The Essential Barbra Streisand -- Back On The Charts

The Essential Barbra Streisand album (2002) is back on the UK charts, five years after it gained the Number One spot. The album of Greatest Hits (and 2 new recordings) is currently Number 12 on the charts in the UK.

Barbra performed in London for the first time in 13 years, earlier this month. Her performance in Manchester on July 10th marked Barbra's first ever UK performance outside London.

BarbraNews.com would also like to point out that, while in London last week, for the Streisand shows -- Virgin and HMV had 'Barbra Streisand -- Live In Concert 2006' at Number One on their own charts.

Barbra Streisand Enthralls Fans At Her European Tour Finale!

Barbra Streisand Enthralls Fans At Her European Tour Finale!
(July 25th, London, UK)

Barbra Streisand mesmerized her capacity-packed audience at London's 02 Arena as she brought her first ever record-breaking, box-office European tour to an end.

Accompanied by a Broadway quartet and a 58-piece orchestra, Streisand performed many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were", "Don't Rain on My Parade" and many more, to her star-studded audience that included legendary Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, Oscar-winning actor Ralph Fiennes, award-winning TV personality Sir David Frost OBE, actor John Lithgow, theatre and film director Sir Richard Eyre CBE and fashion designer and creator of the DKNY clothing label, Donna Karan.

During her whistle-stop tour of Europe, Streisand’s audiences have been filled with stars from across the globe, including actors Nicolas Cage, Pierce Brosnan, Richard E Grant, impresario Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, actresses Joan Collins and Kim Catrall, designers Randolph Duke, Julien Macdonald, novelist Kathy Lette, music manager Louis Walsh, Charles Aznavour, Jean Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon.

Streisand’s performances across Europe has received critical acclaim including Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung proclaiming, “Streisand is not only worth her money. She is next to pure gold.” Austria’s Kurier: “Barbra Streisand is a fantastic artist, one of the last divas, a kind of goddess, one of the very few that can change between different genres without stultifying.” Austria’s Osterreich: “An aura full of emotion and amazement was felt in the whole arena.” The UK’s Times newspaper: “Ruthlessly efficient sequence of anthems brought the audience to its feet.” The UK's Daily Mail hailed : "Barbra : The evergreen makes it all look so easy...her incredible vocal ability". Streisand's rendition of "Music of the Night" from "The Phantom of the Opera" was even greeted with a standing ovation from Lloyd Webber.

This followed her historic performance in Germany where she signed Berlin's prestigious Guest Book at the Waldbuhne in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit. The Guest Book remained in the City Hall and had never before in its history been moved from its resting place. A special exception was granted for Barbra Streisand.

Another highlight of the European tour for Streisand, prior to Berlin, was being presented with the Legion of Honour by President Sarkozy in Paris. The award is the highest honour that can be given to a civilian. President Sarkozy was quoted as saying: "you are the American we love".

BarbraNews Attends Final London Show

Craig Hall (BarbraNews.com) attended the final London show last night at the o2 Arena with best friend Tom Lewis. Full report coming soon.

Interview Delayed

As you all know, I'm in London for the final shows -- and I had a great time meeting and interviewing Richard Jay-Alexander at The Dorchester yesterday. The interview went great, but we ran out of tape -- so he's agreed to do the second part of the Interview today. As soon as I'm over the excitement of the show... and home from London -- I will post it.

Exclusive Interview -- Coming Tomorrow

... we'll have a VERY special interview tomorrow on BarbraNews.com. Keep checking back.

July 22 Fan Photos

2007 Tour: Exclusive Scrapbook

Click Here to be taken to our friends at BroadwayWorld.com -- for a very exciting (and exclusive) look at Barbra's 2007 tour through the eyes (or camera lens) of the four Broadway Guys.

Barbra Performs In London (...again)

Barbra's second night at the O2 in London: A Star-Studded Spectacular
Nicolas Cage, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Ackroyd, Bryan Adams, West Theatre favorite Elaine Paige, designer Julien Macdonald, Donna Karan and life-long fan Richard E. Grant (seeing the show for a second time!) all came out to London's O2 Dome last night to catch Barbra's second-to-last concert of her first ever European Tour. Barbra will perform her final show of the Tour this Wednesday at the O2. It will be a bitter-sweet ending to a phenomenal, record-breaking Tour.

Barbra Streisand First London Show in 13 Years Is Spectacular

Barbra Streisand returned to London after 13 years to eight standing ovations at the 02 Arena - the seventh stop on her first ever, record-breaking European tour.

Streisand's voice excelled in London's newest state of the art arena, which made the most of the incredible vocal range Barbra naturally exudes, much to the appreciation of the 15,000 capacity audience.

The star-studded audience included Impressario Andrew Lloyd Webber, actress Joan Collins, actor Richard E Grant, designer Randolph Duke, novelist Kathy Lette and other luminaries.

Streisand's rendition of "Music of the Night" from "The Phantom of the Opera" was greeted with a standing ovation from Lloyd Webber.

She paid tributes to composer Stephen Sondheim with his "Children Will Listen" from "Into the Woods" and designer Randolf Duke for. The audience were also privy to her daytime tour of London including to the Knightbridge store, Harrods, where she described how she got happily lost inside its famous Food Halls.

The audience listened intently as Streisand announced during her intimate Q&A session with them that the night was truly a special occasion for her - as it was her husband James Brolin's birthday.

A 58-piece orchestra and four male Broadway vocalists accompanied Streisand as she performed many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were", "Don't Rain on My Parade" and many more.

Streisand's Manchester show received plaudits from across the UK including the Daily Telegraph who praised her : "enduring appeal". The Independent : "The power range and tonal quality of her voice becomes fully apparent...an enduring star quality". The Daily Mail hailed : "Barbra : The evergreen makes it all llook so easy...her incredible vocal ability ".

This followed her historic performance in Germany where she signed Berlin's prestigious Guest Book at the Waldbuhne in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit. The Guest Book remained in the City Hall and had never before in its history been moved from its resting place. A special exception was granted for Barbra Streisand.

It has been a fantastic European tour for Streisand who, prior to Berlin, was presented with the Legion of Honour by President Sarkozy in Paris. The award is the highest honour that can be given to a civilian. President Sarkozy was quoted as saying: "you are the American we love".

Streisand performed at Paris' Bercy on to a star-studded audience including the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Benard Kouchner, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dominique Bession, Charles Aznavour, Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Line Renaud and Cécilia Sarkozy, wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Barbra in London

First of three London shows. Tonight at the o2 Millennium Dome.

A True Superstar Delivers

Belfast Telegraph
Winner of countless awards, Barbra Streisand has recorded over 60 albums and remains one of the world's most prolific recording artists in addition to being a true legend of both stage and screen.

Yet such statistics never really do justice to her success.

Likewise, having witnessed Streisand's sensational and powerful singing at her first ever Irish concert appearance as part of a select few dates on her debut European tour, it is obvious that no choice of adjectives could ever do justice to the star quality that oozes from this lady.

Wearing a simple black evening dress and jacket and the inevitable sparkle that one would expect, a stunningly beautiful Streisand (who at 65, looks like a mature Jennifer Aniston) gave a flawless performance of a set dominated by big ballad style show songs.

With an illuminated stately home as a backdrop to the massive staging, which was large enough to accommodate and conceal most of her impressive 58 piece orchestra, the American performer was on top form and perfectly at ease (even abandoning her shoes at one point and bringing her husband on stage at the end) as she continually engaged with the 17,000 strong audience between numbers.

Every song may have been a show-stopper in its own right with each prompting yet another standing ovation for Brooklyn's Babs', but You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Somewhere(from West Side Story, with her male quartet of Broadway tenors) and the three encore songs, Don't Rain On My Parade, I've Dreamed of You and Smile (with the entire audience singing along) were particular stand-out moments.

In terms of performance and prestige this was easily the musical event of the year and worth the high ticket prices, which makes it all the more tragic that , for thousands, anticipation turned to frustration and anger as inadequare traffic controls and other organisational problems turned this dream into an expensive nightmare, causing them to miss most of the concert (I only got to my seat at 10.30pm!).

Thankfully, only a true superstar like Streisand can shine through such a shamble to make it still seem worthwhile.

Genuinely surprised by her warm and raucous welcome, I believe and hope that Streisand will be back, but I had to chuckle at the irony of the situation when she told the crowd: " I can't believe how long it has taken me to get here.."

Don't worry Barbra, thousands of latecomers took even longer!

Damien Murray

More Dublin Photos

Barbra On The Charts..

The Essential Barbra Streisand album has re-entered the British Charts at #25, 5 years after it's release. It originally went to #1 in 2002! Way to go, Barbra.

Barbra Wows Dublin

... despite nearly missing the start of her own concert due to traffic conditions, Barbra appeared onstage with an Umbrella at the beginning of her first ever Irish concert date on Saturday night in Dublin.

"While the majority of 17,000 fans who saw the legendary Barbra Streisand in concert enjoyed the show, promoters regret that some ticket holders were unable to have a great experience at this once in a lifetime event," the organisers said. "This was primarily due to adverse weather conditions, the worst in 100 years which added an extra dynamic to the already difficult driving conditions as a result of major road works on the M50/N4."

Highlights from the show:

Barbra sang "I've Dreamed Of You" as her first encore, for the first time since 2000. Barbra first heard the melody in Ireland, and was recorded by Barbra on her 1999 album 'A Love Like Ours'.

As Barbra exited the stage (from stage left), her husband, James came up the back center stairs to find Barbra, who then turned around to huge cheers, they then met on stage, kissed -- and exited together..

The star-studded audience included actress Kim Cattrall, singer Liam Clancy (who Marty Erlichman managed until the early 60s), music entrepreneur and TV personality Louis Walsh, writer Fionnuala Sherry, Broadway/West End / Canadian Theater Star Colm Wilkinson and other luminaries.

