London Embassy 1966

Streisand / LIVE 

“A Very Informal History
of the American Musical Theater: 1926—1966”

U.S. Embassy
Grosvenor Square
London, England

June 12, 1966
Cover of the Playbill program for the evening.
Barbra Streisand participated in this festival of American arts and humanities which was being produced by the American Embassy in London in Grosvenor Square.  Attended by British Government officials as well as members of the art world, the presentation played to about 200 people.

Anita Gillette and Lee Allen (who played Eddie Ryan in the London and film version of Funny Girl) sang American theater songs, followed by Cy Coleman (the composer of Sweet Charity), who played and sang some of his theater compositions.

Broadway producer Arthur Cantor (Private Lives) produced the show along with Stanley E. Flink, who was the London director of Playbill – “The Magazine of the Theatre.”

As a sort of master of ceremonies for the evening was Broadway director and producer Hal Prince.

Streisand participated in the event about halfway through the London run of Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre. She rehearsed for this show each evening after performing in Funny Girl. At this point she had already announced her pregnancy and the fact that she would leave the show on July 16, 1966.

Introduced by Cy Coleman as “one of the greatest recording artists of our country — possible of all time,” Barbra appeared on stage wearing a paisley-beaded gown by Galanos.
STREISAND'S PROGRAM:

  • Where Am I Going? from Sweet Charity
  • Porgy and Bess medley (I Got Plenty of Nothin, Summertime, I Loves You, Porgy, It Ain't Necessarily So, Porgy I's Your Woman Now, My Man's Gone Now)
  • People
The entire evening was broadcast on BBC radio. Bootlegs of this have been traded among Streisand fans for years, although there is a persistent buzz in the copy going around.

One of the celebrities in the audience that night was Noël Coward, the English actor, playwright and composer. Streisand was photographed with him at the reception following her performance. Streisand was also photographed with British Foreign Secretary Lord George Brown.
Barbra Streisand in Galanos gown, singing at the American Embassy in London

End / U.S. Embassy London 1966 / BACK TO LIVE

Share by: