Streisand: The Tour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Streisand: The Tour | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Tour by Barbra Streisand | ||
| Start date | October 4, 2006 | |
| End date | July, 2007 | |
| Legs | 2 | |
| Shows | 27 | |
| Barbra Streisand tour chronology | ||
| Timeless(2000) | The Tour(2006) | |
Streisand: The Tour is the unofficial name to Barbra Streisand's Fall 2006 North American concert tour. Comprising 20 shows, it was Streisand's first United States tour since 1994 and her first live concert events since her supposed farewell concerts that took place in Las Vegas in December 1999. The 2006 tour also marked the singer's first time playing in Canadian markets.
In early May 2007 it was announced that Streisand would take the show to Europe. This was her first European tour and took place during the months of June and July 2007.
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[edit] Tour Announced
The tour was officially announced on June 12, 2006 after months of speculation. It opened on October 4 in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center. The tour was presented by promoter Michael Cohl for Concert Productions International and The Next Adventure (A Live Nation Company). Ticket prices for some venues were as much as US$750, and even higher for VIP tickets. [1]
The operatic pop group Il Divo appeared as her special guest, they performed three songs with Streisand as well as their own 3 song set in the middle of the concert.
The concert tour is one of the most anticipated tours of the year. Ticket sales have been very strong with the Toronto show selling out in 30-minutes and 12,000 seats at the Montréal show selling out in the first day on sale. [2]
The October 28 show and the October 30 show in Sunrise, Florida was recorded in high definition for a Showtime television special and confirmed a DVD release around February or March 2008.
A double album, Live in Concert 2006, was released on May 8, 2007 and contained songs recorded during the New York, Washington, D.C. and Sunrise concerts.
The show was number seven in the top 10 tours of Billboard's year-end charts for 2006 with a total gross of $76,112,426.
In early May 2007, it was announced that Streisand would tour Europe after a 13-year absence. Streisand will spend part of the month of June and all of July touring Europe with the kickoff in Zurich at Hallenstadion on June 18.
"What a joy it will be to perform in so many wonderful countries for the first time,” said Streisand. “I can't wait to experience these different audiences and different cultures.” A 58 piece orchestra will accompany Ms Streisand as she performs many of the classic songs from her unique repertoire such as “Evergreen”, “People”, “The Way We Were”, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and many more.[3]
[edit] Ticket fraud
On August 30, 2006 it was announced that more than 1,000 tickets to various dates of Barbra Streisand's national tour were invalidated because they were purchased with stolen credit card information and then put up for sale on various ticket resale sites.[4]
[edit] Tour schedule
2006
- October 4 — Wachovia Center, Philadelphia
- October 6 — Schottenstein Center, Columbus
- October 9 — Madison Square Garden, New York City
- October 11 — Madison Square Garden
- October 13 — Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
- October 15 — Bell Centre, Montréal
- October 17 — Air Canada Centre, Toronto
- October 20 — Air Canada Centre
- October 22 — TD Banknorth Garden, Boston
- October 24 — Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul
- October 28 — BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise
- October 30 — BankAtlantic Center
- November 2 — Philips Arena, Atlanta
- November 4 — Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
- November 7 — United Center, Chicago
- November 9 — United Center
- November 13 — HP Pavilion at San Jose, San José
- November 16 — US Airways Center, Phoenix
- November 18 — MGM Grand, Las Vegas
- November 20 — Staples Center, Los Angeles
On September 22, the planned October 18 concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan was cancelled. [5]
2007
- June 18 - Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
- June 21 - Schloss Schönbrunn, Vienna
- June 26 - Bercy, Paris
- June 30 - Waldbuhne, Berlin, Germany
- July 4 - Stockholm Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden (cancelled)
- July 10 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England
- July 14 - Castletown House, Dublin
- July 18 - O2 Arena, London
- July 22 - O2 Arena, London
- July 25 - O2 Arena, London
In May, the planned June 15 concert at Stadio Flaminio in Rome was cancelled. The July 4 concert at the Stockholm Globe Arena in Stockholm was cancelled.
Recently, Barbra has been planning a 2008 tour in South America and Asia. One of her possible locations is in New Zealand.
