On Mon. Dec. 5, Barbra Streisand made her musical return to South Florida, performing at the American Airlines Arena. over 50 years since her last performance on a Miami stage, the nearly three-hour concert was filmed for Netflix, and concluded her 13-show run.
When the lights dimmed, roars of cheering and excitement erupted throughout the Arena. As the band played the beginning notes to “The Way We Were,” and Streisand appeared center stage, I leaned forward in my chair with anticipation. I don’t even remember the way she sung the song because I was in awe of her presence.
Streisand greeted the sold-out audience with emotion and gratitude for the city that helped launch her career in 1963. Following the opening, the setlist featured songs from every album she’s made over her 56 years in entertainment, including “Evergreen” and “Papa Can You Hear Me.”
Her appreciation for the city was obvious through her demonstrations of her Spanish-speaking ability, discussing her visit to Art Basel, and her love of “maduros” and the food that makes Miami distinct. Also, with the help of WSVN Channel 7 News, Streisand made the dreams of an injured, Miami army veteran come true, when he received tickets to attend the show with his mother. The vet, Sergio Lopez, received one of the many standing ovations of the night.
Streisand surprised us all when she welcomed her star-studded, original duet partners from her new album, Encore to the stage. Fargo’s Patrick Wilson sang alongside Streisand a in “Loving You” and Oscar winner, Jamie Foxx came out to sing “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” with her, which was a highlight of the evening.
At 74, Barbra Streisand is still sharp and witty as ever, and made the audience cackle as she revealed hilarious back-stories of album cover photo shoots and her “lazy” tendencies. Streisand also touched upon her support and advocacy for equality, women’s heart disease, and climate change, which was inspiring and informative to listen to.
As a fan, it was incredible to see her perform in person, and to have my life-long-Barbra Streisand-fan-mother with me was a great luxury that I will treasure forever. I never thought the day would come where I would get to see such a legend in person, and I’m glad that I could witness her return to my city and experience this once in a lifetime event. If you’re a Streisand fan like me, you’ll love this: she announced she’s writing a memoir. I can’t wait to pick up my copy when it debuts, and I’m excited to relive the night when Netflix releases the concert footage.
