The Concert London 1994 Tour

Streisand / LIVE 

The Concert – London (1994)

1994 Concert Tour

Wembley Arena
London, England

April 20, 25, 27, 29, 1994
Prince Charles greets Barbra Streisand backstage at Wembley Arena.
Barbra Streisand’s 1994 concert tour, her first in a couple of decades, was scheduled to begin in London at the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena. 

The timing of Streisand’s London shows coincided with the announcement by Boots pharmacy chain that they would contribute one million pounds sterling in Streisand's name to the Variety Clubs of Great Britain. 

After arriving in London on April 16th, Barbra took a break from her rehearsals to hand over the keys to 32 specially equipped “Sunshine” coaches for use by disabled children in England and Northern Ireland on April 19th.

As photographers and television crews recorded the event, Streisand humorously reminded them how to say her last name: “like sand on the beach!”

Streisand confessed that concertizing still made her “very nervous. In London, I was listening to meditation tapes just before I went on – trying to have a positive attitude because I easily get sidetracked into this abyss of fear and I have to get myself out of it.”

BELOW:  A video of Streisand in London from E!

“My first time in Europe! People have been asking me, you know, why are you touring after 28 years? And I tell them, if you came from California — between the earthquakes, the mudslides, and fires — you’d hit the road, too!

“I love London. [shouts from audience]. I love you, too, I love your accents, your manners. I chose it to be my first city on my tour because I love London so much. I loved it from the very first moment I came here, I remember, in 1961. I love — besides the people, the architecture, the sense of history — I even love the food. I could live on little tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off!”

A slew of British celebrities came to see Streisand in concert, including: Michael Caine, Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines, George Michael, Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Shirley Bassey, and Elton John.

Streisand was criticized heavily in the British press for using TelePrompTers (which they call “Autocues”). It’s also true that some of Barbra’s Las Vegas jokes didn’t land in Britain, especially most of the “just like buttah” references. Years before the internet and YouTube, the Brits simply didn’t get the Saturday Night Live/Linda Richman references that Streisand peppered the evening with. Lyricist Don Black attended Barbra’s opening night and told her backstage that he thought she was wonderful but that the psychiatrists in the first act didn’t go over well with the British audience. “Over here we don’t go to psychiatrists so much,” he said.

The next day, April 24, 1994, was a night off from the show — and Barbra’s birthday! Elton John threw Barbra a 52nd birthday party at Mimmo D'Ishia, an Italian restaurant in Elizabeth Street, SW1.
Streisand smiles at her opening night audience in Wembley Arena.
Prince Charles shakes Barbra Streisand's hand.

For the next performance on April 25th – a show that benefited The Prince's Trust and the Children's Variety Club of Great Britain – one fan reported that the prompters were turned off, except at one moment when Barbra apparently lost her train of thought and asked the prompter man to turn them on.


Prince Charles attended the April 25th show and sat in the royal box. Barbra sang “Someday My Prince Will Come,” introducing it by saying, “What makes this song extra special is that there’s a real one in the audience tonight.”


According to Rick Starr, manager of Hollywood Sheet Music, Barbra's tribute to the Prince started with a call to his store, asking for the sheet music to be faxed to the U.K. It was such a rush job, Starr explained, that Streisand's staff waited on the other end of the line, snatching up the pages as they came through. “The next day I read in the paper that she sang the song to the Prince of Wales,” Starr said. “In a way, I was there.”


(This story doesn't quite ring true, since Barbra had already sung a version of “Prince” in Las Vegas, which had been orchestrated for that show and recorded.)


Charles led the audience in a standing ovation after she finished the song. He also went backstage and met with Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch and Marty Erlichman at a champagne reception. Other celebs attending that night: Holly Hunter, Joan Collins, Lulu and Priscilla Presley.


Can you imagine being at that show when Streisand delivered her monologue about meeting Prince Charles in the 1970s and saying that if she'd been nicer to him, she could have been “the first real Jewish princess!”  Hilarious.


