“Barbra Streisand and The Broadway Album”
Comments I heard on the street in my head reacting to the rumor that, to commemorate its 40th Anniversary, Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album will be reissued:
“Who’s Barbara Streisand? And why does she spell her name wrong?”
“I don’t get it. She does a Broadway album but she doesn’t sing the songs she sang on Broadway. Where’s “People”? I love “People”.”
“What exactly is Broadway anyway?”
““Send in the Clowns”? We’re still waiting. No. Wait. The clowns are already here. They’re right here. Led by George Santos.”
“Who’s Steve Sondheim? I meant “Stephen”. What is it with theater people misspelling their names? I meant theatre people.”
"She was in that movie Funny Girl, right? That was back when movies were on reels, right? Just how long has this woman had a career?”
““Bit by bit, putting it together / Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art...” Are we talking collage here, or... what exactly? And I bet Steve wrote this song too – I can tell because it has so many words. Took me a half-hour to scroll it on my phone.”
“The woman lives in Malibu. She’s a New Yorker who never visits. She left us. Just like the Dodgers.”
““Something’s Coming” – isn’t this song supposed to be sung in Spanish now? By a Latinx. Except in Arkansas – where it’s now illegal to even say “Latinx”. And the line, “the air is humming...” – I think it’s probably cicadas. Especially if you live in Arkansas.”
“Is “Broadway” really still a real thing?”
““Pretty women” and “the ladies who lunch" – are these the same people? “Barbra” puts them in the same song but they’re from two different shows. So I’m confused – are we rooting for these people or are we mocking them?”
“I love “People”. Why didn’t she sing “People”?”
“You know what? She can spell her name anyway she wants. And she can sing anything she wants. This woman has a voice!”
Rick Doehring
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