Barbra replaced "Down With Love" with "Come Rain Or Come Shine" as her second song.

During Don't Rain On My Parade, the audience rushed to the stage -- and formed a 'mosh pit' a la MTV Rock and Pop acts. Streisand seeemed to enjoy it as everyone snapped pictures and she took them directly in -- enjoying all the excitement.

During "Ask Barbra" -- an audience member asked "If you could go back in your life and change anything, would you?". Barbra replied "The truth is, I wouldn't change a thing". Another question was "Why do you think you have such a big gay following" -- "Really!? Are there Gay people here?" (to huge cheers). "I don't really know the answer to that, but I think it's because they have good taste".

Barbra Streisand Performs First Ever Open-Air Concert at Castletown House in Ireland

Barbra Streisand tonight continued her box-office, record-breaking European tour at Ireland's Palladian Mansion, the State Historic Castletown House, which was once the ancestral (O Conghaile) home of the former Speaker of the Irish House of Commons William Conolly.

This is the sixth stop on Streisand's first ever European tour, and it was her first performance in Ireland, as part of her series of concerts.

The star-studded audience included actress Kim Catrell, singer Liam Clancy, music entrepreneur and TV personality Louis Walsh, writer Fionnuala Sherry and other luminaries.

Streisand's 17,000 devoted fans braved the traffic queues due to the heavy downpours earlier to give her a standing ovation as she appeared in the palatial open-air setting. Relaxed and joking, Streisand chatted to the audience before the excited crowd alerted her to a giant rainbow that scaled the entire stage set above her head. Streisand commented: 'Wow. Rainbows are lucky, aren't they?' which prompted "Come Rain or Come Shine, " much to the delight of the audience.

A 58-piece orchestra accompanied Streisand as she performed many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were", "Don't Rain on My Parade" and many more.

Streisand's Manchester show received plaudits from across the UK including the Daily Telegraph who praised her : "enduring appeal". The Independent : "The power range and tonal quality of her voice becomes fully apparent...an enduring star quality". The Daily Mail hailed : "Barbra : The evergreen makes it all llook so easy...her incredible vocal ability ".

This followed her historic performance in Germany where she signed Berlin's prestigious Guest Book at the Waldbuhne in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit. The Guest Book remained in the City Hall and had never before in its history been moved from its resting place. A special exception was granted for Barbra Streisand.

It has been a fantastic European tour for Streisand who, prior to Berlin, was presented with the Legion of Honour by President Sarkozy in Paris. The award is the highest honour that can be given to a civilian. President Sarkozy was quoted as saying: "you are the American we love".

Streisand performed at Paris' Bercy on to a star-studded audience including the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Benard Kouchner, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dominique Bession, Charles Aznavour, Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Line Renaud and Cécilia Sarkozy, wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The remaining dates for the Barbra Streisand European Tour are:


18 July London The O2 Arena
22 July London The O2 Arena
25 July London The O2 Arena

Barbra Streisand is the US music industry's #1 best-selling female recording artist. She is second in the all-time charts, ahead of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, exceeded only by Elvis. Streisand remains the only artist to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, and Peabody Awards, and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

The tour is presented by Concert Productions International and Solo.
For tour and ticket information please go to www.barbrastreisand.com

Manchester Press Reviews

“…it is only in live performance, in her first UK appearance in the first tour she has ever done in Europe, that the power, range and unique tonal quality of her voice becomes fully apparent.”

“From the first song, the big ballad "Starting Here, Starting Now", the audience's faith was justified. It was a voice of enormous power but superb control.”

“…what is stunning is the sheer artistry of Streisand's interpretative range. She sings songs like she's telling a story, unfolding ‘Papa, Can You Hear Me’, from Yentl, as if it had the epic narrative of a grand opera. Some were simple, others were ferociously tricky, and yet they were each delivered with a deceptive ease. She made the lyrics of ‘What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life’ sound as though they were words she was spontaneously inventing and speaking to a single person in a private place.

The someone she was talking to was an arena full of fans who sent up cards bearing messages such as: "I have been waiting to see you the whole of my life." She progressed from one song to the next in a way which was not autobiographical so much as the story of the lives of those who listened. She was singing the soundtrack to their joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures.

There were some heavy swaths of sentimentality involved, but Streisand conveyed it with a freshness which was utterly uncloying. She sang "A Cockeyed Optimist" as if it had been written by Kurt Weil. Her encore, "Smile, though your heart is breaking" was dedicated to the drummer of her magnificent 60-strong orchestra. His sister, she hinted, had just undergone some terrible tragedy. She sang it slow, tinged with profound melancholy and enormous emotional power. A diva if ever there was one.”
Paul Vallely, THE INDEPENDENT

Barbra the evergreen makes it all look so easy

“Barbra Streisand in 'impeccable' voice in Manchester. …her voice was in fine fettle, conveying easygoing intimacy on a jazz-tinged Down With Love and getting the audience on to their feet at the end of an emotional People.”
The Daily Mail

"People," sang Barbra. "People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world."

Last night she had 14,000 of them, all eating out of her hands.
The Manchester Evening News

“FANS LOVE BABS” The Mirror

Manchester Photos

Press Quotes from Manchester

Independent- Broadway diva lives up to her billing - MEN Arena
Make no mistake, Barbra Streisand, even now at the age 65, is a star of the first firmament.

Daily Mail- Barbra the evergreen makes it all look so easy- Men Arena
The talk beforehand had been about exorbant ticket prices, but last night in Manchester, it was instead extraordinary vocal ability and enduring star quality that entranced a capacity crowd.

Mirror- £29 a song.. but fans love Babs - MEN Arena
At up to £600 a pop, its the hottest and most expensive ticket in town. And as Barbra kicked off her UK tour in Manchester last night, the question on everyone's lips was: Is It worth it? For most of the die- hard Babs fans at the MEN Arena it was a resounding Yes.

The Sun will run a review tomorrow

The Daily Express will run a review on Friday.

Reviews will follow in this week's Observer and The Sunday Express.

Barbra Streisand Manchester Debut Is Sensational

Barbra Streisand tonight continued her record-breaking European tour with yet another house box-office record at Manchester's M.E.N Arena.

This is the fifth stop on Streisand's first ever European tour, and it was her first performance as part of her UK series of concerts.

If the 14,000 fans in attendance were nervous about Streisand’s recent vocal illness it was quickly dissipated as Streisand was greeted by thunderous applause and a standing ovation upon taking the stage and again after the first song.

Over the course of the show several more standing ovations erupted from the rapturous crowd.

A 58-piece orchestra accompanied Streisand as she performed many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were", "Don't Rain on My Parade" and many more.

The Manchester show was the first following doctor’s advice to rest her voice after her historic performance in Germany where she signed Berlin's prestigious Guest Book at the Waldbuhne in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit and MP Peter Schwenkow. The Guest Book lays in the City Hall and never before in its history has it been moved from its resting place. A special exception was granted for Barbra Streisand.

It has been a fantastic European tour for Streisand who, prior to Berlin, was presented with the Legion of Honour by President Sarkozy in Paris. The award is the highest honour that can be given to a civilian. President Sarkozy was quoted as saying: "you are the American we love".

Streisand performed at Paris' Bercy on to a star-studded audience including the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Benard Kouchner, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dominique Bession, Charles Aznavour, Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Line Renaud and Cécilia Sarkozy, wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The remaining dates for the Barbra Streisand European Tour are:


14 July Dublin Castletown House
18 July London The O2 Arena
22 July London The O2 Arena
25 July London The O2 Arena

Barbra Streisand is the US music industry's #1 best-selling female recording artist. She is second in the all-time charts, ahead of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, exceeded only by Elvis. Streisand remains the only artist to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, and Peabody Awards, and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

The tour is presented by Concert Productions International and Solo.
For tour and ticket information please go to www.barbrastreisand.com

BarbraNews Meets Barbra.

Dear Barbra Fan -

I'm happy to report that tonight's show in Manchester exceed expectations -- and was one of Barbra's finest live performances, in my opinion.

I met Barbra tonight for the first time -- and she was so warm and generous -- even posing for a photograph (coming soon) -- and signing the programme.

Full report soon.

Craig Hall (BarbraNews.com / Lynne Pounder (All About Barbra Magazine) / Barbra Streisand / Steven Baxter (All About Barbra Magazine)

Paris Photos...

from Frederico Galhardo

Truth Alert

07.03.07
No Truth In London Poster Rumor
It seems we have yet another example of irresponsible journalism. A falsehood masquerading as fact has somehow made its way into a reputable newspaper. An unsourced and fictitious claim from over 10 years ago has been printed as fact in a recent UK daily stating that Barbra supposedly had posters for the London 1994 concerts removed because they displeased her. The reporter did not call Ms. Streisand, her representatives or her record label to check the facts in order to report the truth.

For some writers with an agenda, good news is no news and bad news is good news... even if fabricated.

THE TRUTH:

"I worked at Sony Music in 1994 and have investigated this piece of idle gossip thoroughly. I can tell you - categorically - that this story is completely untrue!" Paul Bursche, Communications Director, Sony BMG UK & Ireland.

More Fan Photos from Paris

Thanks to Albert from www.barbrastreisand.cat for these great photos.

BARBRA STREISAND CANCELS STOCKHOLM SHOW

Doctor Orders Streisand to Rest Her Voice

July 2, 2007 - 'Barbra Streisand European Tour 2007' promoter, Concert Productions International, regretfully announces the cancellation of the July 4th Stockholm show. Following doctor's advice, Streisand has been ordered to rest her voice for several days after developing a sore throat. The tour will now move on to Manchester where she is expected to perform as scheduled on July 10.

"I am disappointed at this unfortunate turn of events and so saddened to disappoint my fans. I was so looking forward to performing in the beautiful city of Stockholm" said Streisand.

The tour apologizes for any inconvenience due to the cancellation. Tickets must be exchanged where they have been bought, no later than August 4th.