One more change in the show happened on April 25th – Barbra added “Somewhere” as her closing song.


The concert underwent more modifications in London: 

  • Streisand utilized a different line (supplied by Stephen Sondheim) in “I'm Still Here”: “If she won't cap her teeth, she should cap her nose” was replaced with “As for the nose, it's like Cyrano's.”
  • Barbra deleted “Once Upon A Dream” from the Disney medley. 
  • Barbra premiered her “Yentl” medley, singing along with the video of herself on “Piece of Sky.”
British press says Barbra brought lots of bags, dresses , and a plastic bucket!
Streisand performs for London audiences at Wembley Arena

“A star was reborn last night when Barbra Streisand showed she still has the magical touch that sets audiences clamoring for more ... Streisand (52) admitted she was feeling nervous – but her confidence soared as the evening wore on and applause levels rocketed”

.... Press and Journal review, April 21, 1994
London 1994 Set List

Act I
  • Overture
  • As If We Never Said Goodbye
  • I'm Still Here/Everybody Says Don't/Don't Rain On My Parade (Medley)
  • Can't Help Lovin' That Man
  • I'll Know (with Marlon Brando)
  • People
  • Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
  • Will He Like Me?
  • He Touched Me
  • I'm In The Mood For Love/Speak Low/Guilty
  • What Is This Thing Called Love?
  • The Man That Got Away
  • On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)

Act II
  • Entr'acte
  • The Way We Were
  • You Don't Bring Me Flowers
  • Disney Medley
  • Not While I'm Around
  • Carefully Taught / Children Will Listen *
  • Ordinary Miracles
  • Evergreen
  • Yentl Medley
  • Happy Days Are Here Again
  • My Man
  • For All We Know
  • Somewhere **

* opening night only

** April 25, 27, 29 only
The Concert Tour Credits

  • Production Conceived and Directed by: Barbra Streisand
  • Executive Producer: Martin Erlichman
  • Written by: Alan & Marilyn Bergman
  • Musical Direction and Arrangements by: Marvin Hamlisch
  • Production Designer: Marc Brickman & David George
  • Lighting Designer: Peter Morse
  • Tour Director & Production Supervisor: Patrick Stansfield
  • Production Manager: George Packer
  • Technical Director: Michael Weiss
  • Sound Designer: Bruce Jackson
  • Sound Mixer: Chris Carlton
  • All Film Clips Edited by: Tom McQuade
  • ‘Happy Days’ Montage Edited by: Kelly Hommon
  • Voice-Over Narration:
  • First Doctor: Steven Susskind
  • Second Doctor: Judith Gordon
  • Third Doctor: Phil Austin
  • A&R: Jay Landers
  • Assistant to Ms. Streisand: Kim Skalecki
  • Personal Assistant to Ms. Streisand: Renata Buser
  • Hairstylist for Ms. Streisand: Soonie Paik
  • Clothes by: BSDK [Barbra Streisand, Donna Karan]
  • Ticket Coordinator: Shelly Lazar
  • Video Company & Jumbotron: BCC Video
  • Scenic Fabrication: George & Goldberg Associates
  • Music Preparation: Joann Kane Music Service
Video Above: The music chart television programme, Top of the Pops (on the BBC), recorded Barbra’s opening number on April 27, 1994. The next evening, they aired “As If We Never Said Goodbye” on the show.
Use the pink arrows to navigate through a photo slideshow of Barbra's 1994 London concerts below .....

The Concert (1994 Tour)

Below are links to Barbra's 1994 concerts.  Click the city/cities you'd like to read more about .....

