SIMPLY BARBRA: BACK TO BROOKLYN at BAM July 9, 2005 Written by Frank J. Avella

Steven Brinberg has been a fan of Barbra Streisand since he was a child. Actually ‘fan’ isn’t an appropriate word since it denotes ‘fanatic’. Brinberg more adores, admires, idolizes Barbra...and for the last twelve years he has been paying homage to her in his Simply Barbra cabaret shows that have seen great success in many countries around the world and, especially, in New York City.

The notion of creating his own Barbra persona clicked for Brinberg when he discovered that he could sing like her and then read an interview with Streisand where she was asked what she thought of ‘Barbra’ female impersonators and replied: “I wish they would do me better.”  At the time, most of them simply lip-synched and wore unflattering noses. Brinberg’s Barbra may be satiric, but she is never a caricature.

Experiencing his performance at BAM earlier this month in Simply Barbra: Back to Brooklyn (Babs was born in Brooklyn), one can see why patrons keep coming back.

Brinberg is smart enough to keep the show accessible to the non-Barbra worshipers, savvy enough to toss in lesser known material to make it appealing to her loyal fan base AND wise enough to continuously evolve and change the show based on WHERE Streisand is career-wise as well as personally and politically.

Simply Barbra: Back to Brooklyn kicked off with, “Don’t Let Him Down,” a little-known For Pete’s Sake ditty that perfectly captures Mrs. Brolin’s current role...as doting house Frau.

Looking fabulously slim (as opposed to Streisand’s current state of plumpness) and sounding amazingly like the diva, Brinberg--always in character--peppered the enchanting evening with witty, tongue-in-cheek banter.

At one point, when discussing hubby James Brolin’s role as Ronald Reagan in a TV-film, “Barbra” teased that she toyed with the idea of playing Nancy Reagan but decided: “I could never play someone that...controlling.”

A show highlight was an ego-filled love song called “In Brolin’s Eyes,” borrowed from the musical Follies, with new lyrics written especially for Brinberg by Stephen Sondheim.

Brinberg’s Barbra ambitiously tackled many an expected chestnut like “Evergreen”, “The Way We Were” and, of course, “People” with vocal expertise.

The most rousing and crowd pleasing moment came when it was Barbra’s turn to put her stamp on Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here.” Beginning the song as Streisand, Brinberg proceeded to sing the song as other vocalists might have interpreted it. The illustrious list included: Eartha Kitt, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, Cher, Bea Arthur, Billie Holliday, Bette Davis, Betty Buckley, Peggy Lee, Katharine Hepburn and Carol Channing. The moment was hilarious and delighted the audience.

Brinberg then did a duet with himself as Barbra AND Neil Diamond on “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”  Watching him go back-and-forth and listening to the vocal gymnastics proved quite a treat!

The show ended with “You’re Gonna Hear From Me” (from the Natalie Wood film Inside Daisy Clover and recorded by Barbra on her Movie Album)--truly the perfect song to embody the evening’s theme of returning to her Brooklyn roots in triumph!

Simply Barbra is Brinberg’s tribute to his favorite star. He never makes fun of her (pokes fun, yes) and he never feels the need to cross his eyes or over-inflect to the point of mocking.

Brinberg also manages to invoke Streisand’s concert demeanor to perfection. Anyone who has seen her in concert will be dazzled by how on-the-mark he is. And anyone who has not had the great good fortune of seeing Barbra Streisand live, can enjoy Simply Barbra, the next best thing.