Barbra Week continues, here at ShulmanSays, as we ramp-up to her Barbra: The Music, The Mem’ries, The Magic tour coming to Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, on Saturday, August 6th.  For this installation of Streisand à la Shulman, we move from duets to movie soundtracks; and I’ve chosen three songs that should be in any Streisand fan’s repertoire, and purposefully omitted one, that will be appearing in the final segment (so don’t get all pissy, and call me, shouting “Why didn’t you include ‘Evergreen,’ you putz?”).

First is a song by Jule Styne, from the 1969 movie Funny Girl (as well as the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, upon which it was based).  While many consider “People” to be La Streisand’s signature song; I’ve always found this song to be redolent of the indefatigable moxie that helped win the performer her first Academy Award.  Here’s “Don’t Rain On My Parade.”

Next, is the song “On a Clear Day” from the 1970 film, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.  The Burton Lane song, with lyrics by Alan Lerner, was originally written for the 1965 musical of the same name (itself based loosely on John L. Balderston’s 1929 play Berkeley Square).  In the film (the last for designer Cecil Beaton, and the next-to-last for director Vincente Minelli), Streisand’s character portrays the chain-smoking and clairvoyant Daisy, and sings this song’s reprise as the film's finale.  Clear day?  Clear notes.  Belt it, Barbra!

And wrapping things-up, for this segment, is a song that always gets me, because it starts off with whimsical humming, like a bright, sunshiny day; and while the lyrics tell of remembering the laughter, the message is, for me, so full of melancholy for what might’ve been, that any chance of a smile has been wiped away by a torrent of tears.  But it’s not about me (and how often do I say that?!?!).  It’s about Hubbell and Katie.  It’s the Academy Award-winning title song to the 1973 film, The Way We Were; written by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Marilyn & Alan Bergman.  In addition to the Oscar, the song won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as the Grammy for Song of the Year.  No wonder, then, that Streisand’s version of “The Way We Were” ranks among Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All-Time.

Barbra: The Music, The Mem’ries, The Magic
T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas
Saturday, August 6th
Click HERE for info and tickets

Get into it!
#Barbra