Striesand

This is a fascinating account of the first five years of Barbra Streisand's career. Her meteoric success was the result of her extrordinary talent and personal ambition, but also the contributions of friends who helped her develop her public persona, a management team which went to amazing lengths (and fudging of facts) to get her name into newspapers nationwide, and many, many others. Alhough Streisand did not cooperate with the author, he made excellent use of the private papers of such legends as Jule Styne and Jerome Robbins, and personal interviews. The result is a very intimate portrait of a complex, driven, and talented young woman, and a particular place and time in the theatrical and pop culture of the United States.

My one disappointment was that Mann never mentioned Marvin Hamlisch, who was starting what was to be his own brilliant career as the rehearsal pianist for "Funny Girl." Hamlisch and Streisand became friends and continued to work together over the years, and I wanted to learn more about that. His omission from the book is puzzling. ( )

What does it take to become a celebrity? First and foremost, an iron-clad narcissism, a ruthless way with friendships, a keen and constant sense of where one finds oneself on the ladder, and an iconoclastic lack of discipline (when imposed by others). Those are the main requirements. If, on top of that, you have a talent, you are on your way to stardom. That's what I remember from this biography of Barbra's early career (having two friends who made it to national stardom in Europe, I couldn't help comparing; Barbra trumps them all). The author paints a coherent picture of Barbra chiseling away at the established order, not willing to take anything but the fast lane. Singing in nightclubs and concert halls, were unpleasant stepping stones in order to make it as a dramatic actress.
The author is a bit of an armchair psychologist ("narcissism" is his word), and Barbra's complex feelings about her father and mother are amply detailed, as constant motives for her overachieving.
He may have relied heavily on a select few witnesses among Barbra's discarded friends of the early years, and every section is rather repetitively built up with a cliffhanger ("would Barbra get the lead in "Funny Girl"? She didn't know, but was determined to go for it"). The book reaches its climax with the opening night of "Funny Girl", and it peters out a bit after that. Still, for anyone who likes Barbra Streisand's early work, you will enjoy the insights provided by these sources (who, uncannily, seem to have total recall memory more than 50 years after the facts), and - like me- finish this page turner in a few days. Just don't expect to like Barbra as much anymore. ( )

This was a page turner for me as I am a Life long Streisand fan. It tells the story of a shy, young girl with big dreams. This is the first five years of her 'career". It's chock full of details about how a young girl emerged from her cocoon and became a young superstar.
I loved the story about the making of the Broadway show 'Funny Girl" and how it all came together. And all the "gossip' I didn't know.
The author, whom I have admired from his novels,really doesn't take sides when telling this story. He tells it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. Excellent writing and highly recommend.
It's like 'Buttah".... ( )

Before Madonna, before Lady Gaga, before Nicki Minaj or any other performer of the past 50 years, there was Barbra. Hello Gorgeous is a well-structured look at how a quirky teenager who desperately wanted to become an actress became one, but not before becoming the toast of Broadway and a woman who didn't even realize the power of her gift -- that voice. That glorious voice.

William J. Mann, whose previous books include biographies of Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and John Schlesinger, as well as novels, has put together bits and pieces of not only the legend, but also stories from people who knew her when. The result is a coherent and cohesive narrative of how Streisand became an overnight sensation after only four years.

Mann recounts Streisand's early acting classes and compares the myth to what he can document. He takes the same approach through her tutelage under her first boyfriend, actor Barry Dennen, who encouraged her to sing and who introduced her to music she later incorporated in early nightclub appearances. Two other friends helped Streisand with her distinctive makeup and fashion sense to cultivate the thriftshop look that became an early trademark.

Throughout, there is a consistent sense that Streisand wanted to be the best and do her best, although doing the same performance night after night after night soon grew tiresome in her first Broadway show, I Can Get It For You Wholesale. Streisand made a splash in that show and captured the heart of leading man Elliot Gould in her small role. Mann recounts the lack of warmth and support from her mother without making her a monster.

Between the show and her nightclub appearances, comparisons soon began between her and Fanny Brice. The convoluted path that led to her getting the role of a lifetime in Funny Girl is described chronologically and thoroughly. Even knowing the outcome and the bare bones of the myth, Mann's account makes for compelling reading.

Mann is careful about noting his sources, but part of his writing style does grate. When he refers to how Streisand or others must be feeling or how if something didn't happen on one night it happened on a night like this, the reader can be forgiven for pausing to question, well, how does he know? Because so much of this comprehensive look at Streisand's path to stardom is documented here with credit to primary sources, these narrative tics take away from the scholarship that was plainly involved.

Even so, Hello Gorgeous is an engaging look at a star and the era when she first blossomed. ( )