I saw this behind the scenes look at a filming of A STAR IS BORN from someone who had a copy (how he got it, I'll never know--since this was aired only once and before VCRs).
Anyway, the documentary shows segments of Barbra performing many of her standards (The Way We Were, People)and songs from the movie, before a live audience.
There were two concerts: one takes place at the Arizona Sun Devil, which is the outdoor amphitheater that the John Norman Howard character performs in--in the movie--and the other is an indoor arena, used for the finale.
The outdoor concert footage is really amazing! It's done in the blazing sun and the camera reveals an audience filled with 70,000 nearly-naked young people, drinking and smoking pot. Many of you might already know this but there was an actual concert taking place, featuring contemporary rock acts of the time, along with filming of A STAR IS BORN, to use as concert footage for the John Norman character in the movie.
When Barbra Streisand comes out on stage, you get the feeling that she's out of her league with this younger audience. However, as soon as the audience notices her, they erupt in thunderous applause, whistles and cat-calls, which seems unusual considering the type of music Barbra is known for(ballads, show-tunes).
She launches into, "The Way We Were," and the audience cheers wildly before going absolutely silent, as they listen, transfixed on that voice. She sings other songs like "Evergreen" and "Woman In the Moon," all with the same result.
It is mesmerizing to watch. You really understand the power that Barbra Streisand has, that propelled her to super stardom.
I only wish they would include it on the ASIB DVD. But going by Amazon.com's listing of features on the DVD, this gem is not on it.
Anyway, the documentary shows segments of Barbra performing many of her standards (The Way We Were, People)and songs from the movie, before a live audience.
There were two concerts: one takes place at the Arizona Sun Devil, which is the outdoor amphitheater that the John Norman Howard character performs in--in the movie--and the other is an indoor arena, used for the finale.
The outdoor concert footage is really amazing! It's done in the blazing sun and the camera reveals an audience filled with 70,000 nearly-naked young people, drinking and smoking pot. Many of you might already know this but there was an actual concert taking place, featuring contemporary rock acts of the time, along with filming of A STAR IS BORN, to use as concert footage for the John Norman character in the movie.
When Barbra Streisand comes out on stage, you get the feeling that she's out of her league with this younger audience. However, as soon as the audience notices her, they erupt in thunderous applause, whistles and cat-calls, which seems unusual considering the type of music Barbra is known for(ballads, show-tunes).
She launches into, "The Way We Were," and the audience cheers wildly before going absolutely silent, as they listen, transfixed on that voice. She sings other songs like "Evergreen" and "Woman In the Moon," all with the same result.
It is mesmerizing to watch. You really understand the power that Barbra Streisand has, that propelled her to super stardom.
I only wish they would include it on the ASIB DVD. But going by Amazon.com's listing of features on the DVD, this gem is not on it.
