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.
