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Tales from the Bizarre
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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showb...h+about+life+with+Barbra+Streisand/article.do
The bizarre truth about life with Barbra Streisand
Peach-coloured toilet roll to match her complexion, and rose petals in
the toilet bowl. One hundred-and-twenty designer bathroom towels also
in peach. Ten highly specified designer floor lamps.
And that's before we get to the insistence that the security team wear
'neat dark sweaters' and use metal detectors.
Even by the standards of a diva, staff at Castletown House had their
work cut out as they made their final preparations for the arrival (by
private plane, naturally) of last Saturday's performer at the stunning
County Kildare castle and estate.
And reports yesterday said she was making similar demands on staff at
The Dorchester - where she is staying, while she performs three
concerts at London's O2 Arena, the first of which was last night -
including, not to talk to her unless specifically requested.
After all, while Barbra Streisand still suffers from the stage fright
that has plagued her 45-year-long career, it has never stymied the
eye-watering list of specifications she makes before she even
considers getting on stage.
Not for nothing has the 65-year-old singer carved out a reputation as
one of showbusiness's most talented performers and also its most
imperious.
Now, after a relatively long period away from the European spotlight,
Babs is back, performing nine European concert dates.
Last week's show in Manchester was her first appearance in the UK
since 1994, and Ms Streisand seemed anxious to make her visit
memorable, not just for her fans but for the staff required to attend
to her demands.
But maybe they should not have been surprised: American lyricist Paul
Williams once described working with her as 'like having a picnic at
the end of an airport runway'.
Streisand has made no secret of her dislike of stage appearances,
provoked by a concert she gave in 1967, in Manhattan, when she forgot
the words to one of her own songs.
Mission
"I simply don't enjoy them, not one bit," she said recently.
So why perform? With more than 70 million records sold, shelves of
Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards and a vast fortune, Streisand has little
left to prove.
But Barbra is on a mission. Before the US leg of her tour last year,
she said: "This will allow me to direct funds and awareness to causes
I care about."
Talk in West Coast showbusiness circles, however, is rather more
prosaic: despite the domestic peace Streisand has found in recent
years through her marriage to Hollywood actor James Brolin, she is
believed to be driven by a desire for public acclaim (or, as one
commentator put it 'Once a needy diva, always a needy diva').
To be fair, her eight-year marriage to Brolin - his third marriage,
her second, following nine years with Elliott Gould, ending in 1971 -
seems to have softened her.
Contented
While usually protective of her privacy, she has been happy to discuss
the intimate details of their alliance. She told actor Dustin Hoffman,
her co-star in the 2004 film Meet The Fockers, that her and Brolin
enjoyed sex six times a week.
Life as Mrs Brolin seems to suit Streisand. The couple have spent much
of their time together in recent years at her extensive Malibu estate,
painting and gardening.
Yet this casual domesticity does not extend to staff, as English
gardener Keith Mansfield discovered.
The 65-year-old from Devon was hired by the star in 2002. She had been
impressed with his work at the Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon, when she
had stayed there.
After tending to her Malibu estate for only a few days, however,
Mansfield resigned. She had been terribly kind, he explained, but was
unable to resist interfering.
Interfering
"She was always rushing around, telling me where to put my
hollyhocks."
Streisand was dismayed when, just before her world tour in the US last
year, writer Christopher Anderson released an unauthorised biography
which included her apparently awe-inspiring sexual CV.
While the singer's erotic allure has become something of a legend over
the years (Warren Beatty and Steve McQueen are among her conquests),
Anderson added a prince and a president to her admirers.
Prince Charles, Anderson alleged, courted Streisand on a trip to
America in 1994, sharing an intimate dinner with her nine months
later; while former president Bill Clinton was described as 'obsessed'
with the singer.
Streisand is said to have spent a night at the White House while
Hillary Clinton was in Arkansas tending to her dying father. (The
President hosted a press conference the following day with scratch
marks on his neck and face.)
