of a beloved actor and singer and even the measure of any good relationship, I think. They leave you wanting more but feeling oh, so lucky that you got to spend some time together, no matter how little.
And I do feel oh, so lucky.
November 14, 2006
OMIGOD!
I love Barbra.
I am in love with the Spaniard in Il Divo.
I am particularly touched right now by the kindness of the couple who sat next to my mom and I at the concert. They were lovely. They gave us their umbrella when we walked out of the concert and found ourselves faced with walking back to the hotel in the rain. I don’t know their names but I did give them my blog address. So, I hope they read this and know that their kindness was very much appreciated and warmed my heart.
More posts to come about Barbra. In fact, I suspect you will hear about it ad nauseum.
Peace out.
November 6, 2006
I’m goin’ to see Barbra!
Filed under: Barbra, Me Myself and I — Heather @ 4:22 pm
Two of the search terms that led to my site today have been:
“I love Babs.”
and
“What is proper attire for a barbra streisand concert?”
Which provides a great segue for me to tell you that:
I AM GOING TO SEE BARBRA IN CONCERT IN EXACTLY ONE WEEK!
I am going to see her again! I am lucky enough to see her in concert TWICE in one lifetime!
I am a happy girl.
A happy girl, indeed.
* I don’t give a shite about her politics so DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE!
September 20, 2005
Why I Love Babs
Filed under: Barbra, Me Myself and I — Heather @ 8:00 pm
In honor of Barbra Streisand’s new CD, Guilty Pleasures, being released today, I decided to re-post an entry from several months ago.
My best friend’s husband once asked me why I love Barbra Streisand so much. He was relieved to hear that I don’t love her for her political views (he is a conservative Republican). After I told him the following story, he still didn’t like Barbra Streisand, but had more of an understanding as to why I like her so well.
The summer I turned eleven years old, I came into the house one day to cool off and turned on the TV. “Funny Girl” was on HBO. I sat and watched the movie and loved it so much that I begged my mother to record it for me. After that, I watched Funny Girl every day for the rest of the summer. I memorized every song and every line of dialogue. I couldn’t get enough. Summer passed and I got past my “Funny Girl” fixation.
Several years later, I found myself graduating from high school. My boyfriend had broken up with me sometime before and was now dating one of my closest friends. My mother and I were not getting along and I lived with my grandparents for the last three weeks of high school. I moved to a new town, moved in with my father and started college. The problem was that I had already started spiraling into depression even before I started college. When I started taking classes, I found that it was hard to be the new girl in a new town. The community college I attended attracted mostly students who had graduated from local high schools. So, everyone knew everyone else and weren’t very interested in me. I have never been a social butterfly. It could be said that I didn’t put forth much effort toward making friends either. Soon, I moved out of my dad’s house and rented my own little apartment. By this time, my ex-boyfriend had started calling me again. I would drive to my hometown whenever he visited just to see him. He was one of those guys who didn’t really want me, but didn’t want anyone else to have me either. He always gave just enough to make me want to come back for more next time. So, when I got asked on dates by boys in my new town, I usually turned them down because I only wanted this loser that treated me badly.
So, as time passed, I became more isolated, more lonely, and more depressed. One night, I rented “Funny Girl.” As I sat alone in my tiny living room watching my once-favorite movie, I felt happy. I started renting other Barbra Streisand movies, started listening to more of her music. I always sang along and felt just a little better than my baseline. I started feeling like I had a friend. No matter how lonely or depressed I was, I knew that Barbra was waiting for me at home. One push of a button and she would keep me company as I cooked my dinner. If I couldn’t sleep, I could sit up and watch a movie and I was not so alone. I read biographies and thought, “She is just like me. We are both misunderstood. Nobody really understands the special talent just below the surface.” I still believe that Barbra Streisand is the reason I am still alive today. As long as I had Barbra, I had a reason to keep on living.
