Streisand / Television

Streisand's heralded hometown return at the brand new 19,000-seat, billion-dollar Barclays Center, “Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn” aired on PBS’s Great Performances series as part of the PBS Arts Fall Festival.

This edited version of the full-length Columbia DVD ran 3 hours on PBS (including several pledge drive breaks to raise money for the station.) Appearing during the PBS breaks were Idina Menzel and Richard Jay-Alexander.

Idina Menzel: “Us Jewish girls from New York, we have a bawdiness about us. She was first album I ever owned—A Star is Born—I was five [...] Being a belter, having that kind of range is great and it's fun to sing that kind of music, but it's not everything, you know. She doesn't have to do that in every song. She can sing the most delicate, fragile piece and touch you the same way.”

On performing for Streisand at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors, Menzel said: “I was asked to sing Don't Rain On My Parade which is like the hardest song to do—she doesn't breath ever. And when you're nervous it's hard not to breath. It went great. I just told myself I wanted to be somewhat in my body and have the experience and not be so flustered that I don't know what happened to me, so it's pretty good.”

Back to Brooklyn's co-director, Richard Jay-Alexander, talked during two segments: 

“Working with and for Barbra over all these years—actually since back in 2000—I really wish everybody could have the experience I have. She's a unique creature, but she's so smart and so talented, obviously. But I like her so much. I always say this to her, ‘I like you so much, I always forget how talented you are.’ Her voice is so identifiable. She is the biggest star of our lifetime especially in all the vernaculars: whether it's directing, producing, the intelligence. Her passion—which is probably the one word I would equate with Barbra Streisand— it's unparalleled. She's passionate about everything she does. And also her truth.”