Putting It Together: Making The Broadway Album

Streisand / Television

“Putting It Together: The Making Of The Broadway Album” (1986)

  • SHOW CREDITS
    • Broadcast on HBO January 11, 1986
    • Produced by: Joni Rosen
    • Edited by: Tom McQuade
    • CBS Production Coordinator: Jeanne Mattiussi
    • Documentary Footage Produced by: Jerry Kramer & Associates
    • Somewhere Music Video Director: William Friedkin
    • Interview Photographed by: Andrzej Bartowiak
    • Ms. Streisand's Personal Assistant: Renata Buser
    • Hairstylist: Soonie Piak of Bruno and Soonie Salon
    • Appearing in the special: William Friedkin, Stephen Sondheim, Sydney Pollack, David Geffen, Ken Sylk, Richard Baskin, Kim Skalecki, Peter Matz, and our Musicians
  • SONGS ON THE SPECIAL

    A Sleepin’ Bee (excerpt from the Jack Paar Show)


    Something's Coming


    Putting It Together


    Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine *


    If I Loved You


    Send in the Clowns *


    Somewhere (music video)


    * excerpts

“Only a superstar like Barbra Streisand could turn 40 minutes of pure promotion for her top-selling 'The Broadway Album' into a memorable TV special. In 'Putting It Together: The Making of The Broadway Album,' which begins its run on cable's Home Box Office tomorrow night at 10, what you'll see is a consummate artist at work.”

... Kay Gardella, New York Daily News, January 10, 1986

Barbra Streisand's first television special on HBO debuted in 1986. The special—which combined an interview with director William Friedkin with documentary footage of Barbra in the recording studio making The Broadway Album—was only 40 minutes long.

With Friedkin and Streisand sitting in theater seats (lovingly photographed by Andrzei Bartowiak) and talking about the album, the special intercut documentary footage of Barbra and her collaborators Peter Matz, Sydney Pollack, David Geffen, Ken Sylk, Stephen Sondheim, and boyfriend Richard Baskin.

At the beginning of the special, Streisand fans were treated to a career-length montage of video clips edited to the West Side Story song, “Something’s Coming.” It was the first time many fans had ever had a glimpse of scenes from The Belle of 14th Street and Other Musical Instruments.  (It took until 2005 for those early Streisand specials to be released on DVD.)

Putting It Together featured  the complete Friedkin-directed music video of “Somewhere,” which was filmed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Included on the special was the complete Friedkin-directed music video of “Somewhere,” which was filmed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The special is also notable for the alternate, jazzy version of “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine,” although fans can only hear some, not all, of the recording.

Additional lines delivered by the “voices” (which were eventually whittled down on the final track) can be heard during the filming of “Putting It Together.”

Putting It Together: The Making of The Broadway Album debuted on VHS tape (pictured left) and Laserdisc in 1986. The TV special was released on DVD in 2009 as part of a 3-DVD set.
End / The Making of the Broadway Album TV Special
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