This is a story about close encounters. Or almost close encounters. Marvin Hamlisch, the composer of A Chorus Line and The Way We Were, was the rehearsal pianist when Funny Girl was on Broadway with Barbra Streisand. He later would become her music director for her concert tours. Steven Brinberg became a Streisand fan after seeing Funny Lady. He would later go on to tour as a special guest with Hamlisch performing as the one person he’d love to meet, but hasn’t…Streisand.
Brinberg still hasn’t met Streisand, but he still celebrates her with his show Simply Barbra. His uncanny ability to sound like her has earned rave reviews from all over the world.
This week Brinberg will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hello, Dolly! (the movie, not the Broadway musical) with an appearance on Wednesday at Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego. On Thursday he will celebrate the life and career of Hamlisch with a show at Catalina Jazz Club featuring Kay Cole (an original cast member in A Chorus Line), jackbenny, Alan Bergman (who along with his with, Marilyn, wrote the lyrics for The Way We Were) and many others.
When I spoke by phone with Brinberg he was in London for some shows. In these excerpts from our conversation, we talk about Hello, Dolly!, his time working with Hamlisch and, of course, Barbra herself.
The film version of Hello, Dolly! is considered by many to be a disaster amongst film versions of popular musicals. Is that fair or is there more to the film than people realize?
There definitely is. It has improved with time. What people once thought was elephantine and overblown, now it looks like the last MGM musical – even though it was made at Fox. I think it’s better now looking at it.
[Streisand] was young, yes, but she didn’t look 26. When you put that heavy hair and make-up on a woman for that period, she looks 36. Just like Funny Lady. She was in her 30s, but she looks 50. She’s funny and the singing is really good. No one who has done it on stage has ever sounded like that.
How much does the success of the Broadway revival and its subsequent tour give us a new lens through which to view the film?
I think you can see the improvements in the film over the show. In the film Dolly literally tells Barnaby and Cornelius to go to that shop and meet those girls. In the musical that doesn’t happen. It’s by chance. The first number in the movie, “Just Leave Everything to Me,” is so much better than “I Put My Hand In.”
All the years you have been performing as Streisand, how has your relationship to her and her career evolved?
I started doing the show just before she announced she was coming back doing concerts after all these years. Her career has fed my career ever since. Whatever happens in her life enters my show. It’s quite different than doing a show about Judy Garland or someone whose life is over. I could literally be about to go on stage and someone shows me a Tweet and it goes right into the show. Last year was the 50th anniversary of Funny Girl. Next year is the 50th anniversary of On a Clear Day. I’ll always sing the standards, but with this Dolly show I have almost every song in the movie except “Elegance.” I do “Hello, Dolly!” as Barbra and Louis Armstrong. It’s a strain on my voice, but it’s fun.
Marvin Hamlisch was her music director for many years. You did a tribute for his birthday in New York earlier this year. Now you are bringing a celebration of him to Los Angeles. What made his musical relationship with Streisand unique?
Marvin and Barbra had a strong relationship going back to Funny Girl. Every decade they came back together again. In the 70s it was The Way We Were. He wrote more stuff for her and he conducted her tours.
I traveled with him for 11 years and I was a surprise guest. He would start The Way We Were and I’d be in the wings. This is my way of honoring him and his wide range of music from A Chorus Line to The Way We Were to other Broadway shows. He’s kind of under appreciated, even though he won every award. I think he’d be thrilled we’re doing this.
What part of Hamlisch’s career excites you the most?
I think the fact that he had two careers: one as a film composer and another as a Broadway composer. He did both simultaneously. He was a personality on Match Game and The Hollywood Squares. He was really funny.
He was such a down-to-earth person. There was a concert outdoors in Pasadena. There weren’t tons of dressing rooms and I had to get dressed as Barbra. He said “you can use my trailer.” I was in there and he says, “There’s something wrong with my tie.” And here I was, dressed like Barbra with the nails and all, and I’m fixing his tie.”
You did an interview in 1999 with the Associated Press where you said you hadn’t met Streisand. But you thought, “it might happen soon. I think she’ll really like me.” In 2015 you said “I came really close to meeting her recently.” Is meeting Streisand the holy grail? Is it a good thing to meet your idol?
She did send us a letter we’re going to read [at the Hamlisch concert.] More than meeting her, I would love to sing with her or for her. That would include meeting her I would assume. That’s how I met Marvin. He was on her second tour. He said, “She has a bit in the show where she says ‘sometimes, I wish there were two of me.’ They loved the idea [of Brinberg being a second Streisand in the concert tour.] But it was a week before the tour started and there just wasn’t time.
When she turned 50, she hired Jim Bailey [another artist who performed as Streisand.] I think she told everyone at the party, “I’m going to change and sing.” And she sent him out. Maybe when Barbra Streisand turns to 80, I can sing for her. I have had vision of her saying to me, “I love how you did this song, but if you would hold your finger back a little bit longer, you’ll get this response.”
For tickets to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Hello, Dolly! at Martinis Above Fourth go here.
For tickets to the Marvin Hamlisch Celebration at Catalina Jazz Club go here.
Main photo: Simply Barbra on stage/Courtesy of Steven Brinberg
Marvin Hamlisch photo courtesy of MarvinHamlisch.com