Controlling
Anderson's claims provoked her to issue an official rebuttal on her
website. Under the heading 'Truth Alerts', she denounced the book as
'vicious, mean-spirited mythology masquerading as biography'.
Some of this desire for control can be dated back to the unhappiness
of her childhood. Born in Brooklyn in April 1942, Streisand was raised
by an emotionally detached mother and unaffectionate stepfather.
But by 20, she was acting on Broadway in a musical called I Can Get It
For You Wholesale. And in an early example of her demands, she
insisted the programme listed her as being born in Rangoon and raised
in Madagascar, to make her sound more exotic.
Demanding
Her list of demands ever since is as varied as it is lengthy. She once
demanded staff at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas enter and leave her
room backwards (she justified, this with the response: "I'm simple,
complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful and driven.").
Directing a night shoot in New York for one of her movies, her
perfectionism resulted in the production running a few hours behind
schedule. Just before one take, she noticed more light than usual.
"Where the is that light coming from," she screamed. "It's
5.30am," a hesitant crew member responded. "I think it's the sun."
"Well, do something about it," she replied.
Political
These days it is politics, rather than dressing-room requirements,
which tends to be her focus. A lifelong Democrat, she has remained
vocal in her political stance. She abhors George Bush and often
expresses her horror of military action in Iraq under the heading
'statements' on her website.
Due to her outspoken liberal views and support for Israel, Streisand
is scared of being assassinated.
In his biography, Anderson features a scene from the time of the
Six-Day War in 1967 when, the author claims, Streisand weaved around
the stage during a concert in New York to make herself a more
difficult target for potential snipers.
Forty years on, security specifications for her latest tour suggest
she is just as twitchy. Venue administrators for all her UK tour dates
have been told that metal detectors must be manned throughout the day
of the show and during the performance, and police dogs must sweep the
auditorium before her sound check.
None of these idiosyncrasies appear to deter the singer's fans.
Streisand was the second most successful live act in the US last year,
making more than
The bizarre truth about life with Barbra Streisand
Peach-coloured toilet roll to match her complexion, and rose petals in
the toilet bowl. One hundred-and-twenty designer bathroom towels also
in peach. Ten highly specified designer floor lamps.
And that's before we get to the insistence that the security team wear
'neat dark sweaters' and use metal detectors.
Even by the standards of a diva, staff at Castletown House had their
work cut out as they made their final preparations for the arrival (by
private plane, naturally) of last Saturday's performer at the stunning
County Kildare castle and estate.
And reports yesterday said she was making similar demands on staff at
The Dorchester - where she is staying, while she performs three
concerts at London's O2 Arena, the first of which was last night -
including, not to talk to her unless specifically requested.
After all, while Barbra Streisand still suffers from the stage fright
that has plagued her 45-year-long career, it has never stymied the
eye-watering list of specifications she makes before she even
considers getting on stage.
Not for nothing has the 65-year-old singer carved out a reputation as
one of showbusiness's most talented performers and also its most
imperious.
Now, after a relatively long period away from the European spotlight,
Babs is back, performing nine European concert dates.
Last week's show in Manchester was her first appearance in the UK
since 1994, and Ms Streisand seemed anxious to make her visit
memorable, not just for her fans but for the staff required to attend
to her demands.
But maybe they should not have been surprised: American lyricist Paul
Williams once described working with her as 'like having a picnic at
the end of an airport runway'.
Streisand has made no secret of her dislike of stage appearances,
provoked by a concert she gave in 1967, in Manhattan, when she forgot
the words to one of her own songs.
Mission
"I simply don't enjoy them, not one bit," she said recently.
So why perform? With more than 70 million records sold, shelves of
Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards and a vast fortune, Streisand has little
left to prove.
But Barbra is on a mission. Before the US leg of her tour last year,
she said: "This will allow me to direct funds and awareness to causes
I care about."