April 20, 1994 
April 25, 1994
April 27, 1994
April 29, 1994

May 10, 1994
May 12, 1994

May 15, 1994
May 17, 1994
May 19, 1994

June 2, 1994 
June 4, 1994

June 7, 1994 
June 9, 1994

June 20, 1994
June 23, 1994
June 26, 1994
June 28, 1994
June 30, 1994
July 10, 1994
July 12, 1994

July 18, 1994
July 20, 1994
July 22, 1994
July 24, 1994
London ad for Streisand's shows at Wembley Arena.
1994 Streisand London ticket stub.
SOURCES USED FOR THESE PAGES:

  • “Alan and Marilyn Bergman to Collaborate with Barbra Streisand for New Year’s Concerts in Las Vegas.” Press release by Levine Schneider Public Relations. December 10, 1993.
  • All About Barbra issue no. 37
  • “Babs Tix Reduce Her Fans to Buttah” by Valerie Kellogg. New York Newsday, March 28, 1994.
  • “Backstage With Barbra. Adoration and Acclaim Surprise Superstar” by Robert Hilburn. Los Angeles Times, May 23, 1994.
  • “Barbra Makes a Name for Sony Signatures” by Terri Horak. Billboard, July 9, 1994.
  • “Barbra’s Grand stand gives rise to tour talk” by Army Archerd. Daily Variety, January 3, 1994.
  • “Bruce Jackson, Sonic Guru” by Andrián Pertout. Mixdown Monthly, Issue #71, March 1, 2000. Retrieved December 28, 2019. https://www.pertout.com/Jackson.htm
  • Charlie Rose interview with Marvin Hamlisch. Aired on PBS March 4, 1996. Retrieved online on December 25, 2019. https://charlierose.com/videos/19469
  • “Even Streisand needed this teacher” by Mitch Albom. Detroit Free Press, May 22, 1994.
  • Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes by Stephen Sondheim. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.
  • “Her alma matters” by Linda Blackford. Daily News, June 23, 1994.
  • Just Like Buttah newsletter, Issue 3, Winter 1994.
  • Just Like Buttah newsletter, Issue 4, September 1994.
  • “MGM Grand will ring in New Year with Streisand” by Robert Macy, AP. November 4, 1993.
  • My Passion for Design by Barbra Streisand. 2010, Viking Penguin.
  • “Rehearsal Process, The” by Larry Olson. All About Barbra magazine, #37, 1994.
  • “Showtime! Barbra Streisand’s star-studded comeback” by Martin Gould. Star, January 18, 1994.
  • “Simmons ‘on-scene correspondent’ for Streisand concert. Sun News Services, December 12, 1993.
  • Streisand, a Biography by Anne Edwards. 1997, Little, Brown and Company.
  • “Streisand axes PPV plans for MGM concerts” by Barry Layne. The Hollywood Reporter, November 15, 1993.
  • “Streisand concert tickets are snapped up” by AP. November 9, 1993.
  • “Streisand, Ever the Director. She acts. She sings. She helps design her tour clothes.” By Maureen Sajbel. Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1994.
  • “Streisand Gears Up With Her People” by Linda Stasi. New York Daily News, November 21, 1993.
  • “Streisand in Las Vegas: Mostly, Like Buttah” by Robert Hilburn. Los Angeles Times, January 3, 1994.
  • “Streisand Opens American Tour With Optimism” by Stephen Holden. New York Times, May 12, 1994.
  • “Streisand plays to smiling president, Hillary.” Associated Press, May 13, 1994.
  • “Streisand’s Fans Delight in Opening Night in Anaheim” by Anna Cekola and Rick Vanderknyff. Los Angeles Times, June 3, 1994.
  • “Streisand: Relaxed, Playful and a Lot Richer” by Barry Walters. San Francisco Examiner, June 8, 1994.
  • “Streisand: The voice is pure, the concert sterile” by Vicki Jo Radovsky. The Daily Breeze, June 5, 1994.
  • “Streisand to begin tour next month in London” by Robert Hilburn. Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1994.
  • “Streisand tour unites old pals” by Gary Graf. Knight-Ridder/Tribune, May 22, 1994.
  • “The Way She Is” by Richard Zoglin. Time Magazine, May 16, 1994.
  • “Turning Las Vegas Into Babs-ylon” by Robert Hilburn. The Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1993.
  • Vanity Fair, November 1994. “Barbra Streisand: The Way She Is” by Michael Shnayerson.
End / 1994 London Wembley Arena Concerts
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