The Brolin's Celebrate Wedding Anniversary

As announced in the German news magazine "Spiegel" Barbra and James celebrated their anniversary in Berlin yesterday. Together they visited the Jewish Museum, where they got a private guided tour and after that they had a private jubilee dinner at the restaurant "Paris-Moskau".

Happy 9th Wedding Anniversary -- Barbra and James

Interview with Barbra's 'Broadway Boys'.

Review of Berlin

From Curious33(BarbraNews.com Visitor)Just a quick review of the concert, as it is late here. Barbra gave 3 encores that included "The Summer Knows" again. She was enthusiastically greeted by the audience and received countless standing ovations.

What was NEW was an instrumental version of Barbra's wedding music from "The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse", to which she hummed several bars of the melody!! I hope somebody has taped this segment This was a gift to Barbra on the occasion of Barbra's and Jim's wedding anniversary by the conductor.

Later in the show, Jim appeared on stage with a huge cake which he presented to his wife. It was a touching moment. Barbra now introduces "Down with Love" by saying "Here's a little jazz for you".

The weather was a miracle, as it had been raining most of of the day of the concert.

Video of Berlin

Click here for video footage of Berlin -- The Way We Were and Starting Here Starting Now Footage.

Berlin Review

By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN (Reuters) - Barbra Streisand told a sell-out Berlin concert crowd on Saturday that she was delighted to perform in Germany for the first time after turning down several invitations in the past.

German media have linked the Jewish star's refusal to sing there previously to Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust and had hailed her decision to appear.

Streisand quickly warmed to the enthusiastic audience of 18,000 that gave her more than a dozen standing ovations.

"I'm so very happy to be in your country," Streisand said, speaking in flawless German, after the crowd warmed themselves up and brought her orchestra to their feet with a series of pre-concert stadium waves.

"It's exciting for me to be here, too," Streisand added before listing some of the things she likes about Germany -- from currywurst to apple strudel and Beethoven to Bach. She recited a Goethe poem, which she said was a lifelong favorite.

"Germany has always been a place where you buy a lot of my records. I feel very good here. I'm always amazed how music can transcend all our differences. Even though I may complain about certain things, I've come to look at the glass as half full."

Streisand, one of the best-selling female artists of all time, is on a six-week, eight-city tour through Europe.

"I'm really glad to be in your city -- it's filled with culture...and the deserts I love," Streisand said in the open-air Waldbuehne arena, next to Berlin's Olympic stadium used for the 1936 Olympics and tarnished by its association with the Nazis.

Paul Spiegel, late leader of Germany's Jewish community, said he had made repeated appeals to her to come, and, before dying last year, Spiegel blamed her refusal on the Holocaust.

Barbra Streisand was the only one," Spiegel said, when asked if artists had reservations about Germany. Spiegel, a top German talent agent, said he could understand her stance.

The 65-year-old singer did not want to comment on her reasons for not coming to Germany in her career before. But in a statement to Reuters on Friday she had said: "Germany is a very different place than it was before World War Two."

Born in New York to Jewish American parents in 1942, according to online biographies, Streisand has never played outside North America except for London and Australia.

"Thank you for coming to Berlin!" shouted one fan at one point late in her 2-1/2 hour long show.

"It's my pleasure -- I'm thrilled to be here," she replied.

(Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White in London)

Barbra In Berlin -- Tonight.

Liz Smith Column -- June 29th, 2007

ONE OF comedienne Kathy Griffin's funniest bits is on Barbra Streisand - how Barbra never changes a jot or tittle in her concerts. But maybe Kathy will have to change her act, because Barbra is suddenly spontaneous.

Barbra's second performance in Vienna's great outdoor arena was postponed because of a torrential downpour. The next night, the star received a rousing response when she opened with "Come Rain or Come Shine."

No matter what her detractors say, this woman owns the house record for every venue she has ever played. Her backers (and even the sometimes snarky fan sites) say she is "conquering the continent." Ticket prices remain astronomical. But nobody ever said it was a crime to make money from what the show biz traffic will bear.

P.S. Reviews have raved that Barbra displays "the voice of a 30-year-old" (she is 65). And that she tells anecdotes, charmingly, in three languages! And, yes, she set the house records for Vienna and Zurich.

*A similar story will appear on Entertainment Tonight/The Insider tonight, if you care to tape it.*

Barbra with French President This Evening...

"I am deeply honored to be joining the playwrights, heads of state, artists and leaders who have accepted this honor before me," Streisand, 65, said in a statement. "I leave with a sense of inspiration and responsibility as an artist to always reflect the truth and as a citizen to try and create a world of justice, compassion, equality and peace - one with a little more music and a little more joy."

Click here for the video.

Barbra To Be Inducted Into 'Legion Of Honour'.

PARIS (AFP) - President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday is to induct Barbra Streisand into the Legion of Honour, the nation's highest civilian distinction, during a formal ceremony at the Elysee palace.


"The president will pay homage to the immense talent of this multi-faceted accomplished artist," presidential spokesman David Martinon said.

Streisand, 65, gave a concert in Paris on Tuesday evening as part of her first-ever European tour, performing before some 10,000 fans including French first lady Cecilia Sarkozy.

She is due to perform in Dublin on July 14 and London on July 18, among others.

Sarkozy "will express the affection of the French people for this exceptional woman, who loves France, and who gave an unforgettable first concert in Paris after a career spanning 47 years," said the spokesman.

Fan Photos from Paris.

These FANTASTIC fan photos are courtesy of Deborah C. G. (Paris, France).

Fan Photos of Paris

Samantha Brolin Takes To The Stage

Barbra Streisand's Sold-Out Paris Debut Smashes the Bercy's Box Office Record

(June 26, Paris, France) - Barbra Streisand tonight continued her record breaking European tour success by shattering the Bercy's box office record for the highest grossing concert. This is the third stop on Streisand's first ever European tour, and her third consecutive box-office record breaking show.

Over 13,000 fans along with many of France's most distinguished dignitaries and popular personalities filled the arena to capacity. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Benard Kouchner, Charles Aznavour, Jean Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Line Renaud and Cécilia Sarkozy, wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy, were among those who witnessed Streisand's highly anticipated first ever concert in France.

Streisand was greeted by thunderous applause and a standing ovation upon taking the stage. A 58 piece orchestra accompanied Streisand as she performed many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were", "Don't Rain on My Parade" and many more.

As a special choice for the Paris audience, Streisand performed "The Summer Knows," which she had never before sung live. The song was written by Michel Legrand, who was in the audience, and her long time friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

The remaining dates for the Barbra Streisand European Tour are:

30 June Berlin Waldbuhne
4 July Stockholm The Globe
10 July Manchester MEN Arena
14 July Dublin Castletown House
18 July London The O2 Arena
22 July London The O2 Arena
25 July London The O2 Arena

More Paris Photos +Song Selection

Barbra sang "The Summer Knows" from her Barbra Joan Streisand album -- and closed the show with "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". She brought her dog Samantha onto the stage during 'Smile'.

Barbra In Paris -- Photographs

Video of Vienna

Click here to see the footage.

Barbra In (windy) Vienna!

Vienna Photo.

... more Vienna Fan Reviews

Barbra was at her best. Her voice was so clear and she hit all the high notes. No raspiness, even the wind was blowing!!!!

The most magical moments: During "Don't rain.." she included the words "and it didn't". That was so special!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At the end she said to us "I will never forget you"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Barbra!!! I love you!!!!

from Alex.

It Was Worth The Wait!

BarbraNews.com Fans Review Vienna Concert.

What a night! It was my first ever live Babs moment - and I can't believe how wonderful it was! We were in the first row of the second block of seats back - with perfect view.

There was a huge thunderstorm and hail at 6pm - but it stopped within 40 minutes. During the concert is spat a few times and was v. windy - to the point that Barbra referred to the rain and the noise the stage was making a few times.

She was so relaxed and clearly loved her time in Vienna - not just the art - but also a lot of Viennese specialities (food). Her second song was "Come Rain or Come Shine" and she did "Don't rain on my parade" as her first encore.

Cancelled Show -- Press Release

BARBRA STREISAND SHOW AT THE SCHLOSS SCHÖONBRUNN CANCELLED DUE TO HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS

Show to be rescheduled for tomorrow, 22 June

(Vienna, Austria, 21, June)--Due to the hazardous weather conditions, the Barbra Streisand show at the Schloss Schönbrunn has been cancelled for this evening. The show will be rescheduled for tomorrow 22, June.

The storm contributed to nearly 10,000 chairs blowing over, power problems and posed a major safety hazard to patrons. Schloss Schöonbrunn authorities have deemed the weather conditions unsafe and have called for the immediate cancellation of the 21 June show.

The show is rescheduled for tomorrow, 22 June at 8pm. Tickets marked for the 21 June performance are still valid.

Photos of Vienna Stage

These photographs of the stage in Vienna, tonight, explain why the show had to be cancelled.

Broadwayworld.com Exclusive Interview

Broadwayworld.com has just put up an exclusive Interview with Barbra's four special guests, from the new tour. Interview by Richard Jay-Alexander (Co-Director for Tour) and Robert Diamond (BroadwayWorld.com) -- This is the FIRST video interview with the four leading men. Click here to view.

Vienna Cancelled Postponed Until Tomorrow

... more to follow.

Barbra Arrives in Vienna

Barbra Breaks House Record in Zurich

from BarbraStreisand.com

Barbra Streisand tonight continued her record breaking US Tour success by shattering the concert house record at Zurich’s Hallenstadion as she kicked off her European Tour. This is her first ever tour of the continent and is the most anticipated summer event which consists of ten performances.

Thousands of fans filled the arena to hear Streisand perform classic songs from her unique repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were" and "Don't Rain on My Parade".

Accompanying Streisand was a stunning 58 piece orchestra culled from the best Broadway musicians. Also joining her onstage for a few select numbers were four of Broadway's popular leading men, Hugh Panaro, Sean McDermott, Michael Arden and Peter Lockyer.

