Barbra's "Back To Brooklyn"

I was, Baba was like buttah! Had the bsst seat in the house, first row behind the stage. When she exited she stopped and tawked to us, We could reach out and touch her.

She apparently changed her song selection from Thursday. Wonder what was different.

Heard Travolta was in the audience.

Did Babra sing Babar?

I was there Saturday night- and I was blown away. What a show, and what a lady.

I thought the opening to the show was brilliant- short slide show featuring pictures of her as a young girl growing up to the point of Funny Girl, all while a record of a teenage Barbra singing "You'll Never Know" was playing. At the end the large white drapes where ripped down from the stage to reveal her 60 piece orchestra and she rose from the center stage. Huge ovation and then, As If We Never Said Goodbye with special Brooklyn lyrics- a perfect opening.

The show itself was very good, loved her song selection and thought the addition of Il Vollo, Chris Botti and her song Jason, who make no mistake is not a Sinatra Jr.- this kid can sing- were wonderful.

I loved the Barclay Center and thought the staff was great- but those seats are STEEP! Means your not as far away from the seat, but you take your life into your hands just walking across the isle to your seat.

Muscle; If you had to shave off 15 minutes from the show.. what would it be?

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The guests performed too many songs, she should be starting the show on time at 8pm or maybe 8.10pm, but not later than that, also she could have just done "People" and closed the show, people kept walking out while she was singing the last 2 or 3 slow songs she sang after. The encores were not people-pleasers.

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Well Richard J ( her director) is on here all the time. So hopefully he reads your comments.

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Here's the set list from saturday night. I noticed some differences in the order of the songs...

1. Funny Girl Overture (Orchestra)
2. As if we never said goodbye
3. Nice and Easy/That Face
4. The way he makes me feel (from Yentl)
5. Bewitched, bothered and bewilded
6. Didn't we
7. Smile (with Il Volo)
8. Un amore cosi grande (Il Volo)
9. O sole mio (Il volo)
10. Q & A section
11. Sam, you made the pants too long
12. Guilty
13. Enough is enough
14. The way we were / Through the eyes of love
15. Being good isn't good enough
16. Rose's turn / Some People / Don't eain on my parade

INTERMISSION

16. "On a clear day you can see forever" (orchestra)
17. You're the top
18. What'll I do?
19. My funny valentine
20. Lost inside of you (with Cris Botti)
21. Evergreen (With Chris Botti)
22. Emmanuel (Chris Botti)
23. How deep is the ocean?(Video- Barbra´s birthday present from her son)
24. Masquerade (Jason Gould)
25. People
26. Here's to life
27. Make our garden grow (with Il Volo, Chris Botti and Brooklyn Youth Chorus)
28. Somewhere
29. Some other time
30. People ("exit music" by the orchestra)
31. Happy days are here again
32. Happy days are here again ("exit music").

About the last 4 songs, I must say that "Somewhere" was sort of a snippet with only the last "Somehow, someday, somewhere" being sung by Barbra and the chorus. This part was really exciting.

After "some other time", the orchestra began to play "people" as Barbra's exit music, but then she talked to the public behind the stage and came back to sing "happy days are here again".

She made a brief speech about "not telling us who to vote for" (hehe), and closed saying that music "trascends politics", before singing "happy days are here again".

The entr'cte was a short version of "On a clear day you can see forever" by the orchestra.

And the final exit music was "Happy days are here again", instrumental.

About the Q & A question, I took some notes. Of course, I'm not quoting the exact words...

Question 1:
Do you get tired of "People"?

Answer: I suppose you mean the song, you don't want me to talk about people I get tired of.

Question 2: (this question was by someone called "Sierra Boggess", and Barbra said: "Sierra Boggess, what a name!!")

Q: "After 50 years of carrer -oy! I already hate this question, said Barbra- is there any mountain you still have to climb"
A: "Well, I don't even want to climb stairs, I came to the stage by elevator, didn't you notice?"

Hilarious!

Question 3:
Something like "what do think of reality TV"
A: "Oh I hate it. I prefer fantasy Tv. Like Fox News"

(big laughs)

Question 4:
"What do you think of artists wholyp-synch"
"I'm very bad doing that, so I apologyze but I have to sing live"

Question 5:

Something about "being politycally outspoken"... And I don't remember her answer.

Finally, I want to note that Barbra said -in a scripted conversation with Chris Botti- that she has done only 84 concerts since 1963, that she has the exact count.

I was surprised that she has the exact count (not something difficult to do, since she hasn't done many tours).

Also she talked about "a happenning in central park" and how forgetting the lyrics was one of her fears... this, she said, kept her away from concert tours until 1994. (this has been said before, it was interesting to hear it live and from her...)

It was, overall, an amazing night. Her voice sounded great... And she was specially "on character" during the Gypsy songs.

Liza Minelli was in the audience. And also Perez Hilton.

Finally, I was surprised that Barbra said: I'm sure that must of you are from New york. And shw was surprised to hear that some people came from Florida to her concert. Well, she didn't hear me, but I came from Mexico City just for the week end to see Barbra.

(Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes, My first language is not english but spanish)

Updated On: 10/15/12 at 07:30 PM

The people she talked to behind the stage at the end were me and my friends. I was dying.

I have several videos....mostly posted to Facebook. Has it goe viral? hahaha

Not lee....Pam (thus the name). Everyone around us was video taping her. It was unbelievable. She was steps away from us. Whoever said behind the stage seats are bad can suck it!

Yes, On A Clear Day and Somewhere, were missing in that concert! When she did that little part of Somewhere, it was probably the best moment of the night, it lasted only 3 seconds?!

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