The Corporate Line: On the evening of June 17, 1967, Barbra Streisand and 150,000 of the “luckiest people in the world” gathered together in Central Park’s massive Sheep’s Meadow for a once-in-a-lifetime outdoor concert event. If New York were a kingdom, Barbra was its reigning queen. It was the most attended concert event of its time. Barbra turns the historic park into her own “backyard” as she performs signature hits like “He Touched Me,” “People,” “Second Hand Rose,” and “Happy Days Are Here Again.” An extraordinary evening with an audience…the star they came to see…under an open sky in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable.
The Review: Whether you’re a fan of Barbara Streisand and this type of pop-jazz music or not, there’s no denying the pure spectacle and kitsch entertainment value here. Ol’ Babs puts on a variety show of sorts in front of 99 acres of enthusiastic fans. But what makes this interesting is that it was one of the first of its kind—a massive social event encouraged by the city government to promote “urban revival.” While it’s not my cup of tea, the sound and production values on this TV special are quite impressive. Streisand’s voice as she runs through a campy and spirited set of standards is in fine form, and accompanied by the orchestra, sets and crowd, she’s truly larger than life. But it is odd that she closes the set with “Silent Night” during the middle of June! All in all, there’s a schmaltzy glitz about the proceedings that make the show hard to ignore, even if you’re not normally into this stuff—it’s anything but boring.
The Extras: The DVD comes with a double-sided collector’s poster.
Frankly: This DVD was originally part of a box set that sold several million copies last year. If you’re a fan, there’s no need to shell out all that cash anymore, as this installment—and others from that set—have been released individually with a much friendlier price tag. And it’s still one hell of a lot cheaper than the price of one of her current concert tickets. Stick with this.
+ Jim Kaz
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.