A SAG Life Achievement Award for Barbra

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 7:34pm

Excellent !!

https://www.sagaftra.org/barbra-streisand-be-honored-2023-sag-life-achievement-award#:~:text=The%20legendary%20actor%2C%20singer%2C%20producer,career%20achievements%20and%20humanitarian%20accomplishments.

Updated On: 2/1/24 at 07:34 PM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/1/24 at 10:28pm

She must have manifested it through the power of her mind, the "universe conspiring" to help her.

Not that it is not deserved. It is. She is a great actor, better on screen than on stage. Stephen Sondheim was not that impressed with her in Funny Girl, he said she was unable to act and sing well at the same time.

She has been in some dud movies but her own acting work has always been wonderful. I'm guessing this will mean a lot to her, she values her craft as an actor above her talent as a singer. To be recognized by her peers like this is special. Also it will help sell her book some more.

Congratulations, Barbra.

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 10:08am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "She must have manifested it through the power of her mind, the "universe conspiring" to help her.

Not that it is not deserved. It is. She is a great actor, better on screen than on stage. Stephen Sondheim was not that impressed with her in Funny Girl, he said she was unable to act and sing well at the same time.

She has been in some dud movies but her own acting work has always been wonderful. I'm guessing this will mean a lot to her, she values her craft as an actor above her talent as a singer. To be recognized by her peers like this is special. Also it will help sell her book some more.

Congratulations, Barbra."

I did some digging after the last time you posted that comment on Streisand from Sondheim, and he actually said that about Ethel Merman.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 10:16am

Maybe he said it about Ethel too, but he definitely said it about Barbra. Hear it from his own mouth, if you do not believe me. At about ten minutes in. 

 

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 11:26am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "She must have manifested it through the power of her mind, the "universe conspiring" to help her.

Not that it is not deserved. It is. She is a great actor, better on screen than on stage. Stephen Sondheim was not that impressed with her in Funny Girl, he said she was unable to act and sing well at the same time.

She has been in some dud movies but her own acting work has always been wonderful. I'm guessing this will mean a lot to her, she values her craft as an actor above her talent as a singer. To be recognized by her peers like this is special. Also it will help sell her book some more.

Congratulations, Barbra."

How do we know she was better on screen than onstage? Because of Sondheim's opinion of her in the one show she ever needed to act in. I love him, I really do, but musical theatre existed before Stephen Sondheim and will continue to exist after him. The deification and the idea that every thing he ever said about theatre is equivalent to God delivering the Ten Commandments is such a boring way to interact with an artform that in many ways existed for almost 50 years before he started writing.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 11:47am

Okay, forget what Sondheim said. What I’m really basing my opinion on is Barbra herself. She gave up musical theatre over fifty years ago, her heart was not in it. She was unable to be at her best for eight shows a week for over a year. Which is perfectly understandable and I don’t judge her for it.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:05pm

Here is Sondheim presenting the 1992 "Grammy Legend Award" to Streisand.

Enough with the frigging negativity.  Barbra deserves every award she has received.  I'm here to celebrate her latest achievement.  WELL DONE, Barbra Joan Streisand !! 

 

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:19pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "…her heart was not in it. She was unable to be at her best for eight shows a week for over a year. Which is perfectly understandable and I don’t judge her for it."


What are you talking about?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:27pm

What do you not understand?

She is a method actor. She hates repeating a performance in exactly the same way over and over again. She needs to draw on her reserve of genuine emotion to achieve her goal, and to do this eight times a week became increasingly difficult for her. She says herself that she was over it after opening night, and describes an 18 month run as a “prison sentence”.

I do not think it unreasonable to suggest that she is better suited to the screen.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:31pm

I hate to break it to you but millions of people who are unsatisfied with their jobs go to work every day and do a damn good job. It’s called being a professional.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:37pm

And I hate to break it to you, but pouring your heart out every night is not the same thing as working on an airport check-in desk.

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:38pm

What a wonderful interview. Thanks for finding that. I doubted he said that because it just makes no sense. Indeed, he says you may be shocked, and indeed I am. Even geniuses are wrong and I am going to guess he saw her on one of her many off nights where she slept walked through Funny Girl because she was bored. If anyone acts a song it's Barbra. Listen to any of the recordings she and Steve collaborated on. What a baffling statement, Steve!!!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 12:54pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "And I hate to break it to you, but pouring your heart out every night is not the same thing as working on an airport check-in desk."

