Streisand (concert tour)
Streisand was Barbra Streisand's Fall 2006 North American concert tour. Comprising 26 shows, it was Streisand's first United States tour since 2000 and her first live concert events since her supposed farewell concerts, Timeless in 2000. The 2006 tour also marked the singer's first time playing in Canadian markets.
Start date
October 4, 2006
July 25, 2007
2
20 in North America
9 in Europe
29 Total
$119.5 million ($175.6 in 2023 dollars)[1]
In early May 2007 it was announced that Streisand would take the show to Europe. This was her first full length European tour and took place during the months of June and July 2007.
Background[edit]
The tour was officially announced on June 12, 2006, after months of speculation. It opened on October 4 in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center. The tour was presented by promoter Michael Cohl for Concert Productions International and The Next Adventure (A Live Nation Company). Ticket prices for some venues were as much as US$750, and even higher for VIP tickets.[2]
The operatic pop group Il Divo appeared as her special guest; they performed three songs with Streisand as well as their own three song set in the middle of the concert.
The concert tour was one of the most anticipated tours of the year. Ticket sales were very strong with the Toronto show selling out in 30 minutes and 12,000 seats at the Montréal show selling out in the first day on sale.[3]
The October 28 show and the October 30 show in Sunrise, Florida was recorded in high definition for a Showtime television special and confirmed a DVD release on April 28, 2009, as Barbra Streisand: The Concerts which included the 2006 tour filmed at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida and the 1994 Concert filmed at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
A double album, Live in Concert 2006, was released on May 8, 2007, and contained songs recorded during the New York City, Washington, D.C., and Sunrise concerts.
The show was number seven in the top 10 tours of Billboard's year-end charts for 2006 with a total gross of $76,112,426. The tour went on to gross $92 million.[4]
In early May 2007, it was announced that Streisand would tour Europe after a 13-year absence.
"What a joy it will be to perform in so many wonderful countries for the first time," said Streisand. "I can't wait to experience these different audiences and different cultures." A 58 piece orchestra accompanied Streisand as she performed many of the classic songs from her repertoire such as "Evergreen", "People", "The Way We Were" and "Don’t Rain on My Parade".[5]
Europe[edit]
For the European tour a number of changes were made. The group Il Divo were replaced by a group of four Broadway singers, Sean McDermott, Michael Arden, Peter Lockyer, and Hugh Panaro, who performed a different selection of songs. The Steve Bridges segment was dropped for the European Audience. A few changes were made to the set list, with "Carefully Taught" and "Children Will Listen" being replaced by Papa Can You hear Me? taken from the film Yentl. Another addition was "You Don't Bring Me Flowers".
Commercial reception[edit]
The North American tour was a huge success. The 20 concerts grossed $92,457,062 and set house gross records in 14 of the 16 arenas played on the tour.[10]
In Europe the tour faced controversy when the first show set in Rome's Stadio Flaminio was struggling to sell top-priced tickets and citizens calling Streisand to cancel the show after outrageous prices became known. The show in Nice, France at Stade Charles Ehrmann also was cancelled after few weeks of being on sale, the promoter not giving any real reason for the cancellation. In Stockholm, Sweden the show at Globen arena for July 4 was cancelled after Streisand's doctor advised her not to go on stage but rather rest her voice continued the rumors of lacking ticket sales again.
The tour also gathered more positive news in Berlin, where Streisand performed at the Waldbühne Amphitheater to a crowd of over 17,000. In Paris she was honoured with a medal of the Legion of Honour by President Nicolas Sarkozy.[11][12][13]
DVD[edit]
Streisand released a box set called Barbra Streisand: The Concerts which includes the 2006 concert in Florida, the 1994 Live at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim (on DVD for the first time) and the TV special about The Broadway Album: Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album.
In 2009, this box-set was released in Europe (Region 2) on March 16 and in America (Region 1) on April 28.
Television special[edit]
Streisand: Live in Concert, filmed at the featured Florida stop, aired on April 25, 2009, over CBS. The show was watched by 4.98 million viewers.