Jewish Museum of
Florida-FIU celebrates Streisand

October 2021

By: Todd Sussman

As the song says, in every heart beats a time machine. 

Now, a splendid exhibit honoring Barbra Streisand allows us to travel back to the very early days of her career and contemplate her unparalleled mark on the world of entertainment.

She was the neighborhood girl who made good, singing first on the stoops and then in small night clubs. She is the global superstar who made great, graduating to the silver screen and the world’s arenas.  She broke barriers – from glass ceilings to cultural dividing lines – and set staggering records. 

The aptly-named “Hello Gorgeous” display finds its new home at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU in Miami Beach, where it will be on view through February 2022. The installation originated at the Bernard Museum of Judaica in New York’s Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center but was sidetracked in the pandemic. Likewise, the Jewish Museum of Florida had to temporarily close its doors, and the Barbra exhibit is its “welcome back” attraction.

The Miami Beach edition kicked off with a private, opening night showcase on October 14, 2021, attended by South Florida movers, shakers and glitterati, including Miami Beach mayor Dan Gelber, the museum’s executive director, Susan Gladstone, photographer Walter McBride, and the always-engaging stage director and Barbra collaborator, Richard Jay-Alexander. 

Appearing via Zoom was Lou Papalas, who is lending objets d’art from his elaborate personal collection. Mr. Papalas’ prized possessions – including a selection of Barbra’s original costumes, international movie posters, magazine covers, memorabilia, and even a couple of early nightclub contracts – make up the majority of the rarities on view.

Mayor Gelber recalled Barbra’s 1963 performances at the Eden Roc Hotel. He referred to her as one of the great icons of all time and reinforced that our residents love her.

Jacqueline Goldstein, museum curator and designer of the exhibit, cited achievements from Barbra’s storied career, from the album sales to the numerous awards, as well as her highly acclaimed directorial debut with Yentl. We all know she was the first woman to direct, write, produce and star in a major motion picture, but it bears repeating. Goldstein, in a separate conversation, shared with me her concept for “Hello Gorgeous”: “My vision was to streamline the show with bold color accents and a focus on the aesthetics. The different walls were very important to me, not just to display the phenomenal pieces but to optimize how they are exhibited, in order to achieve a beautiful installation. I created a whole wall of album covers in a grid-format so when you step back, your eye sees a brightly colored pattern that is simply cool to look at. It was very important to convey that not only has Barbra had an illustrious career, but that she is at her core a true artist, her canvases being music and acting.”

Goldstein also profoundly remarked that Barbra’s groundbreaking accomplishments as a strong woman who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and who remains relevant today should attract a younger generation, which is necessary to keep museums open. She added, “This exhibit honors the life of a living legend. For young people who may be unfamiliar with her work, this show exemplifies strength and perseverance, two ideas that can add such a needed perspective to their identities. In addition, it is an opportunity for Barbra’s fans of all ages to celebrate her and to enjoy a tribute to her incredible life and work.” 

Richard Jay-Alexander told the audience the museum was very special to him even though he’s Cuban and not Jewish. He said he feels like an “honorary Jewban,” to great effect. Richard saw “Hello Gorgeous” when it first appeared in New York, attending with Marty Erlichman (Barbra’s longtime manager), Ken Sunshine (Barbra’s longtime publicist), and a slew of industry professionals. He admitted to “chomping at the bit” as they entered that previous exhibition.

He also alluded to the brilliance of Barbra and how the whole world came to know her via Funny Girl the movie. Back then, it was almost unheard of for a leading actress on Broadway to have the opportunity to re-create her role on film. (Barbra's performance as Fanny Brice is considered incomparable, so much so, that Funny Girl has never been revived on Broadway in all this time. That will change next year, when Beanie Feldstein assumes the role.) He extolled Barbra’s dedication to giving her audience the best she has to offer, one of his primary take-aways from their collaboration on her concerts. 

Richard Jay also generously spoke with me one-on-one, offering his compelling perspectives on the Streisand artifacts. He immediately singled out the piece de resistance, the original sailor dress Barbra wore in her first television special, My Name Is Barbra (1965): “Seeing the sailor dress just rocked my world. That is the holy grail of all things Barbra Streisand. If you have to pick one dress to define Barbra, I think that’s it. There have been plenty of great dresses. She’s a fashion icon. But the sailor dress is certainly the center piece.” This viewer agrees. And because the TV special was taped in black & white, to now see the dress in living color – a deep blue with the red tie as an accent – is quite something.