Eventually, I moved back to my hometown. I felt that I had to try to change something if I was ever going to be “okay” again. My physical location was just about the only thing I could change. As soon as I moved back to my hometown, I started feeling better. I started dating my husband, I found some of my old friends and made some new ones. I went back to my old church. I started living again. As I gradually built a life, I listened to Barbra a little less. I no longer spent all of my evenings curled up on the couch watching Barbra movies. I went on dates, I hung out with friends, I spent time with my family. I was okay again.
So–that’s why I love Barbra Streisand. She was my friend when I had no one else. She soothed me. When the rest of my life was completely numb, I watched her movies and was able to feel. She could make me laugh or cry and I was always able to sing along with her. I will always cherish the time I was able to see her in concert. I wanted so badly to be able to say to her, “Thank you for saving my life.”
June 23, 2005
Why I love Babs
My best friends husband once asked me why I love Barbra Streisand so much. He was relieved to hear that I don’t love her for her political views (he is a conservative Republican). After I told him the following story, he still didn’t like Barbra Streisand, but had more of an understanding as to why I like her so well.
The summer I turned eleven years old, I came into the house one day to cool off and turned on the TV. “Funny Girl” was on HBO. I sat and watched the movie and loved it so much that I begged my mother to record it for me. After that, I watched Funny Girl every day for the rest of the summer. I memorized every song and every line of dialogue. I couldn’t get enough. Summer passed and I got past my “Funny Girl” fixation.
Several years later, I found myself graduating from high school. My boyfriend had broken up with me sometime before and was now dating one of my closest friends. My mother and I were not getting along and I lived with my grandparents for the last three weeks of high school. I moved to a new town, moved in with my father and started college. The problem was that I had already started spiraling into depression even before I started college. When I started taking classes, I found that it was hard to be the new girl in a new town. The community college I attended attracted mostly students who had graduated from local high schools. So, everyone knew everyone else and weren’t very interested in me. I have never been a social butterfly. It could be said that I didn’t put forth much effort toward making friends either. Soon, I moved out of my dad’s house and rented my own little apartment. By this time, my ex-boyfriend had started calling me again. I would drive to my hometown whenever he visited just to see him. He was one of those guys who didn’t really want me, but didn’t want anyone else to have me either. He always gave just enough to make me want to come back for more next time. So, when I got asked on dates by boys in my new town, I usually turned them down because I only wanted this loser that treated me badly.
So, as time passed, I became more isolated, more lonely, and more depressed. One night, I rented “Funny Girl.” As I sat alone in my tiny living room watching my once-favorite movie, I felt happy. I started renting other Barbra Streisand movies, started listening to more of her music. I always sang along and felt just a little better than my baseline. I started feeling like I had a friend. No matter how lonely or depressed I was, I knew that Barbra was waiting for me at home. One push of a button and she would keep me company as I cooked my dinner. If I couldn’t sleep, I could sit up and watch a movie and I was not so alone. I read biographies and thought, “She is just like me. We are both misunderstood. Nobody really understands the special talent just below the surface.” I still believe that Barbra Streisand is the reason I am still alive today. As long as I had Barbra, I had a reason to keep on living.
Eventually, I moved back to my hometown. I felt that I had to try to change something if I was ever going to be “okay” again. My physical location was just about the only thing I could change. As soon as I moved back to my hometown, I started feeling better. I started dating my husband, I found some of my old friends and made some new ones. I went back to my old church. I started living again. As I gradually built a life, I listened to Barbra a little less. I no longer spent all of my evenings curled up on the couch watching Barbra movies. I went on dates, I hung out with friends, I spent time with my family. I was okay again.
So–that’s why I love Barbra Streisand. She was my friend when I had no one else. She soothed me. When the rest of my life was completely numb, I watched her movies and was able to feel. She could make me laugh or cry and I was always able to sing along with her. I will always cherish the time I was able to see her in concert. I wanted so badly to be able to say to her, “Thank you for saving my life.”
