Barbra's Tour- Page 7

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 12:16am

I'm on the younger side of tonight's audience at Barclays, and having only seen Funny Girl and Funny Lady, I was captivated. At first I was interested in how engaged all her fans were and knew all the albums and songs and whatnot, but then I got enveloped with her presence and voice. Sure, she's reading off teleprompter, but if no one had said anything, I thought she came off very conversational and in-the-moment. When she came out, she sang her song and sounded beautiful, and then she had some little asides like "okay, there's the tea, the flowers, okay, okay. Just making sure everything's here." 

"Papa, Can You Hear Me?" was a masterpiece. Her voice was on fire, and I had chills. I didn't see much of the mentalist guy at intermission because I needed a beverage. But Act II was delightful filled with a ton of shows tones - lots of Sondheim - and I'm a huge Patrick Wilson fan and hearing him duet with her on "Loving You" one of my all-time favorite Sondheim songs was just nothing short of magical. And Jamie Foxx was in gorgeous voice, although riffing "Climb Every Mountain" is a little weird, he still sounded amazing and they had a fun chemistry. 

All in all I thought it was a fabulous evening, and I was in the "nosebleeds" at Barclays, but I thought I had a really great seat. I didn't feel too far back at all. 

I wish the design of the show had been a little different. She rarely ever used the side stages, and I wish she had more video screens, but alas. It's totally worth going to.

And for those who were poo-pooing her voice, shame on you. I thought she sounded KILLER. She has such a great WAIL to rival Adele's. I loved hearing her belt "Don't Rain on My Parade." 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 2:06am

 

We will be discussing tonight's epic concert for the rest of our lives.

 

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 3:49am

 

 
ArtMan said: As a former club dj, the true "full" version of Enough is Enough was 11 minutes and 44 seconds,  This is the only version most djs were playing during it's debut.  Barbra would have needed oxygen if she went that route.

LOL! I know my sister definitely played that version because it was endless! It sounds like it was gonna end and it just kept on and on and on!

[RussT2]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 7:27am

PalJoey said: " 

We will be discussing tonight's epic concert for the rest of our lives.
 "

Does anyone who was at both Thursday and Saturday's concerts think one performance was better than the other? Just wondering.

[Robert16]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 9:14am

Both evenings were perfection but I think last night her voice was stronger since I felt the temperature in the Barclays Center was not as cold. I worked there for three years and was told by management that she requested it to be warmer. I also felt she adlibbed more last night and seemed to be having more fun and was more relaxed. This was my 10th concert since New Years Eve 1993/94 in Las Vegas. Looking forward to her 2022 tour to celebrate her 80th birthday. 

[NYadgal]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 10:32am

Agree.   Both were perfection but she was stronger last night.  

I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being in the 4th row - center - on the floor last night.   To be so 'up close and personal' with this legend was beyond my wildest dreams.  

Sharing the the evening with friends (both Thursday and last night) was the greatest gift I could give myself!

 

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 12:34pm

How does this tour compare to her previous one? This one felt less showy than most any concert I've been to. No big, grand entrance, etc. No crazy lighting. 

Posted: 8/14/16 at 1:56pm

As a vacuous little twink & lifelong Barbra fan, I'd like to chime in that I wish she'd sing Let's Hear For Me, so memorable from Funny Lady. 

[smidge]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 2:42pm

Was worried about the upper level side stage seat but the view was wonderful. And you could see the screens with the filmed portions (albeit backwards). Papa, Parade and the Sondheim selections were definitely highlights but I couldn't find fault with any song selection. With a.6 decade career, we're not going to hear everything. And Jamie Foxx should attempt a stage musical soon. Only downside was the obnoxious woman next to me who would boo any Hillary mention. And then proceed to sing along. Barbra can do fine without you.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 3:25pm

I am a little late to this party- but I am from Atlanta and flew to Chicago on Tuesday for the concert there- was in second row- incredible view- and the concert was perfection. Her voice was strong and she was funny as can be. Love her and had the time of my life. 

[Anshel2]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 6:25pm

Come one guys - her voice is far from perfection.  I've always been a huge fan and saw last night's show and am going to the Philly show.  There were moments that were lovely, some that she hit out of the park, but the years have taken a toll on her voice.  When compared with her former self (which isn't fair, I agree), it wasn't perfection.  It was wonderful and I loved every story, every song and being in the room where it happened (no she didn't sing Hamilton), but her performance was not perfection.  Still love her.  I wouldn't gone to see Sinatra and Garland at the end of their careers too.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 6:33pm

I don't know her catalogue of work, so I can't pin point what was off about her voice and how it sounded different then this tour or that tour or that recording, etc. But for 74 years of age, she nailed it. I thought she had such a beautiful wail and she knows how to work her voice. Sure, parts were a little underwhelming here and there, but as an overall performance, I thought it was great.

[RussT2]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 7:21pm

I forgot to mention something funny that happened at Thursdays show.
A middle aged man and woman were sitting next to us, and as soon as Barbra and the band went into the opening of "Don't Rain On My Parade" this woman jumped to her feet like she had a spring on her ass, and started stomping and pumping her arms to the rhythm of the song like she was Rocky Balboa in a training montage. She did this the entire song. I guess she REALLY liked that song.

[smidge]

Posted: 8/14/16 at 8:54pm

That's terrific, Russ. The woman in my aisle did the arm pumping during Enough is Enough. I was excited to see Barbra too but oh my.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 8/15/16 at 3:21am

undercoverusher said: "Would rather give $600 to the poor, than to listen to this limousine liberal, tell us who to vote for and how great Hillary Clinton is. I'd rather eat lead paint. As soon as she started with politics, I stopped listening to her. WIll not support any artist who lectures me. Can't wait till she retires. She is a greedy, limousine liberal idiot 

"

No entertainer is going to be loved by everyone. I'll bet that some people hated Will Rogers for being so smug about liking everyone. The entertainers most loved by the most people will be the ones most hated by a small minority.

