The Concert: 1994 Tour

Streisand's note to fans in 1994 tour program

On this page:

Barbra's 1994 concert program

(Above: The Streisand 1994 tour program was 14" x 11" and 28 pages long; it was full of beautiful color and black and white photos depicting Barbra's career.)

Streisand tour merchandise

(Above: Some of the concert merchandise: hats, ties, watches, programs, and T-Shirts.)

 

Wembley Arena

London, England

April 20, 25, 27, 29, 1994

Streisand waves to fans in London Prince Charles meets Streisand backstage

(Photo, above): Marvin Hamlisch, Prince Charles, Marty Erlichman, and Barbra backstage at Wembley.

When Barbra Streisand announced she was touring in 1994, the 18 shows sold out in one hour. The tour was scheduled to begin in London.

Barbra's opening night remarks in London ...

My first time in Europe! People have been asking me, you know, why are you touring after 28 years? And I tell them, if you came from California — between the earthquakes, the mudslides, and fires — you'd hit the road, too!

I love London. [shouts from audience]. I love you, too, I love your accents, your manners. I chose it to be the first city on my tour because I love London so much. I loved it from the very first moment I came here, I remember, in 1961. I love — besides the people, the architecture, the sense of history — I even love the food. I could live on little tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off!

Anyway, I couldn't wait to come back here again. In 1966 I opened in Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre, and I remember opening night Princess Margaret came. And the audience was so distracted by her presence that their reactions were way off. So when she came backstage I said to her, 'You should be here on a night when you're not here.' She never came back."

Enter Barbra with 20 bags 40 dresses and a plastic bucket

Listen to Barbra's remarks in London about the tabloids:

On April 25th in London, Barbra added "Somewhere" as the closer of the second act, which Prince Charles attended. She also serenaded him with “Someday My Prince Will Come.” According to Rick Starr, manager of Hollywood Sheet Music, Barbra's tribute to the Prince started with a call to his store, asking for the sheet music to be faxed to the U.K. It was such a rush job, Starr explained, that Streisand's staff waited on the other end of the line, snatching up the pages as they came through. “The next day I read in the paper that she sang the song to the Prince of Wales,” Starr said. “In a way, I was there.”

Streisand with Brits

(Singer Elton John threw a 52nd birthday party for Streisand while she was in London. Barbra is pictured here with: [left to right] Shirley Bassey, David Frost, Michael Caine, and John.)

Streisand utilized a different line (supplied by Stephen Sondheim) in "I'm Still Here" during the London shows: "If she won't cap her teeth, she should cap her nose" was replaced with "As for the nose, it's like Cyrano's."

Barbra deleted "Once Upon A Dream" from the Disney medley. And Barbra premiered her "Yentl" medley, singing along with the video of herself on "Piece of Sky."

London 1994 Set List:

Concert divan

Act I

Act II

* opening night only

** April 25, 27, 29 only

Streisand in London newspaper

 

USAir Arena

Landover, Maryland

May 10, 12, 1994

Streisand waves at USAir Arena

(Left: Columbia Records drove a billboard around D.C. advertising the show and albums .... Photo, above: May 10, 1994 ... Barbra Streisand waves to a sold out crowd at USAir Area in Landover, Md. to start her tour of the United States. Streisand is on the first stop of her five city tour, her first in 28 years. Photo by: Carlos Osorio.)

Washington, D.C. Set List:

Act I

Full page newspaper ad for Streisand's DC concert

Act II

Barbra's opening patter:

“I’m a political junkie so I always find Washington D. C. very fascinating, even though they’re always putting Hollywood down. And when some of us were invited to Washington last year, we were called terrible names. We were called nitwits, airheads, we were accused of not being serious, not being able to think straight like those in government ... which is very funny since Hollywood makes billions and the government owes trillions. Look, I once confessed in an article that I wrote that I used to steal bubble gum when I was kid, growing up, from the candy store in my neighborhood ... so, I could never run for office because if they found out, I could just see the headlines now: BUBBLEGATE! One good thing if I did though....I could do my own fundraisers!”

The Palace of Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills, Michigan

May 15, 17, 19, 1994

Streisand in Detroit

Barbra's opening remarks from Michigan:

'Why Detroit?' ... it's a kind of sentimental journey because Detroit was my first club date outside New York in 1961. Some of you were there? I remember all the friends that I made here and how nice everyone was to me ... and I remember my friends who used to come to every show and watch me and then take me into their homes and feed me. And I never forget people who feed me.

Barbra was in great voice during the Detroit shows. The Concert was still a work in progress, though—Barbra cut the "I'm in the Mood For Love" medley, but kept "What Is This Thing Called Love?" in the show.

Barbra continued to use the long versions of "I'm Still Here," "I'll Know," and "Lover Man." "Evergreen" moved to the first act.

Detroit Set List:

Act I

Detroit newspaper ad

Act II

Detroit ticket

(Scan, above): Ticket and newspaper ad provided by Tigh Malone.

Barbra told Vanity Fair magazine in 1994:

When I was in Detroit, I thought, 'I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 15 shows.' It's pretty exhausting physically. It's a lot of breathing; you have to be in pretty good shape. And I don't work out vocally. I don't practice. It's the most boring thing you can imagine, doing scales. So I just said, 'F-- it, I can't.' I'm too tired the next day after a concert.

