By Michael Portantiere***For decades, Steven Brinberg has had great success with his Simply Barbra show, the missing “a” in that name making it crystal clear to audiences which diva is being channeled. The show has been countlessly revised over the years in terms of specific theme and song stack, but always, of course, focusing on the amazing career of Barbra Joan Streisand—one of the best things ever to come out of Brooklyn, along with Barbara Stanwyck, Maria Callas, the Dodgers, Nathan’s Hot Dogs and the egg cream.
Recently, Brinberg has added the Hunt & Fish Club (125 W. 44th Street) to the list of venues where he has sparkled, and the newish performance space within that establishment was the elegant site of his latest show, commemorating the 50th anniversary (can you believe it!) of the release of the Streisand-Kris Kristofferson movie A Star is Born. (Full disclosure: In addition to being a fan of Steven, this reviewer has known him socially for at least 30 years; but the success of his Simply Barbra shows is self-evident, and you certainly don’t have to take my word for it.)
With the invaluable Christopher Denny at the piano, Brinberg as Barbra began his set with the appropriately nostalgic “The Way We Were,” from the film of the same title. Following some banter about the recent publication of her memoir (and its epic length), “Barbra” segued into the equally appropriate “I Could Write a Book,” spiked by some specially written new lyrics: “I remember everything I ate, and settle scores with all the people I hate!” Then came a lovely version of the ballad “The Very Thought of You,” sung very beautifully.
Brinberg set-up two songs from A Star is Born with some amusing commentary about the project: “You know, the most recent version of this movie was the one with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, which was a remake of the version I did with Kris Kristofferson, which was a remake of the one with Judy Garland and James Mason, which was a remake of the one with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. I think Adam and Eve did the first version.” He then sang “Everything” and “The Woman in the Moon,” the former notable for the lyrical beauty of his voice, the latter for its power and range.
Next up was the Streisand classic “Don’t’ Rain on My Parade” from (duh!) Funny Girl, followed by the lesser-known but sweet and lovely “I’m All Smiles” from the Broadway flop The Yearling. Then came “Answer Me” (co-written by Streisand and Paul Williams), which was cut from A Star is Born but later featured on the Streisand Superman album, and “I Believe in Love,” which was certainly not cut from the film. (This was the one song of the evening performed with orchestral tracks as backup.)
Over the years, some
very impressive guest performers —Jonathan Groff, Audra McDonald, Julie Wilson, Billy Porter—have been featured in the Simply Barbra shows. The talent on display in this case was Blake Stadnik, probably best known for his recurring role of Jack Damon in the final season of the TV series This Is Us and whose credits also include Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street at the Goodspeed Opera House. Stadnik’s mellifluous, sexy voice was a perfect fit for “Feelin’ Good” (Newley, Bricusse), a song that has been heard in commercials for various products by millions of people who have no clue whatsoever that it originated in the stage musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd. “Barbra” then joined her guest for a duet version of one of the prettiest, if not the most famous, songs from A Star is Born: “Lost Inside of You.”
The clean-up section of the show was highlighted by Brinberg’s gorgeous performance of the most gorgeous song from Yentl, “The Way He Makes Me Feel,” followed by a hilarious solo/duet version of “It’s Today” from Mame in which “Barbra” instructed “Cher” (also voiced by Brinberg) on how to sing that great Jerry Herman song, followed by a heartfelt rendition of “Happy Days are Here Again”—which, in the present political climate, was especially powerful for the song’s historical resonance.
The 11 o’clock slot offered “With One More Look at You” from A Star is Born into the required “People” from Funny Girl. There were two encores: “Who Can I Turn To,” also from The Roar of the Greasepaint…. (this was the Streisand/Newley duet version, here both voiced by Brinberg), and the Jule Styne, Betty Comden-Adolph Green classic “Make Someone Happy,” from Do Re Mi. Prior to the show, one of the owners of the Hunt & Fish Club had spoken of his commitment to continuing live performances at the venue; here’s hoping he’ll further demonstrate that commitment by investing in a better theatrical lighting system, the lack of which was the one significant flaw in this otherwise excellent presentation.
Photos by Michael Portantiere