Talk in West Coast showbusiness circles, however, is rather more
prosaic: despite the domestic peace Streisand has found in recent
years through her marriage to Hollywood actor James Brolin, she is
believed to be driven by a desire for public acclaim (or, as one
commentator put it 'Once a needy diva, always a needy diva').
To be fair, her eight-year marriage to Brolin - his third marriage,
her second, following nine years with Elliott Gould, ending in 1971 -
seems to have softened her.
Contented
While usually protective of her privacy, she has been happy to discuss
the intimate details of their alliance. She told actor Dustin Hoffman,
her co-star in the 2004 film Meet The Fockers, that her and Brolin
enjoyed sex six times a week.
Life as Mrs Brolin seems to suit Streisand. The couple have spent much
of their time together in recent years at her extensive Malibu estate,
painting and gardening.
Yet this casual domesticity does not extend to staff, as English
gardener Keith Mansfield discovered.
The 65-year-old from Devon was hired by the star in 2002. She had been
impressed with his work at the Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon, when she
had stayed there.
After tending to her Malibu estate for only a few days, however,
Mansfield resigned. She had been terribly kind, he explained, but was
unable to resist interfering.
Interfering
"She was always rushing around, telling me where to put my
hollyhocks."
Streisand was dismayed when, just before her world tour in the US last
year, writer Christopher Anderson released an unauthorised biography
which included her apparently awe-inspiring sexual CV.
While the singer's erotic allure has become something of a legend over
the years (Warren Beatty and Steve McQueen are among her conquests),
Anderson added a prince and a president to her admirers.
Prince Charles, Anderson alleged, courted Streisand on a trip to
America in 1994, sharing an intimate dinner with her nine months
later; while former president Bill Clinton was described as 'obsessed'
with the singer.
Streisand is said to have spent a night at the White House while
Hillary Clinton was in Arkansas tending to her dying father. (The
President hosted a press conference the following day with scratch
marks on his neck and face.)
Controlling
Anderson's claims provoked her to issue an official rebuttal on her
website. Under the heading 'Truth Alerts', she denounced the book as
'vicious, mean-spirited mythology masquerading as biography'.
Some of this desire for control can be dated back to the unhappiness
of her childhood. Born in Brooklyn in April 1942, Streisand was raised
by an emotionally detached mother and unaffectionate stepfather.
But by 20, she was acting on Broadway in a musical called I Can Get It
For You Wholesale. And in an early example of her demands, she
insisted the programme listed her as being born in Rangoon and raised
in Madagascar, to make her sound more exotic.
Demanding
Her list of demands ever since is as varied as it is lengthy. She once
demanded staff at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas enter and leave her
room backwards (she justified, this with the response: "I'm simple,
complex, generous, selfish, unattractive, beautiful and driven.").
Directing a night shoot in New York for one of her movies, her
perfectionism resulted in the production running a few hours behind
schedule. Just before one take, she noticed more light than usual.
"Where the is that light coming from," she screamed. "It's
5.30am," a hesitant crew member responded. "I think it's the sun."
"Well, do something about it," she replied.
Political
These days it is politics, rather than dressing-room requirements,
which tends to be her focus. A lifelong Democrat, she has remained
vocal in her political stance. She abhors George Bush and often
expresses her horror of military action in Iraq under the heading
'statements' on her website.
Due to her outspoken liberal views and support for Israel, Streisand
is scared of being assassinated.
In his biography, Anderson features a scene from the time of the
Six-Day War in 1967 when, the author claims, Streisand weaved around
the stage during a concert in New York to make herself a more
difficult target for potential snipers.
Forty years on, security specifications for her latest tour suggest
she is just as twitchy. Venue administrators for all her UK tour dates
have been told that metal detectors must be manned throughout the day
of the show and during the performance, and police dogs must sweep the
auditorium before her sound check.
None of these idiosyncrasies appear to deter the singer's fans.
Streisand was the second most successful live act in the US last year,
making more than
