Legendary superstar Barbra Streisand was greeted with a standing ovation as she stepped out onto the stage at San Jose's SAP Center on Thurs., Aug. 4. Looking decades younger than her 74 years, the diva wowed the crowd with Barbra: The Music, The Mem'ries, The Magic, a two-hour journey down memory lane.
Streisand opened her set with her 1973 hit "The Way We Were," a fitting start for an evening in which the diva looked back upon a wondrous career that includes Oscars, Grammys, and many other awards. She has sold more than 100 million albums during a recording career that goes all the way back to 1961's The Barbra Streisand Album.
Streisand's voice has lost none of its emotional power. She had the audience cheering with every number. She was one of the first celebrities to develop a social conscience as part of her public persona, and spoke eloquently about her concerns regarding the direction we might be heading. During a heartfelt rendition of Carole King's anti-war ballad "Being at War with Each Other," Streisand stood before a large screen. Images of the civil rights movement, the women's movement, the burning Twin Towers on 9/11, ACT-UP, Pulse nightclub, and the recent Congressional sit-in for meaningful gun control flashed onscreen as a mesmerized audience applauded in approval.
Streisand also expressed her support for Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and threw a few witty barbs in the direction of GOP nominee Donald Trump. The audience clearly agreed with her.
It was a simple show. Backed by a small orchestra and three back-up singers, Streisand looked stunning in a black pants-suit for her first act. She twirled around the stage in a flowing gown for her second act. For most of the show, she stood alone on the stage.
Every decade of her career was represented. She recalled the album-cover shoot for her 1964 album People, then belted out the record's star-making title track. She had the audience screaming with delight during the evening's take on "Don't Rain on my Parade" from Funny Girl, which established her as a movie star. Songs from her films Funny Lady (1975) and A Star Is Born (1976) followed. She also gave a strong performance of her 1981 hit, the feminist anthem "Woman in Love."
Streisand spoke of her love for the filmmaking process. To date she has directed three features and has a fourth in the works. She made her debut as a filmmaker with 1983's Yentl. Her concert performance of that film's "Papa Can You Hear Me," a tribute to her late father, was particularly moving.
The star also plugged her forthcoming CD Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, in which she performs duets with fellow movie stars who are not known for their singing abilities. Brief clips of the CD's recording sessions show Streisand bringing out the best in a list of actors who include Alec Baldwin, Patrick Wilson, Chris Pine, Jamie Foxx and Melissa McCarthy.
The audience ate up every second of it, and Streisand herself was clearly having a great time. Towards the end of the show she brought down the house yet again with a powerful performance of a song she first sang 55 years ago, "Happy Days Are Here Again." It was indeed a happy evening in San Jose.