Richard was also impressed with two original American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) contracts, for Barbra’s early nightclub engagements, displayed side by side. On Detroit’s London Chop House contract, dated March 1, 1961, she is listed as “Barbara Striechsand” and was earning $150.00 a week. (Barbra actually performed at the Caucus Club, sister restaurant to the London Chop House.) The agreement for her run at New York’s Bon Soir, dated October 11, 1962, indicates a $1,250.00 weekly payday. Richard stated, “Seeing the old contracts really turned me on. I’m thinking about the ‘Bar-ba-ra’ before the ‘a’ was dropped and the amount of money she made at the Bon Soir. This was exorbitant in 1962, for somebody to be getting that kind of money, and let’s not forget that meals were included.” 

Lou Papalas, who was unable to attend the Miami Beach opening in-person but appeared and watched on Zoom, later told me via telephone: “I was so happy to see the fans and curious onlookers, who sometimes become new fans, enjoying my nearly lifelong passion of documenting Barbra’s work and career through exhibitions of three dimensional items from around the globe. I have thoroughly enjoyed exhibiting Barbra.” 

I asked Lou if Streisand was aware of his collection. The answer was a resounding yes, as Marty Erlichman had previously videotaped Lou’s Hollywood Museum 1,200-piece collection for her. Papalas later had the opportunity to meet Barbra backstage at her Back to Brooklyn concert in 2012. She greeted him in her best Brooklynese accent, hand on her hip, asking, “So where’d you get all my stuff?” She also followed-up with a signed, personalized album cover thanking him. 

Lou added, the new Miami Beach version of “Hello Gorgeous” is different from the one in New York. Warren Klein, curator of the Temple Emanu-El exhibit in Manhattan selected over 200 items from the thousands of rarities that Lou stores in his Palm Desert warehouse. Jacqueline Goldstein culled different pieces from that same inventory. For South Florida residents as well as out of town visitors, there are numerous new treasures to behold, not seen in New York.

Separately, each item is sure to ignite a fan’s memories of being there for the landmark events in Barbra’s career. The particular cover on a wall of albums. The poster advertising a favorite film. The elegant gown from a concert. You can’t help but be transported back to that moment in time when you first discovered Barbra…or realized her latest project was just released…or scored that sought-after ticket. 

Collectively, these pieces tell another story. Underlying Barbra’s indelible achievements in shows, films and recordings is her singular, authentic style. A large part of her identity was and is rooted in her Judaism, and she chose to celebrate that in her roles and her image. Her steadfastness in remaining true to herself was unprecedented in the days when she was starting out. Back then, she didn’t look like a movie star was supposed to look like. Her unmatched success would later pave the way for other actresses who didn’t fit into the traditional Hollywood image of beauty. Indeed, the Midlers and the Streeps owe her a debt of gratitude in that respect. 

The terms “representation” and “diversity” have deeper, expanded meanings today, yet Streisand was truly an early adopter – an early advocate and role model, to be more precise – for the notion of being noticed and counted. It seems so right that, now, a second Jewish museum is honoring her, as her impact goes far beyond show business. She is a cultural game changer, whose unique talent and charisma gave a new face (and, of course, voice) to what it meant to be Jewish. Streisand wore her Jewish pride on her sleeve before it was in fashion. Now, museum visitors can see for themselves.

Richard Jay noted, “There is plenty to look at and study, and needless to say, many collectibles. The fact that Lou Papalas owns most of this stuff is quite a testament to him. Barbra has not seen this exhibition yet, and she is, without a doubt, curious. It honors her so much. I can’t even imagine, with the career she’s had, how something marvelous like this hasn’t popped up sooner. And if you’re a real fan or you’re a historian of any kind, you’ll want to see this. It is exciting. The museum did a beautiful job here, and it’s right in the heart of South Beach. The exhibit is here till February. People should come see it.”

BELOW: Photos courtesy of Todd Sussman, Seth Browarnick, and Walter McBride. Use the arrows to navigate.

Visit the Jewish Museum’s website at https://jmof.fiu.edu/



Visit Lou Papalas’ website at www.TheBarbraShop.com

Write to Todd Sussman at Toddaos@aol.com

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• Barbra Archives Interviews: The Bergmans, Rupert Holmes, Gary Klein, Phil Ramone and more ...
• Streisand Books: Complete list of all the books written about Miss Streisand
• Barbra’s Homes Over the Years