Not even 25 and CBS had handed the young Streisand a TV special where she was given more than a little free rein to dictate the composition and structure of the show. Working with Broadway choreographer Joe Layton, Streisand put together a three act showcase of her musical diversity, vocal range and beguiling comic sensibilities.
Act One has a lot of fun with an Alice in Wonderland theme, which allows Barbra to revisit her Brooklyn childhood in the songs 'A Kid Again', 'I'm Five' and 'Sweet Zoo'. This is the kind of vibrant comic clowning that she would later bring to her star-defining turn in WHAT'S UP DOC.
Act Two goes into the young Streisand's club act, replete with rather provocative renditions of 'I've Got the Blues' and 'Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime?'. What is most fascinating in this sequence is the way that she casually pokes fun at her male comic peers, with near-perfect spoofs on the likes of Mel Brooks and Dean Martin.
Act Three is where the full extent of Streisand incredible vocal range is put on display. 'Lover, Come Back to Me' is possibly the best song of the whole special and it is genuinely amazing to consider that Streisand was so young and effectively making her mainstream TV debut. A born performer and a once-in-a -lifetime entertainer, this was so much more than the calling card that CBS must have been expecting. After this, everyone knew who Barbra was.
Act One has a lot of fun with an Alice in Wonderland theme, which allows Barbra to revisit her Brooklyn childhood in the songs 'A Kid Again', 'I'm Five' and 'Sweet Zoo'. This is the kind of vibrant comic clowning that she would later bring to her star-defining turn in WHAT'S UP DOC.
Act Two goes into the young Streisand's club act, replete with rather provocative renditions of 'I've Got the Blues' and 'Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime?'. What is most fascinating in this sequence is the way that she casually pokes fun at her male comic peers, with near-perfect spoofs on the likes of Mel Brooks and Dean Martin.
Act Three is where the full extent of Streisand incredible vocal range is put on display. 'Lover, Come Back to Me' is possibly the best song of the whole special and it is genuinely amazing to consider that Streisand was so young and effectively making her mainstream TV debut. A born performer and a once-in-a -lifetime entertainer, this was so much more than the calling card that CBS must have been expecting. After this, everyone knew who Barbra was.