Review: Melissa Errico Pays Homage to Streisand in BACK TO BARBRA at 54 Below
Back to Barbra (With Billy)
Melissa Errico took the stage at 54 Below with two songs that perfectly captured her effervescent first impression: "I'm All Smiles" (from The Yearling) and "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here" (from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever). A delightful breath of fresh air swept through the cabaret space as she paid loving homage to Barbra Streisand — "not a tribute," she clarified. "I'm not impersonating Streisand but rather charting the influence she's had on music and on all of us." Continuing with early Streisand material, she sang the lovely and touching "The Way We Were," followed by a luminous new arrangement of "Lazy Afternoon" by keyboardist Andy Ezrin that seemed to float and swirl above our heads like something half-remembered and wholly adored.
Errico's love for Streisand runs deep. She devoured Streisand's recent memoir, My Name is Barbra—nearly 1,000 pages—and also listened to the audiobook narrated by Streisand herself, which clocks in at 48 hours. Delighted to discover that her pianist Billy Stritch was mentioned on page 778, she invited him to read the passage aloud: a charming account of how he and Liza Minnelli attended one of Barbra's parties and helped persuade her to return to the concert stage.
The memoir also revealed that an elder family member used to refer to Streisand in Yiddish as a "daughter of fire." When Errico's own daughter recently described herself in a similar fashion, the phrase took on new life. Errico commissioned David Shire to write a song for the occasion, entitled "Daughter of Fire," with lyrics by Adam Gopnik and Melissa Errico herself. It sparkled and glistened—a genuine highlight of the first half. She brought that half to a rousing close with "What About Today," delivered with authority and confidence.
A costume change followed—from a Barbra-inspired outfit sent by an admiring fan to a glamorous black, sequined gown—and Errico looked as radiant as ever. "Not bad for a mother of three," she quipped, "two of whom are fraternal twins." During the interlude, Billy Stritch took the spotlight with a touching rendition of "Cry Me a River," with David Finck on string bass providing a deep, resonant anchor. Taking his cue from Errico's spirit of the evening, Stritch made the song entirely his own, showcasing the remarkable gift and expertise that could characterize each song of the night.
When Errico returned, she sang "Down With Love" while weaving through the aisle, mingling with guests with a warmth and playful rapport that felt genuinely natural. Back onstage, she honored Streisand's artistry by trusting her own creative instincts, singing "Evergreen" with the kind of quiet conviction that only a true believer can bring. Underscoring Streisand's vast influence, she then performed the concert version of "Send in the Clowns" complete with the Sondheim-approved lyric changes and added bridge. Again, trusting her instinct, Streisand was right to ask for the revision, and Errico made every syllable count.
With nearly 900 songs recorded over a prolific six-decade career, no single evening could do Streisand full justice. Stritch rose to the challenge with a sweeping medley by various artists that covered many of her greatest hits, including the iconic disco anthem "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)."
The most deeply felt moment of the evening came with Errico's rendition of "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" She spoke openly about growing up in a household where feminism wasn't a prevailing conversation, and how Streisand's work in Yentl opened a door to a broader, freer way of thinking. You could hear that gratitude—and that awakening—in every note, most of all in the long, luminous final note she held with what can only be described as pure gold.
Singing "People" from Funny Girl offered something rarer still: a meditation on how a song transforms over time, from the wide-eyed idealism of youth to the earned wisdom of experience. In Errico's hands, the song carried the full weight of both.
Her encore brought a lovely surprise: Ava Arkin, a rising young talent whom Errico has championed and mentored, joined her onstage for the legendary duet Barbra performed with Judy Garland, weaving together "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" in joyful, full-circle fashion.
After an evening in the company of Errico's generous spirit, sharp wit—"You've been a wonderful audience; I know I say it all the time, but I don't always mean it"—and her exquisite vocal interpretations, one leaves feeling that her cabaret has quietly redefined what we might call The Streisand Effect. The phrase originally described a paradox in which attempting to suppress information only amplifies it. But in Errico's reimagining, it means something far more personal and far more powerful: the courage to seek truth, to find your own voice, to trust your instincts, and to remain unafraid of growth. Because, as this evening made abundantly clear, life is growth. It's a Streisand Effect we should all aspire to follow. Bravo, Melissa Errico!
Learn more Melissa Errico online at melissaerrico.com
Find more upcoming shows at 54 Below on their website here.
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