Designated proceeds in support of philanthropic initiatives will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation. The Foundation will distribute funds to organizations within Europe that support causes Streisand cares deeply about including environmental, education and women's health initiatives. "I have found a new joy in performing, but my main reason for returning to touring is to be able to support some very worthy causes and to give back to the cities that have so warmly welcomed me to Europe."

The highly anticipated tour will now move on to Austria for a show in Vienna on June 21st before travelling to France, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and the UK. The tour will end with three nights at London's O2 Arena.

The remaining dates for the Barbra Streisand European Tour are:

21 June Vienna Schloss Schonbrun
26 June Paris Bercy
30 June Berlin Waldbuhne
4 July Stockholm The Globe
10 July Manchester MEN Arena
14 July Dublin Castletown House
18 July London The O2 Arena
22 July London The O2 Arena
25 July London The O2 Arena

Zurich: Fan Videos

Somewhere

Don't Rain On My Parade

Smile

*thanks to Sylvia.

Zurich: Video Footage.

Click here for video footage of the opening night performance in Zurich, last night.

Fan Review of Zurich

Sylvia -- a 18 yr old fan from the BarbraNews.com message board attended last night's show from Italy. Her 'Ask Barbra' question was pulled out by Barbra. You can read her report here.

Zurich Song List

Act One

Funny Girl Broadway Overture
Starting Here Starting Now
Opening Remarks
Down With Love
The Way We Were
Songwriting (dialogue)
Ma Premiere Chanson
Evergreen - (with 4 Special Guests)
Something's Coming (4 Special Guests)
You'll Never Walk Alone
I Finally Found Someone (with 4 Special Guests)
Funny Girl (dialogue)
Funny Girl
Music That Makes Me Dance
My Man
People (dialogue)
People

Act Two
Entr'acte
Music Of The Night - (with 4 Special Guests)
Jason's Theme
PAPA CAN YOU HEAR ME
Unusual Way
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
Ask Barbra
YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS
Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair
William Saroyan (dialogue)
Time Of Your Life
A Cockeyed Optimist
Somewhere (dialogue)
Somewhere - (with the 4 Special Guests)
My Shining Hour
Don't Rain On My Parade (reprise)
Smile

BarbraNews Report: Zurich.

Barbra played her first ever European Date (outside London) tonight in Zurich, Switzerland.

She opened with a new dress, not used during the 2006 tour. The set list was more or less the same as last year, but she added a few numbers including You Don't Bring Me Flowers and Papa Can You Hear Me (No Happy Days Are Here Again or Come Rain Or Come Show)

Four Broadway Actors / Singers replaced Il Divo and sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Something's Coming" -- and then dueted on "I Finally Found Someone", "Somewhere" and "Music Of The Night"

Barbra also talked about Swiss Food. She seemed very relaxed and genuinely happy to be performing in Europe.

Barbra -- in Zurich -- NEW Photos On Stage

"I Love Vienna" -- Barbra

In today's "Österreich" (Austrian Newspaper)-- Barbra reveals that she loves Vienna and that she has always been in contact with the part of her family coming from Austria. She also stated that she may record a 'Brazilian' album.

2 Days To Go!

... until Barbra kicks off her European Tour in Zurich, Switzerland.

PLEASE email your photos / reviews / press reviews to use. barbranews@aol.com

Why not join the message board -- then you can post your reviews there. Click here for the message board.

Video Footage.

Click here for video footage of Barbra arriving in Zurich

Barbra Arrives In Europe

Barbra arrived in Zurich today -- and waved to the awaiting press from her car. We don't usually post paparazzi photos -- but here's a rare exception!





And one of Barbra at the local market!

Parisian Fans Meet Up Ahead Of Concert

A group of Parisian fans meet up in the French Capital last week, from the BarbraNews.com message board ahead of Barbra's first ever French concert. They discussed her movies, albums, performing -- and more. Here are some great photos courtesy of Deborah. She told BarbraNews: Imagine 9 Barbra fans who had never met but who had been chatting on the forum for a while .... You bet we had fun. Had beer, flammekueche, and a GREAT Barbra talk. We stayed together for a good 5 hours, and realized we all fell in love with Barbra when we were 13 or 14 years old. That was a real Parisian first, but I bet there'll be other meetings like this one

Funny…Did You Hear That

... by Allison J. Waldman.
Recently, I was reading The Barbra Streisand Forum, in particular the comments about the song “Funny Girl” in the concert and how much it’s become a favorite of many, many fans. I have to agree 100%. Really, what a great rendition and performance by Barbra. It was a highlight in both shows I attended and it’s brilliant on the CD.

I think it’s interesting to note that within the film Funny Girl, the song—which is very lovely—is virtually lost. It seems to be that with such a wealth of great music in the show/film Funny Girl that the song “Funny Girl” is fighting an uphill battle.
When I saw the film for the first time, I was 12 years old. I had heard the original cast album, but I wasn’t yet a Streisand fan. So when I sat in the movie theater, my impressive pre-teen self was blown away as soon as I heard Barbra sing “I’m the Greatest Star.” I was over the top by “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and in a puddle of tears after “My Man.” And I don’t think I was alone. Those three songs—not to mention “People”—were iconic, powerhouse theater music! Dramatic, intense, memorable and—for me at that time—relatively new. I was completely caught up in the film, her character and how those songs expressed Fanny’s ups and downs. Without those songs, would Barbra have won the Oscar? An interesting question, but there’s little doubt the music was an essential component and a definite plus!

Now, cut to 2006 and Barbra’s U.S. concert tour. In a beautiful sequence, Barbra revisits Funny Girl on Broadway and in the movies. The one song that stands out as fresh and new is “Funny Girl.” It’s the same song, but Barbra presents it anew and it comes out like a fine, brilliant jewel.

To me, the inclusion of “Funny Girl” shows just how amazing Barbra is selecting music and staging shows/concerts (by shows, I’m referring to her TV specials). She has a sense of theatricality, mood, tone and surprise. The songs fit together, but they are not just a string of greatest hits. For instance, in My Name Is Barbra, Barbra presents herself to the TV world with the song “Much More.” It immediately informs you that this woman is for real. She’s telling you about her drive, her desire, her need and her determination for more – much more – than you may have thought before she started to sing.

But that’s just one way she’s consistently chosen the right material. In Timeless, Barbra talks about movie music and completely surprises us by doing “Alfie.” For true fans, we remember that she sang the Burt Bacharach-Hal David tune on What About Today. For the rest of the audience, “Alfie” was something new and exciting. It was also beautifully done. Again, brava Barbra.

Aside from “Funny Girl,” I think a few other songs in the 2006 concert warrant attention – and heaps of praise. “Unusual Way” is a song that I, as well as many other fans, have always wanted to hear Barbra sing. Her interpretation is fantastic; everything I hoped for and more. She envelops the song with her own unique characterization and in doing so reveals the haunting mystery of the words. It’s not an easy song to understand fully, but Barbra’s interpretation makes it a song everyone can recognize.

Another new song also captured my heart, “My Shining Hour”—and wouldn’t you know it, it was written by Barbra’s favorite composer Harold Arlen with the amazing Johnny Mercer (“Moon River”). Gorgeous, rich and simple all at the same time, “My Shining Hour” is sheer magic. And as my good friend Guy Vespoint commented, it’s the kind of song most performers would position at the top of the show since the lyrics say, “This will be my shining hour…” not “this was my shining hour.” Again, you can see Barbra’s mind at work. She’s surprising us, tickling our expectations, leaving us intrigued and amused.

Reaching back to her early albums, Barbra unearthed two songs that deserved to be heard again through the prism of the Streisand of 2006: “My Premiere Chanson” and “Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair.” As an unabashed, unapologetic devotee of Je M’appelle Barbra, Barbra’s first song is a gentle, touching preview of the songs she would later write (few though they may be).

“Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair,” on the other hand, is a long-lost Broadway song (by composer Billy Barnes) that Barbra sang extensively in her Bon Soir days. As a young woman, barely out of her teens—she was attracted to the drive of the song, and the parental allusions must have felt autobiographical to Barbra – “Oh, Mother dear, I know you’re very proud, you’re little girl in gingham is so far above the crowd. No, Daddy dear, you never could have known, that I would be successful, yet so very much alone.” In her new interpretation for the 2006 concert, Barbra’s performance was more poignant and personal than ever. In an twist that took me completely by surprise, instead of singing, “I found my blue ribbons all shiny and new, but now I discover them no longer blue” as she had in every previous recording, Barbra sang, “I found it was easy, to capture success, but now I’d be willing to settle for less.” Oh, my, what a great lyric. What a perfect way to cap the song! Well, guess what – that was the original Billy Barnes’ lyric. 1960’s Barbra changed it because it didn’t jibe with who she was at the time. 2006 Barbra resurrected Barnes’ lyric because now it was precisely right for how she feels today.
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Finally, on a personal note, I’m happy to report – and I think it may show in my writing – that I’m feeling much stronger now and doing much better. As most of my Barbra friends and readers know, I was recently diagnosed with a relapse of cancer. It was looking quite grim for a while there. The doctors weren’t sure I’d be able to live long enough to enjoy Barbra’s next CD. Yes, it was that serious. Fortunately, further tests revealed that the cancer I have is a recurrence of the same cancer I recovered from in 1996. It took 11 years to metastasize to another part of my body – which is a horrible shock that it came back at all – but on the plus side, it’s highly treatable. With chemotherapy, I should have a full recovery.

I want to thank everyone who has contacted me with cards and emails offering get-well wishes and positive thoughts. Your kindness is much appreciated. And for those who have also PayPal-ed contributions to help me pay for my medical expenses, I thank you sincerely. At times like this, if you’re lucky, you discover that your life is touched by many, many people – near and far – and their concern and caring means so much. I consider myself a very lucky person, and I have many wonderful people to whom I owe eternal thanks.

