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BarbraNews.com Review: Barbra Streisand,
Live at the MGM Grand DVD
20 March
2004
 Barbra
Streisand – Live at the MGM Grand
Release Date: March 30th 2004 (29th for most of Europe.).
Review by Craig Hall. www.barbranews.com
Barbra Streisand is famous for many things. Suffering from stage fright,
is one of them.
In 1993 she did something that fans had waited 27 years for. Barbra
decided to sing Live for 2 nights at the newly built MGM Grand Hotel in
Las Vegas. Her first public concert in 27 years. They called it the ‘Event
of the Decade’, and it’s easy to see why.
On December 31st 1993, Barbra returned to the stage for 2 nights.
The presentation starts with documentary footage from the MGM Grand. The
same footage appears on the Anaheim VHS, but this time only Las Vegas
footage was included, and is longer than previously released.
From the moment Barbra nervously enters the stage, until the moment she
departs, she holds the audience totally spellbound. Some of her most
famous songs are included… People, The Way We Were, Evergreen (She
actually forgot the words to her own song, but didn’t take it to heart).
She also sang songs which she had never recorded professionally… ‘I’m
Still Here’ (A longer version to the Anaheim VHS), ‘What is this thing
called love?’, and a new song ‘Ordinary Miracles’ – which was released as
a single later that year. Was nice to see that the DVD was dedicated to
two special people in her life - Her mom, Diana Streisand Kind and friend
Virginia Clinton-Kelly.
Sony Music Video has done a wonderful job with this DVD. The Title menu,
which makes it easy to select a song, includes a wonderful shot of Barbra.
From the menu you can select a song, a ‘Bonus Video’ (a song from 1965’s
My Name is Barbra or 1966’s Color Me Barbra’), or you can watch the DVD
from start to beginning.
The whole DVD package is thrilling. The new sound mix... the color… simply
wonderful. I’m certain that this DVD will be an often-viewed one in your
collection! Barbra Live is Barbra at her best, especially after a 27 year
wait!
The DVD will be in stores on March 30th (and a day earlier in most of
Europe)
Craig Hall
BarbraNews.com
March 20th 2004
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