[f_minor] "My Night With Barbra" ~A copy from my personal acct. that I wrote to a friend~

Tue Jul 20 06:06:36 EDT 2010

 Please don't think  I'm 'daft' but I just wanted to send along a copy of 
my 'review' (of a  sort) conveying how it was to see the 'iconic' Ms. Barbra 
Streisand  alive and well, and still very much "at the top of her 
game"...sixteen  years ago. Since the discussion has been going back and forth in the  
e-mails about *Ms. S.* I thought you might be interested in reading  this 
'first hand account' of that night, that I had written about it, some  months 
ago to a friend, and fellow "Gouldian." I have always felt  lucky that I 
had this privilege, and I do like to share the memories with  'like-minded' 
people...(if you'd like to read it)...please scroll down  and enjoy:    

My Dear  

Now, I want to just "finish what I  started telling you yesterday" about 
seeing Barbra in her  concert tour back in 1994. Oh my, what a night that was! 
 And  so, I continue ......

              (Portraits By  Artemis)                 

(BTW, have you ever drawn her portrait, dear? It  seems like
she might be pretty easy to do, do you think  so)?

One of the biggest thrills of my life was in July 1994, when my  friend and 
I saw Barbra Streisand live, in concert, at the huge  "Arrowhead Pond" in 
Anaheim, CA. (Here it is):

She sang there again in 2006 -- but we  didn't go to this one...
        [although I would have loved to]! The tickets were  $350.00...      

when we'd seen her in '94, & for those same  seats we 
heard they were $500.00 & above in '06!  
So, I bought the DVD instead!  

Well, she was even more magnificent in person than on the movie  screen or 
TV -- and her voice was as fabulous and strong as it  had ever been!  You 
know, Richard Simmons dubbed her "God's  Bell" years ago, and I must say, that 
is a great nickname for  her! What a voice and what control, the best I've 
ever seen and  heard! She is so much better in person, in every way too! Her 
 singing was flawless and she didn't miss a beat ~ and, she was  just 
gorgeous! We were awestruck the whole evening!

Also this; I was pleasantly surprised at how funny she  was...and just so 
'cute' when she'd tell her stories, as good as any  professional comedienne 
I've seen! She did a whole 'bit' as herself  talking to her psychiatrist (who 
was just this big,  booming [disembodied] voice, talking to her from off 
stage).  The whole thing was hilarious, with her lying back on a chaise  
lounge talking to her "shrink" who was responding like a real Dr.  would. She was 
so funny and it really showed her 'comedic'  side. I loved her more than I 
ever had, after that night -- and  I can truthfully say it was the best 
performance I've ever seen (and  I've been to many, through the years)!

Another thing I recall is how graceful she was! She "floated"  down a long 
staircase on the stage, in a super-long gown, without  looking down at the 
steps at all -- just gliding down that  stairway like a graceful swan, and 
that long, white  'clinging' Donna Karan gown "floated" down with her, every  
step of the way! 

Now, say, if I was her 'understudy' some night, and if I'd have  to walk 
down those same stairs in a long, clingy gown, I would have  gotten my high 
heels so 'tangled up' in the hem of it,  then I would have turned the whole 
stage 'set' into a "Horror Movie Scene" and gone  tumbling down like a 'sack 
of potatoes' rolling on out  into the lap of some elderly, screaming dowager 
in the
audience's front row, who'd be yelling; "Where's Barbra?  Usher, get this 
klutsy, dumpy old-lady off of me and give me my  $1,000.00 back!!"   

.................. 

~ "Argh-hh!!! I knew I  couldn't maneuver these stairs in this 
'blankety-blank'  gown... 
 and singin' "Hello Dolly" at the same  time!!! How in the _ _ _ _ does 
Bawbwa do it"?!  ~  

Tee-hee, I had fun with that! Now...I'll be serious the  rest of the way! 
But, we actually did worry that she would trip and  fall, or at least 
stumble! But she didn't mess up once -- it was  just really unbelievable! Oh, and 
not a hair out of place, the  whole show! It "floated like silk" (just like 
her gown) with her  every move, too!

The most impressive thing (besides her voice, of course) was  how graceful 
she moved, it was just amazing! Another thing, she  never got out of breath 
at all....even during her long-winded  numbers, or the times when she'd 
dance around and sing at the same  time! And those hands!! You know I was 
looking at them, more  than her face!!    I had my  husband's military binoculars 
that night, & I could see "every  perfectly manicured fingernail" and the 
skin on her hands  [and what we saw of her arms] looked as soft as a baby's 
bum!  The 'form' of her hands are just gorgeous -- as pretty as any hand  
models, I'm sure! And she 'uses' them well, very expressive with  them as you 
have probably noticed, too (as we both have the  'thing' about hands). I had 
always noticed them when I'd seen her on  TV & in the movies, but when she's 
on stage and just "being  Barbra" those hands "talk and sing" right along 
with her!

She was just perfect in every way, and this was truly one of  the best 
nights of my life! I bought a T-Shirt and a fancy program  of the show, which I 
still have and they're like new! I've worn the  T-shirt dozens of times, and 
it has stayed nice all these  years...hasn't faded at all, and her picture 
on the front is like  new too! They must have been made of top material, as 
it  still looks great!  

Well, dear...this was my "Night With Barbra"...and it was  unforgettable!! 
It's hard to believe that it's been 16 years  ago, this July...but it has 
been. What a thrill it was, and the  memories of it have remained 'fresh' even 
after this many years! If  you ever get a chance to see her in concert -- 
do it! No matter what  the tickets would cost, it will be worth it!!!

Now, I found a whole Web site about the concert we saw -- plus  I ran 
across a couple of videos on Y/T that were filmed the same  time (maybe even the 
night we were there)! BTW, it was the night of  the *Stars* when we went 
too, as it was a "make-up" night from what  was to be the opening night that 
year, when she had to cancel  several shows due to a bad case of 
laryingitis...and they had  to reschedule. So, all of the stars that had tickets for that 
 certain night were there, along with 'us' & the rest of the  'common 
fans'. At the intermission, the house lights went up, and  with my binoculars I 
saw more stars than I ever dreamed of seeing in  my lifetime! I'll name a few 
who I can remember: Sidney Pointier  & his wife, Tom Hanks & wife, Rob 
Reiner & wife, Tom  Selleck & wife, Don Johnson, and so many  others...anyway, 
that gives you an idea!  

_Click here: Barbra Streisand Archives | The  Concert 1994 Tour_ 
(http://barbra-archives.com/live/90s/concert_streisand_tour.html#cali)  

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9YyKm93a9g_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9YyKm93a9g) 

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSLrL7UCCnY_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSLrL7UCCnY) 

  My son, Kevin, fell in love  with her, after seeing "Hello Dolly" 
 (as a little boy, back in the  day). He thought she was the 
 *prettiest* woman he'd ever  seen! When he'd see her picture 
  on  magazines, etc. etc. he'd have to come & show it to us,  
pointing and saying; "This is Hello Dolly  ~ shee'z perty!" 
 (He thought that was her  name,
  isn't that a 'hoot')?!  

     * Those  Hands!!! *             

"That's All For  Now"  

         'Buh-bye!!!!           
      Helen      

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