My Life with Barbra [Hardcover]

Barry Dennen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997

This is a moving, fascinating, intimate portrait of Streisand, the three years she shared with Dennen, and the on-again, off-again relationship he has had with her for 30 years. When they met, Dennen explains, it was Streisand's dream to make it as a stage actress. But he helped her discover her real talent, singing. She came to him looking for friendship, and he introduced her to the fabulous history of night-club singing and cabaret. Through the richly textured performance education Streisand received from Dennen, the thrift shop threads their friend Terry Leong turned into stunning star outfits for her, and the tender touch of makeup artist Bob Schulenberg, Barbara became 'Barbra' and was empowered to eventually realise that dream of fame through finding a 'style' that set her apart from the rest.Drawn from Dennen's personal experiences with Streisand, his diaries and letters from that time, "My Life with Barbra" takes a close look at the early years of one of today's most powerful American entertainers. From her eye-popping first smash-hit as a brand-new Broadway Star in "I Can Get It For You Wholesale", to her starring role in "Funny Girl" Dennen offers you front row seats to the making of a megastar. A treasure-trove drawn from his scrapbooks, never-before published photographs, and letters makes this book of memories a unique and enduring collector's item.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Fans who have done their homework will know that Barbra Streisand's first mentor (and first love) was one Barry Dennen, who now adds his voice to the growing chorus of Barbra interpreters. This remembrance of things past offers numerous anecdotes describing Dennen introducing Barbra to the great singers and songwriters of earlier years; a brief recounting of the couple's fumbling sexual relationship (Dennen was coming to grips with his homosexuality at the time); and a bird's-eye peek at the beginning of greatness. The most interesting parts of the book, however, involve Dennen's most recent interactions with Streisand, mainly a 1997 phone call in which they hash out their young love one more time. Streisand's fears that Dennen's story would make her look foolish are at least partially justified. His re-creations of their conversations (her end done in a bad Brooklynese) never seem very real. But this is no hatchet job. Dennen clearly loved Barbra and saw in her the talent that quickly became apparent to the world. Ultimately, this is a sweet, awkward, and fragmentary book. Just like young love. Ilene Cooper

From Kirkus Reviews

Life with Barbra, when she was Barbara, from the former boyfriend who helped set her on the road to fame and fortune. Though Streisand has tended to slight the efforts of those who shaped her early career, she has all but ignored actor and scriptwriter Dennen. However, playing Henry Higgins to her Eliza Doolittle, it was Dennen, apparently, who encouraged her to pursue singing when she was focused exclusively on acting, who pushed her to audition, who urged her to treat songs like compact dramas, who taped and critiqued almost every performance. In short, he did everything except teach her to sing. When they first met, brought together in a forgettable play, Streisand was still in her teens and Dennen not much older. Both of them were desperately, and usually unsuccessfully, pursuing the lights of Broadway. It was one of those meetings that create show-biz history. She brought raw, unburnished talent; he brought an unrivaled knowledge of show tunes and great chanteuses backed by a huge record collection, and he had a high-quality tape recorder. Although Dennen had doubts about his heterosexuality, the two soon became lovers. It lasted a little more than a year, falling apart just as Streisand's career really began to take off. Streisand fans will find much of this story familiar, but they will surely be delighted with the details and insights Dennen provides. He is a graceful writer, though his camp sensibility can border on clich‚; despite some frank, even harsh appraisals, he sometimes swoons vapidly: ``If you met St. Peter at heaven's gate and he asked you what good you had done . . . I would say, `I helped give the world Barbra Streisand.' '' A full and rare look at Streisand before she disappeared into a fog of myth and publicity. (14 pages b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Edition edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573921602
• ISBN-13: 978-1573921602
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His Life With Barbra, May 2, 2000

By 

"uniquesoul_a" - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Life with Barbra (Hardcover)

I found this book to be very enjoyable. I have long been a Streisand fan and have read many of her biographies, but this one, I would have to say is one of the best. Dennen takes us thru Barbra's early years, when she was just starting out as an actress, and describes his part in pushing her toward being the greatest singer of our times. This book is very sweet and I definately recomend it to any Barbra fan.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Slice Of Streisand's Life, July 30, 2002

By 

Matt Howe "outloud98" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Life with Barbra (Hardcover)

There have been many Streisand biographies. She's accomplished so much in her life. Barry Dennen's sweet book MY LIFE WITH BARBRA is a slice of Streisand's life. It's also a snap shot of Mr. Dennen's life and contains many personal details about him. Dennen tells a good story and has an ear for dialogue. Of course, there is no way Dennen could remember the conversations he quotes verbatim - but I don't think he claims to. Rather, his book is a sort of "misty, water-colored" memory of the days in Manhattan with Barbra Streisand. He catches Streisand's cadences very well, though.

It's nice to hear about Streisand from someone who knew her personally. Everything I've always suspected was true - at least in her early career. Barbra was sweet and tough, ignorant and brilliant, self-absorbed and giving. She was very taken with her "look" and it's interesting to read about how she concentrated on her makeup and clothes so much.

The most fascinating part of the book is Dennen's recollections of some phone calls from the "adult" Barbra in 1992 and 1997. We see Barbra as we suspect she is: a little burdened with stardom; obsessed with the truth and trying to control how others tell it.

This book is great! At the end, I was most impressed that, despite the years that lapsed between Dennen and Streisand's love affair and friendship, Streisand still kept in touch. I suspect she is a loyal friend, despite her eccentricities.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE DEFINITIVE BARBRA BOOK, August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Life with Barbra (Hardcover)

My Life with Barbra is an absolute must for anyone interested. No other book written about her can boast of such an intimate perspective. Mr. Dennen was there from the very beginning, even before she attempted to sing in public for the first time. If you're considering a Barbra book, make this the one.