New York, New York
September 27 & 28, 2000: Madison Square Garden, 8 pm
Preview
Performance
Related Links
Main Guide
Preview
Official Media Release July 19, 2000, announcing L.A. and NYC shows
FOUR CONCERTS, TWO CITIES, ONE VOICE, LAST TIME
STAPLES
CENTER, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN LAND
STREISAND'S FINAL PERFORMANCE
Barbra Streisand, whose "Timeless" concert in Las Vegas last New Year's Eve established the all-time single performance box office record, will do two concerts at Los Angeles's Staples Center (September 20, 21) and two more at New York's Madison Square Garden (September 27, 28) which her management confirms will ring down the curtain on one of the greatest... and rarest... personal appearance performing careers ever.
Martin Erlichman, the artist's career-long manager, stated, "Ms. Streisand has chosen to conclude her public performance career in the two cities most closely associated with her work."
Tickets will be placed on sale via TicketMaster for the Los Angeles concerts Sunday, July 30 and Monday, July 31 for the New York engagement. The singer's December 31, 1999 concert in Las Vegas established TicketMaster's record for highest one-day sales of a single event - entertainment or sports - in the company's 33-year history.
Ms. Streisand's public performances have been rare since the mid-60s. She historically has dedicated most of her creative time to her recording career, to her work as director, producer and actress in motion pictures and, recently, to her Barwood Films slate of issue-oriented motion pictures and documentaries for television. Prior to her 1993-94 pair of New Years concerts at the MGM Grand Garden, she had gone nearly three decades without performing for pay in public. Erlichman stated that Ms. Streisand is contemplating directing a motion picture in which she does not also star.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, her total of forty-two gold record albums makes her the highest selling female recording artist ever with number one albums in each of the last four decades and number one albums spanning a period of over 35 years, the greatest longevity in that statistic for any recording artist or group. Her 25 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums are similarly record-setting.
"We are proud that Barbra Streisand has chosen Staples Center to host what we believe will not only be the most important nights of our arena's young life, but an engagement that will go down as the premiere entertainment event ever," said Timothy J. Leiweke, President of Staples Center. "Choosing Staples Center for two of her final performances ever honors not only our arena but her fans in Los Angeles who will have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the greatest performers of our lifetime."
Mitch Slater, Executive Vice President of SFX, stated, "It is only natural that Barbra Streisand says goodbye to her legions of hometown fans from Madison Square Garden. We are thrilled and honored to have her play the world's most famous arena for her swan song." (7/19/00)
Tickets for the two Madison Square Garden shows
went on sale Monday, July 31,
2000 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time via ticketmaster.com and
select TicketMaster
outlets only (including telephone orders at 1-888-9BARBRA). Barbra's
final performance, Sept. 28, sold out in a few hours. Ticketmaster placed
additional seats on sale at on Sept. 21, so if you haven't reserved a seat,
this may be your last chance. Seats are priced in three categories:
$1,500, $350, $125. Refer to the seating
chart for details, which do not include price coding. 6 tickets
maximum may be ordered per buyer between both shows (not 6 tickets each
show). TicketMaster will cancel orders exceeding this
limit. Foreign orders will be accepted, but unlike tickets for U.S. buyers
which will be sent out in advance, tickets for foreign buyers will be held at
the Garden's will call office for pick-up beginning on August 28. VIP seating for
$2,500 in sections closest to the stage includes pre-show dinner and gift bag,
but is not available through TicketMaster. For VIP tickets call 212-245-0614,
ext. 23. Full-page advertising has appeared in The New York Times
(7/30/00) and other area publications. (9/22/00)
September 27, 2000
Overview: Fans from the New York City metropolitan area,
all over the country, and throughout the world had been gathering in the Big
Apple since the week began. All for Barbra Streisand...and the grand
celebration anticipated in the days leading up to and following Barbra's two
final concert performances at Madison Square Garden. Mothers brought
their daughters, who brought their daughters, who brought their
daughters, sons, cousins, friends, co-workers, and anyone who's enjoyed
Barbra Streisand's work for the past decade or the past four decades.