Listen to Barbra's opening remarks about working at the Caucus Club in Detroit:

Madison Square Garden

New York, New York

June 20, 23, 26, 28, 30, 1994

July 10, 12, 1994

New York backstage

(Above: Barbra mugs backstage in her cream-colored gown before making her entrance. Her assistant, Renata, is on the left; Marty Erlichman is on the right.)

Barbra returned to her home, New York City, in June and July 1994. She performed for fans at Madison Square Garden, recorded the concert there for the CD release, and "set" the show in the final running order that she'd use for the rest of the tour.

Ticket stub to Madison Square Garden concert

Streisand shop in Bloomingdales newspaper ad

Barbra also wore different gowns in New York. Opening night audiences were greeted with a gorgeous all-white version of the Vegas dress.

NYC gowns

During the Second Act of some New York shows, Barbra wore a more relaxed pantsuit, rather than the fitted, beaded 'get-up' she introduced in Vegas.

Streisand in loose pantsuit

NY Times review Streisand on Jumbotron

On July 12—Barbra's last show in New York— a video of her closing song, “Somewhere," was simulcast on the giant television screen in Times Square. This moment is preserved on the 2-disc CD. You can hear Barbra say, "Hello Times Square!" Streisand's tour publicist Ken Sunshine explained, "She felt so good coming home, she wanted to make this one last gesture for the people."

Barbra's Top 10 List of Why We Saved New York For Last!

“Since the Top 10 list is the intellectual property of CBS, I’ve decided to do my own top 8 List!”

8. At the start of the tour in April, I took a number at Zabar’s, I came back when it was called!
7. In May, I got in a taxi at 30th and Fifth, the driver just found the place!
6. I love humidity!
5. We couldn ’t park to unload the trucks, because of alternate side, no standing, no sitting, street-cleaning, no stopping, no reclining, bus-stop, school zone, restricted, kosher, every 3rd Tuesday, fat chance parking regulations!
4. I decided to wait until the Mets were in 1 st place! And then I decided to come anyway!
3. I thought NY needed more excitement than just the Knicks, the Rangers, the Yankees, the Gay Games!
2. Summer sale at Bloomingdale ’s
1. It’s my HOME!

Arrowhead Pond + San Jose Arena

Anaheim, Calif. Arrowhead Pond—June 2, 4, 1994

San Jose, Calif. San Jose Arena—June 7, 9, 1994

Anaheim Arrowhead Pond—July 18, 20, 22, 24, 1994

Streisand on Anaheim stage

Newspaper story about Streisand's laryngitis

After a bout with viral laryngitis (and canceling four Anaheim concerts, which were rescheduled for later in July), Streisand took to the stage in Anaheim with a Top Ten List of Reasons Why She Didn't Perform (a la David Letterman):

10. I always wanted to spend four hot, muggy days in Anaheim in the middle of July.

9. I was trying to work out Dan Rostenkowski's* plea bargain.

8. I didn't know it would take a whole week to dust all this furniture.

7. I was at home waiting for the cable guy.

6. I hurt my voice yelling, "Yabba Dabba Doo!"

5. I wanted to get Barbra Streisand tongue depressors into the boutiques.

4. There was a shoe sale at Nordstrom's.

3. I thought my concert tour needed more publicity.

2. It took me three days to read Dan Quayle's new book—and four days to correct the spelling.

1. Every time I started to drive here, I got sidetracked and drove to Disneyland instead.

* Rostenkowski was indicted on corruption charges in 1994 for his key role in the House post office scandal.

Elayne Boosler

Note: Comedienne Elayne Boosler, according to her website, wrote Streisand's comedy material. “In 1995 [Boosler] wrote city by city (including London) customized material for Barbra Streisand to use in her show on her summer tour. She did this as a favor as she does not write for other people’s acts, but the four months of daily work was very satisfying when it was so well received. Almost the entire New York monologue that she wrote for Streisand was quoted glowingly on the cover of the New York Times entertainment section, and part of the political material in particular was quoted everywhere. Also, a top ten list that she wrote for Streisand to explain her postponed Los Angeles area shows was so funny that it was printed in its entirety on the cover of the Los Angeles Times entertainment section, excerpted in newspapers across the country, and run on CNN and all the networks...”

In San Jose, Barbra repeated the Top Ten list.

Streisand reads top ten list in california

Barbra performed a string of successful shows in New York between her California shows (see above).

Then, to wrap up the entire tour, Barbra headed back to the West Coast to perform at Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond.

Her final show was videotaped as a television special.

After singing the last song ("Somewhere") Barbra told the audience they were taping the show and requested they stay for some additional takes of songs. "I have to come on and sing 'Evergreen'. Then I have to change my outfit to a different color of white ... but you'll be on TV now!"

Barbra and her television crew did a 'take' of "Evergreen."

Streisand on stage

"Marvin," Barbra said, "You have to make the people laugh while I change my whites [her white outfit in the 2nd Act], okay? Because this other one has to be for another show that's going to be on August 21st. HBO!"

Marvin Hamlisch talked to the audience on a microphone and played for them while Barbra changed outfits.

Then Barbra came out again and sang "Somewhere", including her spoken introduction.

Next Barbra introduced some "pickups for 'The Way We Were'," because they needed some closeups for the television taping. Barbra joked her way through the song, talking between lyric lines but got serious for the last 1/3 of the song.

"Do you mind doing 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' again?" The audience laughed, as if she had to ask! As Marvin Hamlisch readied the orchestra, someone yelled out to Barbra about another tour. "My next tour? In 27 years." The audience laughed and applauded. Someone else yelled out "Stoney End" and Barbra said, "Another lifetime ago..."

End.

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