I gather you’ve never been on stage. If you think everyone on Broadway is pouring their heart out eight times a week then you don’t know much about show biz, kid. It’s called technique.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:07pm

Yes. I am fully aware of that.

It is a technique that Barbra does not use.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:12pm

Right, so she did an 18 month run on Broadway in a beast of a role and only missed one performance but she has no technique. Got it.


Congrats, Barbra!

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:18pm

TotallyEffed said: "Right, so she did an 18 month run on Broadway in a beast of a role and only missed one performance but she has no technique. Got it.


Congrats, Barbra!"

Barbra describes herself as lazy and admitted she hated doing Funny Girl and her run in that show is one of the only examples I've heard of (Brando in Streetcar and Kahn in Twentieth century being the other two) where a performer became notorious for phoning it in half the time. Look, I know Jay is annoying but he's basically correct on this.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:19pm

Her body turned up for the performance, her soul did not. To quote MysteriousLady, “one of her many performances where she slept walked through the role because she was bored". I’m quite confident that Barbra herself would agree with me on this one.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:23pm

Me... annoying?

Never.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 1:53pm

MysteriousLady said: "TotallyEffed said: "Right, so she did an 18 month run on Broadway in a beast of a role and only missed one performance but she has no technique. Got it.


Congrats, Barbra!"

Barbra describes herself as lazy and admitted she hated doing Funny Girl and her run in that show is one of the only examples I've heard of (Brando in Streetcar and Kahn in Twentieth century being the other two) where a performer became notorious for phoning it in half the time. Look, I know Jay is annoying but he's basically correct on this."

 

I'm not denying that Barbra has made it very clear that eight shows a week wasn't her thing. Her and many Broadway performers have struggled with the grueling schedule of being on Broadway. It's not really a new or singular thing. She was stretched very thin as her music career had already exploded and her issues with her co-star were a big problem for her. My issue with Jay's comments is the implication that Barbra was incapable of doing the job. On the contrary, she only missed one show (highly impressive and professional) and then went on to reprise the role in London. How she felt about the run doesn't really matter. If you can find a quote where Barbra admits that her disillusionment with being in a show eight times a week made her phone in a half-assed performance I'd be very curious to read it.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 2:28pm

Here is a photo gallery of those who have been honored with a "SAG Life Achievement Award" dating back to Eddie Cantor in 1962.  Barbra Streisand is in excellent company.

https://www.sagawards.org/nominees/life-achievement-award-recipient/59th

Updated On: 2/2/24 at 02:28 PM

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 2:33pm

She missed only one performance... so what? That’s admirable, and shows a strong work ethic... but not necessarily indicative of the quality of performance.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 3:09pm

TotallyEffed said: "Right, so she did an 18 month run on Broadway in a beast of a role and only missed one performance but she has no technique. Got it.

Congrats, Barbra!"

Missed one performance? Um, Lainie Kazan went on for her for both the 2pm matinee and 8pm evening performances of Wednesday February 10, 1965. After Lainie left the show a few months later, the new standby Linda Gerard went on for Barbra a handful of times. I can get the dates if you need them.

Also, many who did the Barbra run of FUNNY GIRL, including then-dancer Bob Avian, have confirmed she had 3 different versions she’d perform weekly - Versions A, B, and C. Version A was the full version, and Versions B and C, the ones she did at matinees, were shorter versions of the show - Version B had the second verses to songs cut and Version C, the even shorter version shortened or cut scenes. The cast was informed at the 30 minute call which version of the show was being done at that performance. 

The Streisand Technique is glorious AND you get home earlier a few times a week. 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 3:19pm

TotallyEffed needs to hear it directly from Barbra herself before it can be believed.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 3:21pm

Missed one day, pardon me.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/2/24 at 3:26pm

TotallyEffed said: "Missed one day, pardon me."

Lainie did one day (2 performances).

Linda Gerard did like 5-6 performances as Barbra’s standby. 

Barbra did NOT just miss “one day.”