Newspapers were running features about Barbra, her career, her fans, and, of
course, her ticket prices. Subways, buses, cabs, and limos were
running ticket holders all over the city. The area around the Garden
was buzzing with excitement. Inside, during Barbra's Wednesday evening
performance, a devoted audience of 12,500 rose and cheered, together
creating 2 1/2 hours of musical memories they will never forget. Just
as Barbra had done so effortlessly in L.A. the previous week, she once again
tailored her show to the audience, joking and making impromptu asides,
introducing celebs, and substituting a song one of them had written,
"Send In The Clowns." While it's not necessary to compare
shows, the only concert that could have topped this marvelous one was the
following night, and from all accounts, it did just that. Below is the
set list for the Sept. 27-28 shows.
Act 1
- Overture (tap dancing)
- You'll Never Know (Lauren Frost)
- Something's Coming (with Frost)
- The Way We Were
- Shirley MacLaine Y1K (comedy dialogue)
- Cry Me A River
- Lover, Come Back To Me
- A Sleepin' Bee
- I'm The Greatest Star / Second Hand Rose / Don't Rain On My Parade
- Something Wonderful / Being Alive
- As Time Goes By
- Alfie
- Evergreen
- Papa, Can You Hear Me? / You'll Never Know (with Frost)
- A Piece Of Sky (with Frost)
Act 2
- Entr'acte
- Putting It Together
- On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever) {with choir}
- Send In The Clowns
- Come Rain Or Come Shine
- Duets
- Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy (with Judy Garland)
- Guilty (with Barry Gibb)
- I Finally Found Someone (with Bryan Adams)
- Tell Him (with Celine Dion)
- You Don't Bring Me Flowers (with Neil Diamond)
- Sing (with Jason Gould)
- I've Got A Crush On You (with Frank Sinatra)
- The Clicker Blues
- The Main Event / Fight
- I've Dreamed Of You
- Love Like Ours (not performed on 9/28)
- Happy Days Are Here Again {with choir}
- Don't Like Goodbyes
- I Believe / Somewhere (with Frost) {with choir}
Encores
- The Music That Makes Me Dance
- My Man
- Before The Parade Passes By
- People
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According
to Radio City Entertainment:


Review:
"A Happening on Seventh
Avenue." Not since June 17, 1967, when Barbra Streisand gave
New Yorkers a free concert in Central Park has the city hosted a happening
of such Barbra-magnitude. This second of two sold-out Madison Square Garden
shows and her final of four U.S. Timeless concerts this month caps
and certainly tops everything in Barbra's 40-year concert career.
How?
Preceded by a lengthier intro about how Barbra received her father's love
poem to a woman before he married Barbra's mother, "Papa, Can You
Hear Me?" / "You'll Never Know" and the thunderous Act 1
finale, "A Piece Of Sky," overflowed with tearful poignancy and
thoughts of what could have been for Barbra and her dad. Turns out the 92-year-old
Esther Posner Grodin ("a little pistol"), who had a two-year relationship with
Emanuel Streisand, attended the previous evening's show and had given the
letter to Barbra's cousin, Mel Streisand, after meeting him in
synagogue. Touching, to say the least.
Before introducing her special friends and guests in the VIP seats, Barbra
asked, "There are Republicans in this audience, right?" which
drew ample applause. "Who else can afford these tickets,"
she quipped. Barbra complimented Rosie O'Donnell for being outspoken
on important social issues and thanked Sen. Schumer for his gun control
efforts. Stage actress Phyllis Newman's introduction developed into
a hysterical brief comedy routine, as Barbra kidded her for winning a 1962
Tony Award over her. Introducing fashion designer Donna Karan,
Barbra had the opportunity to clarify that her costumes were self-designed
this time around. In Act 1 Barbra wore a sparkling copper-colored
pants suit with sleeveless full-neck top, gold chain, and matching shoes. Her Act
2 costume was an "elegant long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder, shimmering black sheath, the full-length matching sequined skirt split up the left side to
mid-thigh" (quoting Kim H's description from L.A.).