Customer Reviews

Barbra Streisand - My Name Is Barbra (Region 1)

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Filmed in black and white, with no special guest stars, chorus lines, or glittery back drops, My Name Is Barbra broke all the rules and, in doing so, became a classic that holds that title nearly 40 years later.

She was still a relative unknown commodity and starring on Broadway in Funny Girl at the time CBS aired this. My Name Is Barbra, originally intended as a pilot for a weekly series, was America's first real glimpse at the woman who defined the word legend.

With just an orchestra, over-sized sets, imagination and some of the best songs ever written, Ms. Streisand turned her first special into a true spectacular.

Whether she was clowning around (Pearl From Istanbul), gliding through the orchestra (I'm Late) or waltzing through Bergdorf Goodman's in a million dollars worth of furs and jewelry singing a Poor Little Girl medley, she is nothing short of riveting. The concert at the end where she pays tribute to Fanny Brice by singing My Man just caps off a show that is so perfect you wonder why it hasn't been done before or since. The Answer? Nobody can sing like Barbra Streisand and in this show, she sings. Her voice, powerful and rich, comes across as she pays homage to the great song writers (especially Rogers and Hart when she tackles We Can Make Believe from Showboat).

With no special effects or flashy backgrounds, Barbra relied solely on talent and she scored perfectly.

If you love music and want to see how it all began, get this tape. It is definitely a keeper.

Barbra Streisand first appears on your television screen in glorious profile. She opens her mouth and sings "My name is Bar-bra". There is no mistake: this is history in the making. This is the first television special starring Streisand. She won an Emmy for it. And she's incredible.

The video is now out of print. Streisand/CBS Fox released the video in the mid-80's as part of "The Streisand Specials" (along with "Color Me Barbra", "Happening In Central Park", and "One Voice"). There is rumor that *all* of the Streisand specials (including the unreleased "Belle of 14th Street" and "Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments") will see a DVD release in 2nd quarter 2003.

"My Name Is Barbra", videotaped in black and white, is must-see viewing for any Streisand fan. The special aired in 1965 when Streisand was on Broadway starring in FUNNY GIRL. She sounds incredible.

The special features three acts. Act One tells a story of growing up through songs. Act Two features Barbra in the Bergdorf Goodman department store singing a medley of poverty songs. Act Three is Barbra in concert singing standards like "When The Sun Comes Out", "My Man", "Happy Days" and more.

There are no guest stars or cutesy small-talk. The show is classic because it is simply about the singing. Streisand did it her way.

As the first of the TV specials offered on the elaborate box set, "Barbra Streisand: The Television Specials", released last November, this disc is being released separately for those who do not want to fork over the dollars for all five specials. As an investment, this is indeed the best of the bunch if only for the fact that this is Streisand at her purest and most eager to impress. That she succeeds so brilliantly is a key component of her legend. Signed to a long-term contract with CBS to produce hour-long variety shows, an almost extinct format nowadays, Streisand was all of 22 in this CBS special first broadcast in April 1965. At that point of her career, her notoriety was limited to a handful of best-selling albums, a few dazzling TV appearances on variety and talk shows, and her successful Broadway run in "Funny Girl".

Filmed in crisp black-and-white, the program is divided into three distinct parts. With the creative transitional use of "I'm Late" from Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", the first segment cleverly shows her growing up from childhood through numbers as diverse as "Make Believe" and "I'm Five". Opening with a comic monologue about Pearl from Istanbul, the second part moves on location to Manhattan's chic Bergdorf Goodman's where she is elegantly costumed in a series of glamorous outfits while singing Depression-era songs like "I've Got Plenty of Nuthin'" and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with comic irony. Back to basics, the third segment is a straight-ahead concert which opens with a torchy version of "When the Sun Comes Out", includes a "Funny Girl" medley, and ends with her classic, melancholic take on "Happy Days Are Here Again" over the ending credits. Also included is the brief introduction she taped in 1986 when the special was first released on VHS. For those who know Streisand only for her pricey concert tickets and political fundraising, this is a genuine eye-opener into why she is so revered now.

In 1965, Barbara Streisand was captivating all generations, young and old, as the greatest diva America had seen in many years. Her first two television specials, 1965's "My Name Is Barbara" and 1966's "Color Me Barbara" are two of the greatest television specials of the 1960's. You've heard many of us talk about seeing The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. But trust me...... the first two Barbara Streisand televison specials on CBS in 1965 and 1966 completely captivated us just like seeing the Beatles on Sullivan. Check out classic 60's television at it's finest along with one of the most celebrated voices of the 20th century.

I ordered this DVD because I watched Barbra be honored in the Kennedy Center Dec 2008. Although, I was too young to remember her during this period when the 1965 TV Special was created, when I saw the DVD I was sorry I was too young to appreciate her talent. What you learn from this TV Special is that the young talent today is in no comparison to what Barbra brought to the public back in 1965. This special illustrates that she needed not do anything else to earn the honors she received some 43 years later!

"My Name Is Barbra" was Barbra Streisand's first television special. Up unti the time of the special's debut Barbra was mainly known for her extraordinary vocal talent and her run on broadway in "Funny Girl". Her most famous TV appearance was on the old "Judy Garland" series in the fall of 1963, but "My Name Is Barbra" would really introduce Miss Steisand to the American television viewing public who had never seen her perform live.

Making its CBS debut on the night of April 28, 1965 "My Name Is Barbra" pre-empted "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and Barbra's career was never the same. Unlike most performers, Barbra chose not to have guest-stars, but instead perform the entire special herself in three acts. Critics and fans alike fell in love with Barbra and the special would ultimately win Streisand her first Emmy, with the special garnering an additional for more golden statues.

Highlights include the Barbra standards "People", "Second Hand Rose", and "Don't Rain On My Parade". Other greats covered here include "My Man", "Lover, Come Back To Me", and the finale "Happy Days Are Here Again".

The black and white special would lead CBS in signing Streisand to four more television productions that were almost as popular as the original. "My Name Is Barbra" would also serve as the title for two of Barbra's albums, "My Name Is Barbra" and "My Name Is Barbra 2" that sold in the millions.

"My Name Is Barbra" is available as a stand alone DVD or it comes in the breathtaking box set "The Television Specials" that is packaged with all five of Barbra's television specials.

This is a great show that highlights just how great Barbra Streisand could be. She was arty and creative and used music to light up the drama and the soul. Makes you miss good musical variety shows.

I have been a big fan of Barbra Streisand for over 35 years. The DVD show cases her voice and talent when she was younger. If you are a fan, definitely a must have.

I saw the Original Television Show over twenty five years ago. This was and still is a thrilling Show. Write to the Studio and request a quick re-release.

I saw it on t.v. and have been a barbra fan since I first heard her voice and I had all the albums and am trying to replace with cd's and vidio's now