Allison J. Waldman

Attention Barbra Fans: If you would like to read Allison J. Waldman's latest publication about Barbra Streisand, go to Ebay and check out Barbra Notes #7: A Star Is Born. It's an in depth look at A Star Is Born and includes great insight, beautiful photos and more. Just click HERE

One Week Until Tour Kicks Off!

BarbraNews is excited to report that Barbra will kick off her long-awaited European Tour next Monday in Zurich.

This is the first time in Barbra's 47 year career that Barbra has toured in Europe -- so it's quite an event!

Here is a reminder of the dates and venues. It's still not too late to buy seats in certain venues.


06.18.07 HALLENSTADION
Zurich, Switzerland

06.21.07 SCHOENBRUNN
Vienna, Austria

06.26.07 BERCY
Paris, France

06.30.07 WALDBUHNE
Berlin, Germany

07.04.07 GLOBE
Stockholm, Sweden

07.10.07 MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA
Manchester, England

07.14.07 CASTLETOWN HOUSE
Dublin, Ireland

07.18.07 O2 DOME
London, England

07.22.07 O2 DOME
London, England

07.25.07 O2 DOME
London, England


To book tickets -- go to http://www.cpitour.com -- Good luck!

BarbraNews will be keeping you updated on each show. Song lists, photographs, press and fan reviews, video links -- and more. If you attend any of the shows -- PLEASE email us at europeantour@barbranews.com -- and we'll put them up on the website, along with your credit (unless you ask otherwise).

They're Leaving On A Jet Plane

Click here for more.

Manchester and Berlin!

BARBRA STREISAND EUROPEAN TOUR EXPANDS TO ACCOMMODATE TWO NEW CITIES
STREISAND TO PLAY FIRST EVER CONCERTS IN BERLIN AND MANCHESTER

Due to extraordinary demand across Europe, Barbra Streisand European Tour promoter Michael Cohl announced today the addition of two new dates on the Barbra Streisand European Tour.

In order to accommodate the demand, shows have been added in Berlin at the Waldbuhne (June 30) and Manchester at the Manchester Evening News Arena (July 10).

The June 30 date in Berlin will go on sale Friday, June 1 with a range of ticket prices starting at €95. The July 10 Manchester date also goes on sale June 1 with ticket prices starting at £75. Special VIP packages are also available for both cities.

“Since the announcement of the tour, we have received unprecedented demand from around the world to see Barbra perform live, and we are trying our best to keep up with the requests,” stated Cohl. “We’re very happy to be able to accommodate the overwhelming reaction by adding these new shows.”

BARBRA STREISAND SET TO PERFORM FIRST EVER CONCERT IN ZURICH, JUNE 18th

Barbra Streisand will play her first ever show in Zurich with a date at Hallenstadion on June 18th. Tickets for the concerts will go on sale on Sunday May 27th.

This marks Streisand’s first ever tour of Europe and a celebrated return to the UK after 13 years. This rare opportunity to see Barbra Streisand makes these concerts the most eagerly anticipated of the year.

The announcement follows the news that Barbra's two shows in London sold out in one day. A third date has now been added at The O2 Arena.

"What a joy it will be to perform in so many wonderful countries for the first time,” said Streisand. “I can't wait to experience these different audiences and different cultures.”

A 58 piece orchestra will accompany Ms Streisand as she performs many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as “Evergreen”, “People”, “The Way We Were”, “Don't Rain on My Parade” and many more.

Martin Erlichman, Streisand's longtime manager announced the tour, and confirmed that the recent US tour, her first in six years, had broken box office records in a staggering 14 of the 16 venues she played. She already held, and still holds, the record in the remaining 2 venues. Designated proceeds from the tour will support her various philanthropic initiatives and will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation.

There will be a number of additional dates added to the schedule, which will be announced soon.

On May 28th, Columbia will be releasing ‘Streisand: Live In Concert 2006’, which chronicles her record-breaking North American tour last autumn.

For ticket information see local outlets. For special VIP Packages, visit: www.cpitour.com.

The tour will be presented by promoter Michael Cohl for Concert Productions International (CPI) and Solo.

"It is an incredible honour to bring Barbra Streisand, certainly the greatest female performer of all time, to Continental Europe for her very first concert tour,” said Cohl. “It is an amazing show -- a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed."

Streisand drops Rome show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barbra Streisand has cancelled a Rome concert that would have launched her European tour, but organisers said on Friday it had nothing to do with an outcry from Italian consumer groups about ticket prices.

A spokeswoman for concert promoter CPI said Streisand's planned appearance at Rome's Flaminio Stadium was scrapped due to production difficulties that will prevent the tour from opening in the Italian capital as scheduled on June 15.

She said a revised itinerary would be firmed up in the next few days, with new dates added, but Streisand is expected to perform as previously scheduled on June 21 in Vienna, which originally was listed as her second stop.

The 65-year-old superstar, whose hits include "People" and "The Way We Were," will be accompanied by a 58-piece orchestra on her first European tour outside Britain, with other dates to include Paris, Dublin and London.

Earlier this month, two consumer activist groups in Italy complained that tour promoters were charging exorbitant prices for tickets to the Rome show. They urged Rome's city government and Italy's Olympic Committee to deny permission for the singer to use the stadium.

They said prices ranging from 150 euros (101 pounds) to 900 euros (610 pounds) were "absurd and shameful." By comparison, the best seats at Milan's La Scala opera house run about 200 euros (135 pounds).

Asked whether the protest over tickets was a factor in the decision by tour promoters to drop Rome from Streisand's itinerary, the spokeswoman said, "Absolutely not."

Streisand grossed $92.5 million from a 20-date North American tour that opened last October, her first live performances in six years.

Her 2006 outing was only the second national tour by Streisand in the four decades since she became the toast of Broadway, launched a Grammy-winning recording career and won her first Oscar in the 1968 musical "Funny Girl."

BARBRA STREISAND TO PLAY FIRST EVER CONCERT IN SWEDEN

Barbra Streisand will play her first ever show in Sweden with a date at The Globe in Stockholm on July 4th. Tickets for the concert will go on sale on May 28th.

Greetings from the Canary Islands

I'm currently on vacation -- but have had 2 minutes to check emails.

*3rd London date added. -- Go to Barbra's website (www.barbrastreisand.com) for more information.

*According to Billboard -- Barbra's new album has entered the Top 10 charts at #7. Impressive for a Double CD set (Especially a Live album). Way to go Barbra!

Playbill.com Reviews Album

FOR THE RECORD: "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006"
Barbra Streisand's voice is arguably the most recognizable sound of any American-born singer living today. It is a voice that has graced the Broadway stage, countless records and films as well as concert stages throughout the world. The award-winning actress is blessed with a rich, full, lush sound that ranges from smoky low notes through a gloriously pure middle register to a powerful high belt that reverberates with an emotion-filled vibrato.

Streisand's recent 2006 fall tour, which was co-directed by the Academy Award winner and Richard Jay-Alexander, was thankfully recorded and recently released in a lavish-two disc set by Columbia Records. Entitled "Streisand: Live in Concert 2006," the recording brims with a palpable excitement; just listen to the roar of the audience the moment the overture — the original Broadway Funny Girl Overture — begins. Streisand's simple murmur of "wow" as she enters the stage is equally telling of the lovefest that occurred between performer and audience as she made her way to cities throughout the country.

For her recent tour Streisand chose to revisit many tunes from her early career, including a healthy dose from both the stage and film incarnations of Funny Girl. But the celebrated performer wasn't content to rest on her laurels — she also tackled songs she had never before performed onstage, including her stentorian opening number, Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire's "Starting Here, Starting Now." Should fans have been at all concerned, that opening number proved that Streisand's voice is still in fighting form. Some notes are now more dark chocolate than milk, but the sound is as rich as ever, the range remains astonishingly wide, and the actress still has the power to move an audience profoundly. This recording also offers Streisand as free as she has ever been, singing melodies with an artful playfulness, adding a riff here and a gentle lick there. It is Streisand in a joyous mode.

Streisand also has the chance to strut her stuff as songwriter (both the little-heard "Ma Premiere Chanson" and the Grammy-winning "Evergreen"), pianist (she accompanies herself on the aforementioned "Chanson"), proud mother (the 58-piece orchestra, led by conductor William Ross, plays the lovely "Jason's Theme," composed by son Jason Gould) and social and political activist (thoughtful commentary about the state of the world, both global and national, pepper her intelligent patter).

Other highlights of the first half of Streisand's generous concert include a spirited "Down With Love"; a touching, beautifully sung rendition of her signature tune, "The Way We Were"; and several tunes from Funny Girl that climax with a thrilling version of that show's anthem, "People."

The second half of the recording is equally bountiful and includes perhaps the finest rendition one will hear of Maury Yeston's haunting "Unusual Way"; a gorgeous, full-voiced "Music of the Night"; a wonderful pairing of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carefully Taught" with Sondheim's "Children Will Listen"; heartfelt readings of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" and "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair?"; and a roof-raising version of "Somewhere" that brings the audience to a near frenzy. (The latter is performed with Il Divo, the strong-voiced vocal quartet that were Streisand's special guests.) The singer also offers three equally terrific encores: "My Shining Hour," the reprise of "Don't Rain on My Parade" and the charming "Smile."

"Streisand: Live in Concert 2006" is a magical recording from a woman whose powers as a spellbinding artist remain undimmed.

Review: Philadelphia Daily News

PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
Missed the concert? Try Streisand's 'Live'
By JONATHAN TAKIFF

VIVA LA DIVA! Ticket prices were sky high for Barbra Streisand's concert tour last year, ostensibly driven by her desire to fund favorite charities but also because she was lugging around a massive, 65-piece orchestra. And because, well, she still sounds great (though slightly huskier than memory serves) and thus "deserves" $250 or $500 a ticket.
But if you didn't take out a second mortgage to attend, or want to hear the material more clearly than you did at the hockey rink, here's the double disc "Streisand Live in Concert 2006" (Columbia, A), list-priced at a mere $25. The package features Babs' best, "like butta" performances culled from five shows at three venues, making us wonder if/how they'll release a video version.

