REVIEW | Simply Barbra
March 11th 2000 00:31
COST-LESS STREISAND
SIMPLY BARBRA by STEVEN BRINBERG
Presented by Little Big Touring at the Seymour Centre (Saturday 11th March, 2000) this show arrives hot on the heels of the Mardi Gras Festival, and the skirt tails of Barbra Streisand's TIMELESS concert. Okay, so the real Bab's was Timeless, the fake is Cost less, and that's how she was marketed given the extreme prices charged to get a guernsey at the real McCoy. I was thrilled that there was a packed house and standing room only available. It was well used, the standing room. I'd say there were over fifty extra folk standing up the back. First up and in the spotlight was C.L. a female stand-up comic.
She kept us laughing until BRYAN SCHIMMEL Musical Maestro of the evening (Because Marvin H. was unavailable, checking the stage in Melbourne) wandered on to the stage with a white teapot and cup. He placed them on the end of the baby grand, and then took his seat to play.
Next on stage was STEVEN BRINBERG as BARBRA STREISAND, or was it Barbra Streisand as she was when she did cost less? It almost could have been. The audience went wild instantly.
As with any great impostor, there was a moment or two of startled silence after the wild applause. Facing upstage, back to the crowd, she takes a breath... This sounds like her, she hasn't sung a note yet, but there's that determined breathing. The 'actress' expressing herself even before the song has begun. From the moment she did sing, I mean HE did sing - this show was a hit!
BRINBERG leveled with me after the show that he had seen Barbra the night before, which is why his throat was hoarse. It rained, and he was sitting there taking notes while she was singing. This evening he was her singing and excusing his bum notes because of it raining last night on her parade.
S/He sang There's A New World Coming followed by Married (from Cabaret) and then some personal chit chat about new 'hubby' James Brolin and who could imagine this was a cock in a frock doing a real full on head job as La Streisand? Very convincing as an impersonator, extremely good as a singer - especially the You Don't Bring Me Flowers duet(!) with Neil Diamond. Brinberg's male voice is as honey warm and throaty as his Streisand is accurate. The mannerisms of the past, magic moments we've all heard on the CD's were recreated with gusto and finesse. I was mightily impressed, and the standing ovation at the end made it obvious that this was truly great cabaret.
My favorite moments were the story about Streisand and Hitchcock, Julie Andrews doing Annie Get Your Gun, Evergreen for Bill Clinton and the riotous rendition of Bab's MAME medley.
This show is a total knockout if you like Bab's circa 60's & 70's. The 80's are mostly left undone - and that's okay because I would venture to say the real Streisand has spent most of the past twenty years trying to undo all her bad habits. I personally have loved her 'work' for all my life. I was delighted to note that this show doesn't try to set out to malign or
hurt Barbra, it plays without being mean or nasty - nothing is obvious, except the (obvious) stuff Bab's does best, which is usually totally NATURAL, you know?
So 10 out of 10 from me - if you get the chance to see it either in New York where it's been on and off for over four years, or at the Riverside Theaters in Parramatta - do yourself a favor. Go see this one, it's a hoot!
DAVID JOBLING
SIMPLY BARBRA by STEVEN BRINBERG
Presented by Little Big Touring at the Seymour Centre (Saturday 11th March, 2000) this show arrives hot on the heels of the Mardi Gras Festival, and the skirt tails of Barbra Streisand's TIMELESS concert. Okay, so the real Bab's was Timeless, the fake is Cost less, and that's how she was marketed given the extreme prices charged to get a guernsey at the real McCoy. I was thrilled that there was a packed house and standing room only available. It was well used, the standing room. I'd say there were over fifty extra folk standing up the back. First up and in the spotlight was C.L. a female stand-up comic.
She kept us laughing until BRYAN SCHIMMEL Musical Maestro of the evening (Because Marvin H. was unavailable, checking the stage in Melbourne) wandered on to the stage with a white teapot and cup. He placed them on the end of the baby grand, and then took his seat to play.
Next on stage was STEVEN BRINBERG as BARBRA STREISAND, or was it Barbra Streisand as she was when she did cost less? It almost could have been. The audience went wild instantly.
As with any great impostor, there was a moment or two of startled silence after the wild applause. Facing upstage, back to the crowd, she takes a breath... This sounds like her, she hasn't sung a note yet, but there's that determined breathing. The 'actress' expressing herself even before the song has begun. From the moment she did sing, I mean HE did sing - this show was a hit!
BRINBERG leveled with me after the show that he had seen Barbra the night before, which is why his throat was hoarse. It rained, and he was sitting there taking notes while she was singing. This evening he was her singing and excusing his bum notes because of it raining last night on her parade.
S/He sang There's A New World Coming followed by Married (from Cabaret) and then some personal chit chat about new 'hubby' James Brolin and who could imagine this was a cock in a frock doing a real full on head job as La Streisand? Very convincing as an impersonator, extremely good as a singer - especially the You Don't Bring Me Flowers duet(!) with Neil Diamond. Brinberg's male voice is as honey warm and throaty as his Streisand is accurate. The mannerisms of the past, magic moments we've all heard on the CD's were recreated with gusto and finesse. I was mightily impressed, and the standing ovation at the end made it obvious that this was truly great cabaret.
My favorite moments were the story about Streisand and Hitchcock, Julie Andrews doing Annie Get Your Gun, Evergreen for Bill Clinton and the riotous rendition of Bab's MAME medley.
This show is a total knockout if you like Bab's circa 60's & 70's. The 80's are mostly left undone - and that's okay because I would venture to say the real Streisand has spent most of the past twenty years trying to undo all her bad habits. I personally have loved her 'work' for all my life. I was delighted to note that this show doesn't try to set out to malign or
hurt Barbra, it plays without being mean or nasty - nothing is obvious, except the (obvious) stuff Bab's does best, which is usually totally NATURAL, you know?
So 10 out of 10 from me - if you get the chance to see it either in New York where it's been on and off for over four years, or at the Riverside Theaters in Parramatta - do yourself a favor. Go see this one, it's a hoot!
DAVID JOBLING
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