Barbra Live was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Barbra Streisand. Visiting North American and European markets, the tour was Streisand's first tour since 2006.[2]
Barbra Live was the 22nd best-selling tour in the world during 2012. It earned $40.7 million and sold 154,287 tickets.[3]
In April 2013 it was officially announced that Streisand would continue the tour through Europe in the summer of 2013.[4]
Initially planned as two shows to mark the opening of the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the show was billed as Barbra's Homecoming, since Streisand was born in Brooklyn. The shows sold out quickly and no further dates were added. On August 9, 2012 it was announced that Streisand would expand the series of concerts, opening in Philadelphia on October 8, 2012.[5] On September 14, three additional engagements in America were added. One of these dates included the Hollywood Bowl, where Streisand's 1967 performance, An Evening with Barbra Streisand, broke the Bowl's attendance record at the time with an audience of 17,256 people.
Reception
Critical
The concerts received mostly positive reviews and critical acclaim. The Ottawa Sun reviewed the concert at Scotiabank Place and wrote "Streisand's voice was truly exceptional. Intimate, yet on a grand scale, only she could do a concert that was small enough to feel personal, yet big enough to feel like a Broadway musical."[6] Miriam Di Nunzio from the Chicago Sun-Times wrote "At 70, the singer still possesses one of the most pristine voices in music, a voice that completely and sumptuously envelops a room, even one the size of the cavernous United Center. There is an intimacy and honesty in Streisand's delivery – a rare treat in this age of lip-synched, overblown concert extravaganzas."[7]The Jerusalem Post wrote on her opening night in Philadelphia, "Her voice (and cleavage) were better than many of the stars half her age that are currently touring."[8]The Vancouver Sun stated that "The perennially decorated singer/actor/writer/director left an indelible mark on her Vancouver audience with a performance that was pure, undiluted class."[9]
The show also garnered some negative reviews. The Oakland Tribune reviewed the San Jose concert at HP Pavilion and stated that Streisand relied too much on guest stars and wasted stage time with other performers. Jim Harrington wrote that the show "left too little time for what really should've been the focus of the night – Streisand's voice... I indeed look forward to seeing Streisand 'Some Other Time' and when it happens, hopefully she'll leave some of her friends and family members behind."[10]
Commercial
The first shows at Brooklyn's Barclays Center sold out within a day of going on sale.[11] After the show at the Hollywood Bowl sold out, an additional date was added.[12] A second London show at The O2 Arena was added following the demand for the first show, which sold out quickly.[13]
A show in Paris was already on sale, but it was canceled to make time for a second show in Amsterdam.
Set list
This set list is representative of the official DVD track listing. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.[14]
"Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. Vol. 124, no. 44. New York City, New York: Prometheus Global Media. 24 November 2012. ISSN0006-2510. Archived from the original on 25 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
"Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. Vol. 125, no. 25. New York City, New York: Prometheus Global Media. 29 June 2013. ISSN0006-2510. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
"Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. Vol. 125, no. 27. New York City, New York: Prometheus Global Media. 13 July 2013. ISSN0006-2510. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
