Bay Area native Kelly Brandeburg is the kind of performer that gay men love. Clad in a glittering, floor-length black gown with matching shoes, she took to the Society Cabaret stage on Sat., Aug. 1, to perform My Favorite Barbra, her one-woman tribute to the greatest star and Brandeburg's idol, Barbra Streisand.
Brandeburg's love for Streisand lit up the room. The diva-in-waiting displayed an impressive range as she belted out iconic tunes such as her lovely opening number "The Way We Were," followed by Streisand's Funny Girl show-stopper "I'm the Greatest Star." She sang from her heart, exposing a bit of her soul on the first song, and her comedic range on the second.
Calling herself a bit of a "Streisand Encyclopedia," Brandeburg covered songs from across the Streisand catalog. She recalled Streisand's first cabaret appearances in New York City more than 50 years ago. The audience laughed with Brandeburg as she spoke of how Streisand mesmerized her early audiences at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village as dishes clanked in the Bon Soir kitchen �" just as several dishes clanked in the Society Cabaret kitchen. Brandeburg then performed a haunting rendition of "Cry Me a River," the classic torch number that was one of Streisand's signature tunes at the Bon Soir. This was followed by the lovely "A Sleepin' Bee," the first song performed by Streisand on television in 1962.
With grand and dramatic gestures, Brandeburg took her audience back to the 1960s as she spoke of Streisand's extraordinary and rapid ascent into superstardom. Brandeburg is hilarious as she recreates "Miss Marmelstein," the song that got supporting player Streisand a standing ovation in the 1962 Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale. The show all but assured Streisand's future.
Brandeburg follows Streisand through the Funny Girl days, and relives some of the musicals her idol did in the aftermath of its extraordinary success. Streisand's star shone brightest during the 1970s. Brandeburg offers her own takes on that era's mega-hits, such as "Evergreen," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and "Stoney End," a Laura Nyro-penned tune in which Streisand adopted a more hip and contemporary sound.
Through it all Brandeburg's love and admiration for Streisand remained front-and-center. By the time she did her Yentl medley, the audience was eating out of Brandeburg's hand.
With its low-key lighting and portraits of literary figures gracing its walls, Society Cabaret was the perfect setting for Brandeburg's trip down memory lane. She delivered the goods: a lovely, old-fashioned cabaret act, the kind that Streisand might have done back at the Bon Soir.