Bits of her gracious between-song patter are included, though not that controversial comedic confrontation she staged nightly with a George Bush look-alike.

Also for better and worse, we get three duets with her special guests Il Divo - the handsome, international quartet of pop-classical singers put together by "A.I.'s" Simon Cowell. Their multilingual collaboration on "Evergreen" drives home that La Streisand is a world phenom, but the gents' sonic sappiness clogs the arteries of "The Music of the Night" and "Somewhere."

While the fans still lap up her "Funny Girl" and "Yentl" material best, I was happiest to hear Streisand's first recordings of the still-telling "South Pacific" songs "Carefully Taught" and "A Cockeyed Optimist."

Barbra To Perform In Rome.

Barbra will perform at Stadio Flaminio on June 15th, 2007 in Rome.

For more details -- check www.cpitour.com

Tickets on sale -- Friday.

Down With Love -- New Video

... taken from 2006 tour.

Click here.

(Scroll down on this page, for two more videos).

BarbraNews Fans Review New CD!

CreativeDoc: Nuance, shadings, inflections. Barbra's unparalleled career has broken new ground in many different media, but without question, her most inspired gift is her ability to interpret lyrics to match and even surpass any musical accompaniment. This transcendent quality has been recorded on Live in Concert 2006 for posterity and demonstrates definitively that Barbra's interpretvive genius has only grown with age. In cleverly abandoning much of her most popular airplay catalog that has found Barbra stretch successfully into contemporary pop, disco, and even rock, Barbra focuses in this showcase on the music that makes her dance, the types of songs that brought Barbra to the world stage originally and in staying true to this form rather than showcasing all of her musical style, she overwhelms the listener by the range of her musical interpretations within this style, a style where Barbra has not had a parallel. As always, Barbra's breaking of conventions are showcased on this CD - in an American Idol where singers are predictable throughout a song with excepted crescendos and showcasing the best of their "talent", in the era of pipe-gifted Xtinas who have yet to learn that songs have a dramatic arc and a story, Barbra provides the unexpected by adhering to a repetoire of singular songs whose lyrics demand Barbra's skills to reach an apex of musical definition. Backed by an orchestra that, for once, matches her style and nuance, Barbra makes each song on this collection, without exception, an individual musical journey. From the triumphant Starting Here, Starting now to the completely unexpected Down With Love, the genius and pure delight of her roots in the definitive Funny Girl suite, Barbra brings her life experience to new heights in gems such as Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, My Shining Hour, and more. However, the definitive moment within a showcase of highlights is her using her interpretive skills on the perfectly chosen Unusual Way. Barbra demonstrates anew why Barbra's singing will indeed be timeless, much moreson than in her last live CD of the timeless label. Here, Barbra shows that her ability to find meaning in a song in a chill-delivering sense of wonder has not diminished; the changes of aging have only brought new pathos, new thrills, new pleasures for her listeners. Only this time, Barbra finally seems to share in the pleasure that her music brings, rarely, if ever seen, in previously live ventures. For this listener, Live in Concert is an A+ and her most imortant work since The Broadway Album.

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NewYorker: The album was a pleasure to listen to. I was planning on playing it in the background while getting some work done, but there was small chance of that happening once the overture began. The experience of listening to this album is uncannily similar to the one I had while seated in the huge arena hearing Barbra live.

She is just as affecting coming from my little cd player as coming from the enormous stage. It was impossible not to hold a visual in my head as she sang each song. The whole concert came flooding back, which is what she must have intended while putting this together.

On the recording, the songs that jumped out and made me applaud as if she could hear me were exactly the ones I can recall cheering for at the concert, only then she was actually able to hear me, and most likely did. This version of My Man is astonishing. Unusual Way was particularly nice to have on cd, so I could hit repeat several times and finally catch the words (I was too busy crying at the concert to follow the lyric.) Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair was indeed just as moving as I remembered. Really, the highlights are just as high, and the surprises just as surprising as they were on that magical night.

What a wonderful job she has done capturing the concert for everyone who was not able to attend. They can take it from those of us who were there, it really was this good.

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BJS424: Well,I've finished and am totally ferklempt!!!!
Whatthis woman can still do for a song is astonishing!!!
During Act 1 I thought her voice was thicker, lower, but still glorious. Then came act 11 and it was miraculously higher, clearer, purer. Amazing!!!!!! The instrument was warmed up and hitting the stratosphere. And she took risks.
What she did with "Unusual Way", Children will listen, Too long at the Fair and the gorgeous "My shining hour" blew me away!!!!
And Linda, I thought my neighbors were going to call the police as I played Down with love at almost full volume from 8 speakers!!!!!

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MotherFocker35: I decided to listen to it, experience it, the same way i did Judy's AT CARNEGIE HALL album...I waited until night, turned out the lights, and slipped on the headphones. It truly felt as if I were there again (I caught the Atlanta show).

I won't comment on EVERY track. First, the arrangements by Bill Ross are wonderful, thrilling! The Overture and Entr'acte really heighten the anticipation. I've never been a fan of "Live" albums, but this one is so well produced, recorded, mixed, it stands beside studio efforts. The sound is awesome.

STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW (an early Streisand fave of mine) sounded better to me in the Atlanta show--this one sounds a little hesitant, but still a joy to hear.

MA PREMIERE CHANSON (an oft overlooked gem from an overlooked gem of an album) took my breath away...if only she had sung the entire song! Plus, she didn't mess up the piano in Atlanta.

COME RAIN OR COME SHINE was a definite highlight of the show for me. What a sexy arrangement and vocal!

And what a treat to hear her sing FUNNY GIRL (the title song from the film version). This is one of her great vocals of the show. I was moved to tears. This is another fave from the 60s.

Even more surprising to me was how moved I was upon hearing PEOPLE, a song we've all heard a million times, but Streisand sings it on this album as if she's finally realized the true meaning of the lyric. We all remember how relaxed and funny and personable she was--almost inviting the audience to touch her, and reaching out to them in turn. "People who need people..."

In ACT 2, THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT is probably the best showcase for Il Divo, as the song is a bit operatic. They are better served here than the other 2 songs they join Barbra on--they are sometimes way too loud, overpowering. But they are a part of the memory of that evening and shouldn't detract from the album.

To me, one song is worth the entire price of the whole album: UNUSUAL WAY. This song/performance stopped my heart that night 6 months ago in Atlanta. I'd never heard the song. This track is a classic example of Barbra's greatest gift as a singer--the ability to make the audience listen to the lyric as she sings, the ability to create a character/drama, the ability to elicit emotion (catharsis) from the listener. After stopping, my heart soared as her voice soared midway through the song. This is the one track I've waited 6 months to hear again, and I listened to i4 times last night!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE features one of her better vocals of the album, almost matching the original album version of the 70s. This is definitely in my top 5 of her 70s songs, and such a thrill to hear.

Another heartbreaking performance (alongside FUNNY GIRL) was her new rendition of HAVE I STAYED TOO LONG AT THE FAIR, bringing at last a full understanding of the lyric (as in PEOPLE). A great moment.

The lovely and poignant MY SHINING HOUR (by the master Harold Arlen) was a genius and inspired way to close the show. The lyrics, Barbra's performance and life history/experiences say it all.

Today, i received my Barnes & Noble copy, which I purchased for the sole reason of hearing WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT (she didn't sing it in the Atlanta show). This is probably among my top 5 60s Barbra songs, and I couldn't wait to hear it. It was magical! Almost like time travel. I wondered if she would belt at the end, and she did. I gasped, then laughed out of sheer joy--a glimpse of the old Barbra, who is still here! If only this track had been included on ALL the cds, as it is a perfect encore to this concert--she started the show with a mid-60s track and , coming full circle, closes with a song from that same era.

How blessed we all are to have seen this legend, and to be able to re-live the experience time and again...

ItsMeGerald: "Streisand Live in Concert 2006" will, in the future, be looked upon with the same regard and genius as "Judy at Carnegie Hall". She not only stops time with her voice, she invites you into it, visiting her own past and everything about life as she lives and feels it. The ethereal control evidenced in her early career has given way to a nylon-ripping warmth that reaches out to us with outstretched arms. If there is a "narrative" to each song, then the silent narrative of this entire album is one of sweet loss and majestic appreciation, both for her audience and her own life. This is artistic achievement at its greatest, and time will only prove that out.

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ColorMeDoug: OK...I have to confess.... I couldn't stand not having my B&N edition yet, so I ran out to a local Target last night and got their "special ed" of the recording. I think that it takes Barbra most of the first act to warm up...but by the time she gets to the FUNNY GIRL suite, her voice is sounding great... and she really KICKS ASS in Act II. Did you notice how she hits and holds that final note (with YOUUUUUUUUUUU) on "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" just like on the WAY WE WERE (studio) LP? In the bonus track on THE CONCERT VHS that Blockbuster sold, she sings the final "with you" with a lower note, only switching to the higher note for the last few seconds. The crescendos to which Barbra's voice rises in "Unusual Way" are chill-inducing. Oh my!

Re: the two bonus tracks: lovin 'em. It's too bad that she kind of "throws away" "Stoney End," as it sounds near the end of the track like her voice was really shifting into "rock" mode. So glad to have the "full" version of "Don't Rain on My Parade." Am still puzzled as to why she removed it from her FUNNY GIRL suite, as it is one of Barbra's most "anthemic" songs. Nobody rains on HER parade!

