A Happening in Central Park

Barbra's sensational once-in-a-lifetime Central Park concert in front of an audience of over 130,000 people was filmed by CBS in summer of 1967, and it was then aired as Streisand's fourth television special over a year latter to coincide with the fall 1968 release of the film FUNNY GIRL. Streisand performs in front of the huge crowd on a unique multi-level, plexiglass stage, and, throughout the evening, wears two simple diaphanous gowns that appear to gracefully take flight during several occasions on that windy summer evening. Despite reportedly being very nervous about performing in such an open venue, Streisand seems perfectly at ease while projecting a sophisticated intimacy that is difficult to achieve when performing to such a large audience.

As usual, Barbra's singing voice sounded amazing that night, and she displayed that phenomenal vocal prowess on many of the best cuts from her first eleven albums. Streisand delivers killer performances of "Cry Me a River" and "Down with Love," as well as an awesome, octave-soaring rendition of "I Can See It" that closes the first Act. The signature numbers like "People" and "He Touched Me" are passionately performed, and the breathtakingly ethereal performance of "Silent Night" is one of the most unforgettable moments in television history. The slow tracking shot that opens the show is stunning, as is the incredible crane shot that concludes the show as Streisand sings a sublime rendition of "Happy Days are Here Again."

While that evening's concert was completely flawless, the presentation of the show by CBS has some problems. A major complaint is that Barbra performed for two and half hours that night, yet only 55 minutes of the show were included in the special when it aired on television. I realize that the excised footage probably no longer exists, but I still cannot help but wish that the removed footage had been better archived. Another problem is that CBS experienced many technical problems during the filming of the concert, and, as a result, the sound and picture quality are only average. However, the most recent re-mastering of the special, for the 2005 DVD release, is the best the show has ever looked and sounded, and I believe that this is the best presentation of the show possible given the limitations of the source material.

I was always curious why Barbra Streisand's free concert to some 150,000 people in New York's Central Park was filmed in June 1967 but didn't air on CBS television until September 15, 1968. Now, thanks to the DVD, that's been made clear: Streisand wanted to keep her specials down to one "happening" a year, and later in October 1967 she had scheduled "The Belle of 14th Street"; also, her movie debut in "Funny Girl" was set to hit screens in late September 1968, and this show was probably more appropriate to coincide with the film's premiere than the entirely-forgettable "14th Street" special. Only an hour of the show (counting time for commercials) actually made it to air, but that's more than the handful of songs on the record album, and it's really just enough to make this a perfectly pleasant time-filler for Barbra-watchers and casual fans. Musically, Streisand is bogged down in novelty tunes, using her comic, Jewish shtick to get the punchlines over the heads of the crowd (a remarkably polite bunch). She tries out few new songs, relying more on album favorites and singles, yet she is shrewdly self-effacing and doesn't show her infamous stage fright at all--watch when she cues a waiter with a nod of her head to bring her cup of tea over, all while telling a crazy story of a suicidal woman who broke her glasses. If there's one thing happening here, it's a bona fide music celebrity casually conquering her demons in front of thousands of fans, putting on a blithe, upbeat show. No behind-the-scenes 'sturm and drang' here; this friendly concert is presented matter-of-factly and without diva fanfare.

I wasn't born in 1968. After her success on Broadway and winning an Academy Award for her role in "Funny Girl," Barbra comes home to New York City and performs a concert in Central Park for about 150,000 viewers. This one hour special deserves to be seen by those die-hard Streisand fans and anybody who enjoys her immaculate voice. Streisand in 1968 isn't much different than today. Her hairstyle is a bouffant and her outfit is dated but the voice is still there. For an hour, she sings her songs with no props but the Central Park view behind her and an audience hanging on her every note. She is a perfectionist with an eye for detail. Even though the concert is short by today's standards, it is worth every minute of it.

This concert took place in Central Park (New York) in June 1967. Filmed in color. The DVD edition is introduced by an older Barbra Streisand, who fills us in on the details of its production. Streisand managed to gather 135,000 people for this concert. No accidents occurred, and the weather was clement.

Always gracious and funny, Streisand sang the following songs: "The Nearness Of You" "Down With Love" "Love Is Like A New Born Child" "Cry Me A River" "Folk Monologue/Value" "Can See It" "The Sound Of Music" "Mississippi Mud" "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" "Love Is Bore" "He Touched Me" "English Folk Song" "I'm All Smiles" "Marty The Martian" "Natural Sounds" "Second Hand Rose" "People" "Silent Night (Sleep In Heavenly Peace)" "Happy Days Are Here Again"

An album, entitled "A Happening In Central Park", was released the following year. It is the first live album by Barbra Streisand.

Length: 53min

Barbra Streisand took a weekend break from filming her screen debut, "Funny Girl", to come back to New York to give a free concert for over 135,000 attentive fans. Unlikely ever to happen again given the top dollar she is charging for her upcoming tour, the June 1967 performance was staged in Central Park's Sheep Meadow, probably among the first of the city's "happenings" led by then-Mayor Lindsay to encourage an urban revival. Always the trendsetter, Streisand led the way for others including Diana Ross, the Dave Matthews Band and the reunited Simon and Garfunkel to stage their own happenings in later years. I'm happy to report that the restoration effort behind the audio and visual quality of this TV special is quite stellar.

But nothing is more stellar than Streisand in her youthful, exuberant prime. The camera pans from the Manhattan skyline to the assembled crowd and finally her over "The Nearness of You". Looking particularly diaphanous in a pink sheath, she does a smashing "Down With Love", a highly theatrical "Cry Me a River", and one of her typically eccentric monologues from the sixties followed by one of my favorites among her rarities, "Value" (a ditty about Harold Mengert and his car). She ends the first act with a soaring rendition of "I Can See It". It's particularly amusing to see random shots of adoring spectators looking very much like sixties squares from Squaresville.

Returning for the second half in a sleeveless red print evening gown, Streisand evokes a sweet innocence to her classic version of "He Touched Me", which is then followed by an extended comedy bit about "a schloon for the gumpert". She swings into a languorous "I'm All Smiles" and then segues into a comic beatnik number, "Marty the Martian" ("hand in hand in hand in hand…"), accompanied by a sassy saxophone. The high point is a beautiful folk-sounding ballad, "Natural Sounds", in particular, when the wind picks up exactly when she mentions the wind in the song (an eerie coincidence Streisand points out in her 1987 video introduction). She gets amusingly hammy on her signature "Second Hand Rose" and then quite stentorian on her anthem, "People".

The climax comes with a strangely appropriate "Silent Night" (it was summer). With the camera dramatically panning back from her, Streisand ends the performance with a splendiferous "Happy Days Are Here Again". Because it was so darkly lit among the throngs, it's hard to fathom the real size of the audience in the days until the very end of the show. My one regret with the DVD is that there seems to be a missed opportunity to include the entire concert, which included eleven other songs she performed that night. Even though the archival footage apparently exists, I'm just happy they have been able to capture what was quite obviously a special evening.