[edit] The Show
The show is heavy on standards, one of the highlights being a Funny Girl medley. Il Divo performed three songs between acts, as well as songs with Barbra.
The stage is an open platform with four stations of flowers and tea. Streisand enters from the center, rising platform. She wears a black sequin outfit with a slit skirt for the first half of the show and a black gown and shawl with gold trim after the interval. However, beginning at the first New York concert, the second half of the show now features Barbra wearing a black pant suit. She sits at a tall swivel chair at the front of the stage and at different times during the two and a half hour show moves upstage on a series of walkways through the orchestra.
The tour's opening concert at the Wachovia Center was the highest single event gross in the 10-year history of the arena. The concert grossed $5.2 million dollars from 16,510 paid attendance. [6]
The Columbus Dispatch said of the set up: "The arena had a retro look — configured like a giant nightclub, with long, tiered, lighted runways extending well out into the hall and surrounding a full symphony orchestra. A small table with a vase of flowers was placed front and center, and after Streisand came onstage — lifted via a small elevator smack into the middle of a spotlight — she worked this part of the stage, closest to her adoring audience." [7]
Streisand also holds a Q&A session with the audience during the second act.
One of the most talked about parts of the show is a skit where comedic impressionist Steve Bridges playing President George W. Bush utters such lines as, "I'm concerned about the national debt, so I'm selling Canada," and "If I cared about the polls I would have run for President of Poland." The two end the skit by harmonizing on the "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again"" duet that Streisand and Judy Garland once did together. [8]
At the October 9 New York show, this skit drew some jeers from the audience, who appeared to be impatient with the political satire. Streisand shot back, "Why don't you shut the fuck up. If you can't take a joke, why don't you leave and get your money back." The assertive response, which she later apologized for by saying, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost it," got the audience back on her side.[9] Bridges did not appear at the November 7, 2006 show at Chicago's United Center due to a previously scheduled Election Night engagement.
[edit] Set List
The show was separated into two acts, with two sections in the first act separated by Il Divo's solo set, then one section in the second act plus an encore.
Minor changes were made to the set list on a number of dates of the tour but the majority of songs remained. Some additional songs that were performed are "Smile", "Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me", and "Where or When". Streisand performed "Happy Days Are Here Again" as a duet with Steve Bridges on some dates and on others she sang solo. Il Divo's "Passera" was removed entirely from the set list after the New York dates. Also, "Don't Rain on My Parade" was performed either in its original form or with the "Broadway Reprise" lyrics on select nights. On opening night both variations were performed. Fans were also treated to a short a capella rendition of "Stoney End" during the Q&A section in the second act of a few shows.
The following is the set list from the final night of the tour in Los Angeles:
ACT ONE
Intro: Funny Girl (Broadway Overture)
1. Starting Here, Starting Now
2. Down With Love
3. The Way We Were
4. Ma Premiere Chanson
5. Evergreen (with Il Divo)
Il Divo Set
1. Unchained Melody
2. Unbreak My Heart
3. My Way
Barbra returns
6. Come Rain Or Come Shine
7. Funny Girl
8. The Music That Makes Me Dance
9. My Man
10. People
INTERMISSION
ACT TWO
Entr'acte
11. Music of the Night (with Il Divo)
12. Carefully Taught/Children Will Listen
13. Unusual Way
14. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life
Q&A, George Bush skit
15. Woman In The Moon
16. Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair?
17. A Cockeyed Optimist
18. Somewhere (with Il Divo)
19. My Shining Hour
Encore 1
20. Don't Rain On My Parade
Encore 2
21. Happy Days Are Here Again
Encore 3
22. Smile
[edit] Europe
For the European tour a number of changes were made. The group Il Divo were replaced by a group of four Broadway singers, Sean McDermott, Michael Arden, Peter Lockyer, and Hugh Panaro, who performed a different selection of songs. The Steve Bridges segment was dropped for the European Audience. A few changes were made to the set list, with "Carefully Taught" and "Children Will Listen" being replaced by Papa Can You hear Me? taken from the film Yentl. Another addition was You Don't Bring Me Flowers.
