Barbra Streisand: The Television Specials - A Must Have!

From her first sung notes in the black and white My Name is Barbra, filmed while still appearing in Funny Girl on Broadway, Streisand displays the voice, talent, and a ground-breaking approach that helped catapult her to stardom. As we learn in the accompanying notes, the unheard of granting of "complete artistic control" to Streisand is seen completely throughout the special, and was a wise decision, as we witness her vision and touch, visible here in every detail.

For me, the most enjoyable of the specials are the earliest ones, where her youth, passion and drive are most evident. The later specials, while still well worth watching, become more polished - losing a bit of the initial hunger. As the specials go on, you get to watch Barbra evolve as a performer, from the tender age of 22, when the first special was filmed.

All of the television shows are dripping with Broadway material. Tunes range from shows as varied as Showboat to My Fair Lady to Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks. The Funny Girl material on the first disc is worth the price of the entire set (which is actually reasonably priced). The mere hour of material shown on A Happening in Central Park, makes one wonder what happened to the other 90 minutes of material referenced as having been performed as well.

Accompanying this beautifully designed package of DVDs is a fascinating 60-page booklet, written by Streisand collaborators Jay Landers and Richard Jay-Alexander. Sprinkled with many pages of never before seen photographs from Barbra's archives, the notes provide further insight into the making of the specials, as well as their place in history and effect on the cultural landscape. Reading the booklet and watching these awe-inspiring specials made me sad that talents like this (assuming they're out there) are rarely showcased as well as they used to be by television (which has surely grown into mass media).

It is unlikely that we will ever witness an ascent such as Streisand's again in our lifetime. She was the right talent, in the right place, at the right time and nothing could have stopped her.

Barbra Streisand: The Television Specials, the 5 DVD boxed set, is a "must-have" for fans of this true diva. It is also enjoyable for anyone who wants to witness great musical performances, providing a master-class on earning the right to be called a star.

The DVD Set is available now for purchase, click here to buy.