Joy and sorrow converge as Barbra revisits her theater roots at the Tonys

BARBRA Streisand tonyawards.com

Barbra Streisand received a rapturous welcome at the 70th Annual Tony Awards on  Sunday (Monday in Manila), June 12, when she presented the coveted best musical prize to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking stage production, “Hamilton,” which won 11 of its 16 nominations.

The singer-actress’ homecoming, her first on the Tony Awards stage since 1970, was bittersweet as the 74-year-old diva mourned the deaths of more than 50 partygoers after a lone gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida earlier that day, in what was described as the “deadliest mass shooting in US history.”

Before announcing the five nominees—which included “School of Rock, The Musical” “Bright Star,” “Waitress” and “Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”—Barbra mused: “Tonight, our joy is tinged with sorrow. But we’re here to celebrate Broadway and the beauty that artistry can bring into this world.

“I’m very thankful to be in the company of… the artists who write the plays, the composers and lyricists who write the songs—and the actors who bring them to life. Art can entertain us and educate us and, in times like these, console us.”

Gay nightclub

Her return to the Tonys has allowed the actress to revisit her theater roots: In 1960, Barbra was working as an usher at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre run of “The Sound of Music” when her then-boyfriend, actor Barry Dennen, with whom she acted in an off-Broadway play, convinced Barbra to join a talent contest at a gay nightclub in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. To no one’s surprise, she won by a unanimous vote.

(It’s interesting to note that, in 1997, Dennen penned the autobiographical book, “My Life with Barbra: A Love Story,” which chronicled his romance with the superstar—and his gradual realization that he was gay.)

Fame wasn’t handed to Barbra on a silver platter, however. In fact, the following year, Barbra acted in the satirical musical revue, “Another Evening with Harry Stoones,” which, after receiving terrible reviews, closed the following day.

This was followed by her Tony-nominated star turns in 1962’s “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” (with her soon-ex-husband Elliott Gould) and 1964’s “Funny Girl,” where she sang her signature show tunes “People,” “The Music That Makes Me Dance” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” The rest, as they say, is show biz history and lore.

In August, Barbra will topbill the  nine-city concert tour, “The Music… The Mem’ries… The Magic,” followed by the release of her 35th studio album, “Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway,” on Aug. 26.

As aptly noted by Tony Awards host James Corden, the songstress has recorded and released 195 Broadway songs to date, excluding the 14 tracks featured in “Encore’s” deluxe edition.

The album’s stellar lineup of vocalists includes Anne Hathaway and Daisy Ridley (“At the Ballet”), Patrick Wilson (“Loving You”), Alec Baldwin (“The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened”), Antonio Banderas (“Take Me to the World”), Seth MacFarlane (“Pure Imagination”), Melissa McCarthy (“Anything You Can Do”), Chris Pine (“I’ll Be Seeing You/I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”) and Hugh Jackman (“Any Moment Now”).