“Barbra: The Music, The Mem’ries, The Magic”, now streaming on Netflix, is a glamorous celebration of Barbra Streisand’s stunning musical career to date.
As a member of the exclusive “EGOT” club (winners of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and the first woman to win a Golden Globe for film direction, Barbra Streisand has had an immensely accomplished career.
It is no wonder that the concert movie proved to be thoroughly entertaining. Although the set list consists predominantly of Broadway tunes, Streisand acknowledges her success in other genres, including disco with “No More Tears”. Streisand’s charm and sense of humour maintains throughout the concert, proving she truly is a funny girl.
The concert took place in December 2016, so it was no surprise that the entertainer addressed politics. Although the then-President Elect was not explicitly mentioned, Streisand considered other pressing global issues. Her performance of “Being At War With Each Other” had clear references, and climate change is considered with her performance of “Pure Imagination”. The brief political exploration was slightly jarring, but considering Streisand’s career spans significant social change in America it also seemed apt. Streisand quickly concludes the political portion of her Miami concert with a message of unity.
Streisand promotes her eleventh US number-one album, “Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway”, with a powerful rendition of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, a duet with Jamie Foxx. The movie cuts away temporarily to behind-the-scenes footage of the production of this album, with other collaborators including Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy and Chris Pine, all showing their admiration for Streisand’s talents and accomplishments. Also among the highlights are “Papa Can You Hear Me?” from Streisand’s directorial debut “Yentl” (1984) and “People” from the musical “Funny Girl”.
With some seamless transitions between introductions and songs, Streisand delivers her reputable powerhouse vocals with emotional sensitivity. The concert is an enjoyable watch for this holiday season, especially because Streisand ends with a Christmas song.
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A live concert album will be released on December 8.
