In 1960, a seventeen-year-old kid from Brooklyn had plenty of talent but no connections and no money. Four years later, she was the top selling female recording artist in America and the star of one of Broadway’s biggest hits, Funny Girl.
Barbra Streisand’s story defies the old definitions of talent, beauty and success. She never craved the notoriety of being a “star”. Her drive was more human than that. Her ambition simple – prove her artistry to the loved ones who didn’t seem to care and became absent in her life. She demanded validation from a nagging performing world that thought she was just too different to succeed.
This concert is Barbra’s story told through song during the extraordinary formative years of her career. Shirley Andress will sing Barbra’s playlists from her first audition piece to leading lady on Broadway. These songs are Barbra’s choices – the music that taught her how to connect, how to dazzle and how to get what she wanted.
“Barbra’s walk down thirty-one steps led to a square black room. The only flickering light below came from a single shaded light bulb over the cash register. People in the club moved as if they were shadows. Waiters weaved in and out amongst the tables carrying tiny flashlights in order to spot those that needed refills. The Bon Soir was a tiny nightclub with a “refreshing blend of Greenwich Village bohemianism and East Side smartness and sophistication” one critic stated. Half past midnight, it was Barbra’s turn to go on. Introduced as “a girl with a magical set of pipes”, a bright white spotlight suddenly swung across the stage and caught Barbra staring directly into the audience.”
- William J Mann, “Hello, Gorgeous”.
We welcome you to Bon Soir!
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