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TheSunDoesNotSpit: I tried not to get my hopes up so as not to be disappointed but it really is amazing.....I just heard "my man" and have tears streaming down my face...that is the most passionate version of that I have ever heard..the "what is the difference if I say" moment literally made my spine tingle.....I am so grateful that she is still putting it out there for us...she moves me as no one else can

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Martian Marty: You guys have said just about everything I wanted to say. It's goosebumps for me. The overture? It's like being there again. And knowing that some of it was recorded both nights in Florida is incredible to me and I'm positive the opening remarks are from there, I remember that distinctly. She's in glorious voice and COMFORTABLE......relaxed, makes a world of difference.....more so than the first big concerts. Incredible stuff. Unusual Way.......still can't listen to without breaking down, it just kills me, it is so very beautiful. I loved buying a bunch and giving to my friends.
Packaging is great and I love the shoes in there....nice touch. And very happy to see my Toronto journalist friend Richard have his quote in the liner notes. He didn't know till I wrote him today. He's thrilled. And a fan from way back.

It's a total triumph and maybe Grammy will reward her next year. If not this I don't know what......wonderful, wonderful, stuff.......true, like falling in love with her all over again......if I only had one more wish........typical fan wanting more it would be to share her singing Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me as she sang in Florida......god it was incredible. I bet that'll be on the DVD. Love, love, love................

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Linda E: Barbra is HOT and ALIVE!!!! She reaches through those speakers and grabs you and pulls you in. If the CD wasn't titled "Live 2006" you would have to keep checking the recording date as this is her best live recording ever!!! Her vocals, personality, and interaction with the live audience, just shines through. How appropriate that her final vocal before her encore is "My Shining Hour". That sums up this CD to a tee!!!

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BarbraNMe1: I cry every time I listen to it! I WAS THERE! I SAW HER SING THAT!!! I SAW HER EXPRESSIONS!!! This CD is by far my favorite live recording she has done!!! AMAZING BARBRA BRAVO!!!!!!!

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JT: It is simply sensational!! I was especially excited about this since I wasn't able to make it to the tour (grrrr..). What a sublime experience it was listening to the concert. I've made it through the show once so far. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Unusual Way!!! She sounds fantastic, the arrangements are superb!

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Alexandra Elizabeth: sublime- I received mine yesterday and have listened to it about 3 times now. For me it brings back a flood of emotions from last October. Her voice is deeper and sexier than ever. Down with Love sounds fabulous as does My Man- she knocks it out of the park with those two for me personally. What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life is unbelievably good. So many emotions today listening to this in the car.. I had tears flowing a few times- now I have a huge headache and am going to lie down for a while!! I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.

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BarbraJoanStreisand Fan: From the second the orchestra starts up with the overture, your skin fills with goosebumps. The quality of the audio is the best Barbra has ever put out. The moment she starts to sing "Starting Here, Starting Now" it's hard to keep your tears from flowing with emotion (Barbra, you STILL do it to me!).
This CD is a MASTERPIECE and when the DVD comes out and we can also SEE her singing, it will be heaven.
So glad I took the day off to buy the CD first thing at 8:00 and stay home to listen to it all day....also glad my neighbors are not home!

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Hippolyt: I'm listening to the CD for the second time now, and it is a pure delight! She is in great voice, and indeed the most relaxed I've heard her recently. The song selection is great - although I could do without Il Divo, of course. But they don't spoil the delight at all. Streisand is still the best there is.

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BabsJim: It sounds incredible in my car. I have no idea what the system is but it sounds like I'm there all over again. I think it's the best of all her live recordings. I like that it doesn't sound all dubbed over and just live and raw right there with the music. You owe it to yourself to listen to it on a good sound system to really feel the energy come through...not that it doesn't sound good on it's own. I guess I'll be in my car a lot.

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Don: There is just too much to love in the package.....the thrills and chills going through me when she sings My Man, once again the hairs on the arm go up....After 46 years at the game, she is still master....The bonus track of Don't Rain On My Parade is amazing....and I am again in love with An Unusual Way.....what a standout in an evening of standouts...

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BJSC: Jesus! The CD gave me chills.

I got home from taking final exams, ran to my car (sweatting like a cat in heat), got to Wal-Mart, drove home, still sweatting and go back to my dorm, shut the lights off, turned the air on and BAM...It was like 7 November all over again! The chills! The orchestra! The Overture---it gave me the same chills again! The whole CD is fantastic and Barbra is in another one of her primes! She needs to keep using that voice!
Highlights---"Ma Premiere Chanson", "Unusual Way", and about the rest of the CD.

I almost cried during the overture, "Starting Here, Starting Now", "My Man", "Unusual Way", and the reprise! It was fantastic to live it all over again. Barbra, you f-----g rock! I love you.

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More coming soon.

2 Exclusive Videos from Forthcoming DVD

Click here to watch What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

Click here to watch Somewhere

Both taken from the 2006 tour.

Steven Housman Review

Barbra Streisand: Live In Concert 2006
Columbia Records
Release Date: May 8, 2007

For those who attended one of Barbra Streisand’s twenty concerts last fall, there’s no reason to explain this release. For those of you who missed it, this is a chance to hear what all the fuss was about – and trust me, the fuss was worth it.

Live In Concert 2006 is a two-CD collection capturing the finest performances from her record-breaking tour. This audio event is absolutely breathtaking, and is honestly the warmest and most excited Barbra has ever come off in a live performance. You can sense that she really enjoyed this tour. The two CD’s contain 32 tracks, which include 22 songs culled from performances recorded in New York, Washington D.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The album includes Streisand staples that have been heard on several of her greatest hits collections and five previous live albums. But to be fair, there would’ve been a backlash against Barbra from longtime fans had she omitted these songs.

Disc One is a treat to hear, with Streisand recreating her 60’s heyday when she was the toast of Broadway, television, films and nightclubs with songs she hasn’t sung since they were performed all those years ago. The album kicks off with a recreation of the original overture from the Broadway musical Funny Girl that was supremely orchestrated under the supervision of musical conductor Bill Ross. Enter Streisand, and she opens the disc with a spine-tingling divalicious rendition of “Starting Here, Starting Now,” a song she first sang and recorded in 1966. It’s almost as if Barbra needed to open the show and prove that she can still wow the audience forty-six years into her career. It worked. This woman can still deliver the goods. After her “opening remarks” about how she felt the need to raise money for issues that needed to be addressed in today’s climate, she launched into a spectacular rendition of “Down With Love.” After the crowd-pleasing “The Way We Were,” Barbra’s vocals glide effortlessly over the Harold Arlen classic “Come Rain Or Come Shine.” Another track on the disc includes the first song Barbra ever composed, entitled “Ma Premiere Chanson,” lifted from her 1966 masterpiece Je m’appelle Barbra. Other never-before-performed live songs include a set that weighs heavy on Funny Girl, which includes a moving and haunting version of the title song, plus a sample of “The Music That Makes Me Dance” (the song that was featured in the Broadway production) and a rousing and emotional delivery of “My Man,” as well as her signature song “People,” which is complete with the original introduction.

Disc Two wisely manages to keep the show fresh by reinventing some of her staples with her special guests, Il Divo, with new interpretations of “Somewhere,” “Music of the Night” and “Evergreen,” which was sung partially in English and partially in Italian. The highlight is when she ventures into uncharted territory with songs she has never recorded or performed before, including a gorgeous rendition of “Unusual Way” from the Broadway musical Nine, “The Time of Your Life” (a reading from writer William Saroyan), which was the perfect segue for the next track, a vocal tour de force of “A Cockeyed Optimist.” The other never-before-performed standard is a stunning interpretation of “My Shining Hour.” She closes the show with a reprise of “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” lifted from the Broadway production of Funny Girl, and a simple yet stunning interpretation of “Smile.”

Footnote: Barnes & Noble is offering this collection with the bonus track “When The Sun Comes Out,” which she only performed a half dozen times during the twenty-city tour. The bonus is a triumph, as is this entire package.

Order Here

Full Length Video of 'Somewhere' from Tour

Click here to view this wonderful video, taken from the forthcoming TV special. Gorgeous!

Tickets Like 'Gold dust'

Due to the lightening fast sale of tickets to Barbra's 2 Dome concerts this July (18th & 22nd) they are now being sold via bidding wars on auction websites. With pairs going for as much as £1,600 ($3,000) some media pundits have quipped that tickets to her shows are 'like gold dust'.

However, fans are to be alert that buying tickets from such vendors, other than licenced ticket distributors could lead to heartache. Not only is the mark up high, many being touted as 'good position' seating, are nowhere near the front.

The shows at The O2 Arena will be her first in the UK since 1994. The European tour, which her many fans have been eagerly anticipating for years, also visits Austria, France, Ireland and follows her record-breaking US tour last autumn. More tour dates in additional countries will be announced shortly.

Martin Erlichman, Streisand’s longtime manager announced the tour, and confirmed that the recent US tour, her first in six years, had broken box office records in a staggering 14 of the 16 venues she played. She already held, and still holds, the record in the remaining 2 venues. Designated proceeds from the tour will support her various philanthropic initiatives and will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation.
Source: BarbraStreisand.com

Barbra Streisand Second UK Show Sold Out

Due to phenomenal demand, Barbra Streisand’s second night at The O2 Arena in London has now sold out. After her first show, on July 18th, sold out in twenty minutes the decision was made to add a second night on July 22nd. This has now also sold out. Tickets for both shows were made available today, Friday 4th May, following the announcement of the tour on Monday 30th April.

The shows at The O2 Arena will be her first in the UK since 1994. The European tour, which her many fans have been eagerly anticipating for years, also visits Austria, France, Ireland and follows her record-breaking US tour last autumn. More tour dates in additional countries will be announced shortly.

Barbra Streisand is the US music industry's #1 best-selling female recording artist. She is second in the all-time charts, ahead of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, exceeded only by Elvis. Streisand remains the only artist to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, and Peabody Awards, and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

Martin Erlichman, Streisand’s longtime manager announced the tour, and confirmed that the recent US tour, her first in six years, had broken box office records in a staggering 14 of the 16 venues she played. She already held, and still holds, the record in the remaining 2 venues. Designated proceeds from the tour will support her various philanthropic initiatives and will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation.