I'm not a big Streisand fan, but I have to admit that she is a legend with legions of fans and a roomful of awards. I think that I was turned off initially by her first Broadway album, which my mother had purchased and I listened to with a reasonably open mind. I really disliked it. I thought that Streisand was far too histrionic on most of the songs, wailing away on too many and drawing attention to her performance and not to the song.

Yet some of what she's done I treasure as much as her greatest fans. My mother, a big fan, bought the OBC Funny Girl and I listened to it many times and liked or loved everything Streisand sang. "People" is a timeless classic. Another of my all time favorite recordings by anyone was an early one, "He Touched Me." I liked her cover of "Stoney End" and the added legitimacy it gave to one of my faves, Laura Nyro. (Saw Laura live at Fillmore East. One week she had written the songs that were 1, 3 and 5 on WABC's Top Forty. Don't know how things came apart so quickly to a twenty one year old who had had a cover story in LIFE magazine.)

 

[DAME]

Posted: 8/16/16 at 1:05pm

Has this been filmed like her previous shows?

[bud2]

Posted: 8/16/16 at 3:45pm

now here's a real rave...

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/guest-diary/2016/liz-smith-happy-days-are-here-again

[DAME]

Posted: 8/17/16 at 12:44pm

Love Liz Smith.  Has there been any mention of this being filmed?

[Robert16]

Posted: 8/17/16 at 1:37pm

I noticed at Saturday's concert in Brooklyn a disclaimer on the wall informing the audience that the show was being filmed and that by entering you agree to being videotaped.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 12:39am

Saw the final Toronto show tonight. Babs was great, sounded amazing. No special guests, but I didn't need any. She said she was giving us a special treat by closing with "By The Way" which is my favorite song so I was happy. She said she had not performed it on this tour. 

The merch stands were chaos. There ran out of programs, mugs, candles and some shirts. All I wanted was a candle and got shut out. 

Some queen bought the last six. You know he's going straight to eBay. Bastard. 

Babs was still great. Loved her. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 3:41am

ArtMan said: "MichelleCraig said: "Barbra never sang a nearly 12 minute version of Enough is Enough. Her performance was remixed and augmented with repeats and beats to get it to that length for the clubs.

 

Of course she didn't!  As a former club dj for too many years, I know what a remix is. I was referring and JOKING about  the actual length of the FULL OFFICIAL version of the song when it was played in clubs.  The same thing about The Main Event.  We never played a 3 minute version.  We played the 12 minute version that was remixed with Fight.

 

"

There are several versions of Enough is Enough--in my old age I'm forgetting the details :P (I'm a huge Donna Summer fan--more, I hate to admit, than a Babs one) but for example the version on Babs' "Wet" is less heavily produced--Giorgio Moroder (who was credited as co-producer I believe) wasn't anywhere near the original recording which was handled by Gary Klein and went in and added a sorta burbling synth line to the version Casablanca released (including the 11 minute mix I believe, which was released for DOnna's On the Radio greatest hits album--which I admit is a bit too long for me--when they loop back after that electric guitar solo I've had... well, enough, as much as I love the song). 

Some Donna fans are bitter that Babs turned down several requests by Donna to sing the song live with her over the years and is now performing it after she died--theorizing that Babs was scared that her live voice wouldn't compare with Donna's.  Donna certainly sounded flawless when I saw her in concert several years before her death (she sang the song with her sister) but I'll stay out of it :P

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 1:27pm

Seeing her for the first time ever in Chicago for me was surreal.  I remember driving to the arena, getting our seats (which were in the nosebleeds), the concert beginning and being completely lost in the fact that I was actually hearing her sing live.  I have wanted to see her perform since I saw "A Star Is Born", and I finally got my wish. I hope that the next time she tours (if she does), she pulls out all of the stops and really shows us everything that she has!...

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 2:45pm

I am soooooo upset that I didn't get to see her at the Barclays this time around...and reading all the wonderful reviews isn't making me feel better and now I am officially HATING on ALL OF YOU!

I will now proceed and jump off a bridge....the Brooklyn Bridge, that is. 

[mikem]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 7:01pm

I saw her in Philadelphia on Saturday, and it was a wonderful night. Her voice isn't as sublime as it was in her early years, but it's held up much better than many others, and her interpretative skills are still amazing.

At one point, she said she was going to perform one song from each of her #1 albums, but she didn't sing a song from Higher Ground or Love Is the Answer. She also sang Children Will Listen towards the end of the second half, and it was starting around then that her voice sounded a bit more ragged. Is that song a particular tough one to sing? It sounds like it might be.

She made a crack about having the same manager since she was 19 but Donald Trump has had 3 in 2 months.

One interesting thing was that she flubbed the lyrics to Being Alive. (And the song was truncated, although I'm guessing she always performs it like this. There was no repetition of the "Someone to hold me too close" verse.) At one point, she was supposed to sing "Being alive" then "Make me alive," but she didn't sing the "Make me alive" line, so she was one line ahead of the music when she started singing "Make me confused." This went on for a few lines, then she realized it and sang "Let me be used" twice to get back on track. I don't think most people noticed. Then after the song was over, she had the scripted comment about how the song is very hard to sing!

It was a great show, and she sang more of her "greatest hits" than in her two most recent tours.  I hope the next tour is soon!