Barbra Streisand on TV:
The Concert: Live at the MGM Grand
(Dec. 31, 1993 & Jan. 1, 1994)
Released direct to DVD on 3/30/2004
Conceived & Directed by: Barbra Streisand
Executive Producers: Martin Erlichman & Barbra Streisand
Musical Direction & Arrangements by: Marvin Hamlisch
Produced for Television by: Gary Smith & Dwight Hemion
Directed for Television by: Dwight Hemion
Music Supervision: Jay Landers
DVD 5.1 Mix by: Bill Schnee
The Special:
Act I
Overture • As If We Never Said Goodbye • I'm Still Here / Everybody Says Don't / Don't Rain On My Parade (medley) • Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine • I'll Know • People • Lover Man • Will He Like Me? • He Touched Me • I'm In The Mood For Love / Speak Low / Guilty (medley) • What Is This Thing Called Love? • The Man That Got Away • On A Clear Day
Act II
Entr'acte • The Way We Were • You Don't Bring Me Flowers • Linda Richman (Mike Myers) • Once Upon A Dream / When You Wish Upon A Star / Someday My Prince Will Come (medley) • Not While I'm Around • Ordinary Miracles • Evergreen • Happy Days • My Man • For All We Know
Bonus Videos:
When The Sun Comes Out (from My Name Is Barbra) • It Had To Be You (from Color Me Barbra)
In hindsight, we all know that Barbra eventually took her show on the road and performed a 'sentimental journey' tour by visiting the cities where she started her singing career. But there was something special about the Las Vegas concerts.
The press and hype around the Vegas shows added to their mystique. As usual, Barbra created a buzz around her performances simply because she rarely gave live performances. It was like going to see some exotic flower that only bloomed once every 27 years! If Central Park was a "happening" then Las Vegas was (as the ads deemed it) "the event of a lifetime.
What is This Thing Called Love? is the best new performance included on the disc. It's nice to see Barbra doing an uptempo number and really getting into it. Seeing Marvin Hamlisch vigorously conducting the orchestra behind her, smiling, is a sure sign that they were both enjoying the percussive drive of this number.
The Mike Myers guest appearance is longer than what they used on the CBS broadcast. Several lines have been reinserted, making the skit funnier ("Don't toy with me, I'm not a play-thing.")
It's interesting that "Not While I'm Around" was lifted from Vegas for the Anaheim show — the only difference is that in Anaheim, Barbra says Jason was there "tonight and opening night." On this DVD, Barbra says Jason was there "tonight and last night."
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copyright © 2003-2007 Matt Howe