The European concert dates are:

21 June - Vienna - Schloss Schonbrun

26 June - Paris - Bercy

10 July - Nice - Nikaia Stadium

14 July - Dublin - Castletown House

18 July - London - The O2 Arena

22 July - London - The O2 Arena

Barbra Streisand UK Show Sells Out in 20 Minutes

Barbra Streisand’s show at The O2 Arena in London on July 18th has today sold out in 20 minutes. Tickets for the show went on sale at 9am this morning following the announcement of her eagerly anticipated, and first ever, European tour on Monday 30th April. Due to massive demand, a second date has been added at The O2 Arena on July 22nd.

The show at The O2 Arena will be her first in the UK since 1994. The European tour, which her many fans have been eagerly anticipating for years, also visits Austria, France, Ireland and follows her record-breaking US tour last autumn. More tour dates in additional countries will be announced shortly.

Barbra Streisand is the US music industry's #1 best-selling female recording artist. She is second in the all-time charts, ahead of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, exceeded only by Elvis. Streisand remains the only artist to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, and Peabody Awards, and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

Martin Erlichman, Streisand’s longtime manager announced the tour, and confirmed that the recent US tour, her first in six years, had broken box office records in a staggering 14 of the 16 venues she played. She already held, and still holds, the record in the remaining 2 venues. Designated proceeds from the tour will support her various philanthropic initiatives and will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation.

The European concert dates are:

21 June - Vienna - Schloss Schonbrun

26 June - Paris - Bercy

10 July - Nice - Nikaia Stadium

14 July - Dublin - Castletown House

18 July - London - The O2 Arena

22 July - London - The O2 Arena

Second London Date Added

Due to exceptional and quick sales, a second London date has been added for 22nd July. Rumour has it that a third date will be added too. Watch this space.

London Tickets On Sale Tomorrow!

Click here. Tickets on sale tomorrow morning. (9am London time).

BarbraNews Reviews New Album

Review by Craig Hall
www.barbranews.com
I was lucky enough to attend Barbra's return to the stage last year during her record-breaking 2006 tour. I still remember the experience vividly -- and I just wish everybody could have experienced the show the way I did. I felt the visual was so special, that it couldn't possibly be captured on a CD - but it was.

I was happy to receive a copy of the album last week from Columbia Records (ahead of it's 8th May scheduled U.S. release date). This two-disc 22 song set is 93 minutes of pure heaven. There's also topical dialogue which Barbra keeps to a minimum and focuses her attention on the music itself. She uses her pedestal not only to sing, but to inspire us through her thoughts. Political content is also kept to a minimum. Forget "Oh, I've heard that song sang a million times" -- Barbra adds a new sparkle to all her signature songs -- and she adds excitement hearing songs that she's never sang live before, especially those that she has never performed or recorded in her 46 year career. It's always an event to hear Barbra sing new songs. And on this collection we have a nice array of them, including "Unusual Way" from the Broadway musical "Nine," and beautifully written piece by William Saroyan that segues perfectly into "A Cockeyed Optimist. Another old standard (but new to Barbra repertoire) is a stunning interpretation of "My Shining Hour." Even the tried and true standards are creatively reinvented with help from her special guests, Il Divo, when they collaborate with her on "Music of the Night," "Somewhere" and "Evergreen."

As with all of Barbra's album releases, this ranks with the best of them. From the photo-heavy packaging, the superior 96-track audio quality and impressive liner notes add to the glory of this audio release.

As you can tell, I'm thrilled with the results and not surprised that Streisand has once again gone beyond the call of duty and delivered an album that is one of the best in her discography.

Order here

Barbra talks to USA Today

Streisand jumps across the pond
By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY
Barbra Streisand isn't crazy about flying.

"My sign is Taurus," she says. "It's an earth sign. We like to keep our feet on the ground."

Nonetheless, the diva will soon hop on a plane bound for Europe, where this summer she'll launch her first string of performances on the continent. The tour won't be as extensive as her U.S. trek last year: "That was 20 dates; this will be about half of that." The first five dates were announced Monday, including a stop in London, where Streisand last performed in 1994.

"I like challenges, and it's time to do things that I haven't done before," Streisand says of her decision to take her act abroad. Another factor was the swell time she had on her U.S. trek last year, documented on the two-CD set Live In Concert 2006, due May 8. The tracks include songs not previously featured on any Streisand album, plus duets with Il Divo, who accompanied her on tour.

"This time, I really enjoyed touring the United States, because I didn't have stage fright," Streisand says. "Would I rather have been in bed eating a pint of coffee ice cream? Yeah. But I can't raise money for my foundation that way." (As with Streisand's U.S. tour, for which tickets ranged from $100 to $750, European proceeds support the Streisand Foundation.)

While touring, it's likely Streisand will stay mindful of the presidential campaign heating up back home. The outspoken Democrat and longtime supporter of the Clintons says she's "very impressed" with Barack Obama: "He's wonderful." But "I'm not choosing anybody right now." She has contributed to both candidates, as well as John Edwards and Christopher Dodd. "I like Joe Biden and Bill Richardson, too. And Dennis Kucinich," Streisand says.

"We have a lot of good candidates, and any one of them would be better than anyone in the administration right now. It's a matter of who I think has a chance to win."

Fans wondering whether Streisand will engage in similar commentary in her European shows — her American concerts had their share of political humor — should secure their tickets, because the singer has no plans to record this mini-tour.

"It's like when I did Funny Girl," Streisand quips, harking back to her Broadway roots. "Whoever gets to see it gets to see it."

Barbra Records New Press Kit

New Interview with Barbra, as well as never before seen Performance Footage from last year's tour. Click here.

FIRST EVER BARBRA STREISAND TOUR OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND A RETURN TO UK AFTER 13 YEARS.

‘Streisand Live In Concert’

London date on-sale: Friday 4 May

It was announced today that Barbra Streisand, who received rave reviews for her US tour (see below), will perform live in Continental Europe this June and July for the very first time in her celebrated career. She will also perform her first concert in London since 1994. The European tour, which her many fans have been eagerly anticipating for years, visits Austria, France, Ireland and the UK and follows her record-breaking US tour last autumn. †More tour dates in additional countries will be announced shortly. This rare opportunity to see Barbra Streisand makes these concerts the most eagerly anticipated of the year. †
"What a joy it will be to perform in so many wonderful countries for the first time,” said Streisand. “I can't wait to experience these different audiences and different cultures.”
A 58 piece orchestra will accompany Ms Streisand as she performs many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as “Evergreen”, “People”, “The Way We Were”, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and many more.
Martin Erlichman, Streisand’s longtime manager announced the tour, and confirmed that the recent US tour, her first in six years, had broken box office records in a staggering 14 of the 16 venues she played. She already held, and still holds, the record in the remaining 2 venues. Designated proceeds from the tour will support her various philanthropic initiatives and will be distributed through The Streisand Foundation.


The European concert dates are:
21 June Vienna Schloss Schonbrun
26 June Paris Bercy
10 July Nice Nikaia Stadium
14 July Dublin Castletown House
18 July London††† The O2 Arena

Other cities are in the final stages of negotiation and will be announced shortly.†
For ticket information see local outlets. For Official Fan Club, Tour and Ticket information visit: www.BarbraStreisand.com. For special VIP Packages, visit: www.cpitour.com.
The tour will be presented by promoter Michael Cohl for Concert Productions International (CPI) and Solo.

"It is an incredible honour to bring Barbra Streisand, certainly the greatest female performer of all time, to Continental Europe for her very first concert tour,” said Cohl. “It is an amazing show -- a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed."

US critics were unanimous in their praise for the concerts last autumn:
“She was, is and will forever be the real deal.”
Liz Smith

“Every superlative – a hundred times over! (Barbra Streisand) is the greatest singer in the known universe.”
Montreal Le Devoir

“The blend of intimacy and showiness in Streisand’s voice turns her performances into portraits of the heart and mind in self-discovery…she was simply amazing”
LA Times

“The audience shouted accolades and gave her standing ovations”
Washington Post

“Once or twice a generation there comes a personality that just fills the room. Sinatra was like that, so was Elvis and so is Barbra Streisand.”
Journal Sentinel

“When she asked, in a very old song, Have I Stayed Too Long At the Fair? The only suitable reply could be: Stay as long as you wish, Barbra.”
Miami Herald

“Streisand is a singular and amazingly accomplished artist.”
Columbus Dispatch

“Her singing glows with a tone so luxurious and a texture so rich, you nearly want to burst into song yourself.”
New York Daily News

Barbra Streisand is the music industry's #1 best-selling female artist with 50 Gold, 30 Platinum and 13 Multi-Platinum albums to her credit. †She is second in the all-time charts, ahead of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, exceeded only by Elvis. †She continues to be the highest-selling female recording artist ever. †Streisand remains the only artist to receive Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace, and Peabody Awards, and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award. †††

An artist of unparalleled accomplishments in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has made her mark as an award winning actress of stage and screen, recording artist, concert performer, movie producer, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Having earned two Oscars (Best Actress and Best Song), four Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys, a special Tony Award (in 1970 as "Star of the Decade"), and two Cable Ace awards, she is the only performer to hold honours from all of those institutions. In addition, Streisand is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, the National Endowment for the Arts National Medal of Arts, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The film that returned her to movie acting, “Meet The Fockers,” became the first live-action comedy to exceed a half billion dollars at the box-office. †It also set a record of 3,000,000 copies sold in its first 24 hours of video release.

This May Sony BMG will release the two disc collection Live in Concert 2006, recorded during her record-breaking U.S. tour. The double disc will feature the finest live performances of her best-loved standards, rarely performed catalogue gems, duets with Il Divo and onstage dialogue.