I guess Valerie Simpson is right with the title of her new iTunes album: “Dinosaurs are Coming Back Again.” Cher is recording her first new album in 11 years. And now Barbra Streisand, age 70, can teach today’s pop stars a thing or two. She’s added a few days to her two sold out concerts in October at Brooklyn and made a mini tour.
The pre sales for shows in Philly, Toronto and Ottawa are nearly sold out; more shows are becoming available tomorrow morning for purchase will sell out instantly. And get this: top ticket prices at Ticketmaster, not a reseller, range from $550-$850 apiece. Barbra will be like buttah for those fees. Parking isn’t even included! But our pal, Chris Botti, is, so that’s value added.
Is this Streisand’s farewell tour? You never know. But I’ll tell you this: if you missed Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald’s final tours, there were lessons to be learned.
All of this is part of Barbra’s celebration of her 50 years in showbiz. And she’s releasing a boxed set collection, called “Release Me,” on September 25th. If you’re a Barbra Streisand fan, this is your season. The shows should be so much more emotional with the passing of Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the music for Streisand’s signature hit, “The Way We Were.”
The timing is very interesting although probably coincidental. Streisand’s actual 50th anniversary would have been last spring. But this will give her a forum to promote some of her political passions. There’s no doubt that she will speak on behalf of President Obama as her tour takes her right through Election Day.
And there will be more dates, no doubt about that, too. Seeing the demand, Streisand’s astute manager Marty Ehrlichman can start mapping the country like Lewis and Clark. Is there a recession? Apparently not in some places if Streisand can sell $850 tickets in a matter of minutes. Like the song says, she’s an “Evergreen.”
My personal favorite Streisand moment: after performing her knockout concert at the tiny Village Vanguard a couple of years ago, the singer said — to me, of all people– “Was I good? I couldn’t tell.” You’re asking me? I said. She sure was.
http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/08/01/barbra-streisand-release-me-boxed-set-of-hits-and-rarities-coming-soon
