Simply Barbra

Published Friday 15 September 2006 at 11:50 by Paul Vale

Swathed in a filmy sequinned two-piece and nails that would be better suited to a mandarin potentate, Steven Brinberg makes a fairly workaday Barbra Streisand. The look is fancy dress stuff, instantly recognisable as the diva without overstating. What raises Brinberg’s impersonation from the ordinary is his uncanny ability to truly capture Streisand’s vocal mannerisms in speech and song. Often exaggerated to heighten the comedy, Brinberg sings a collection of the popular ballads, The Way We Were, Don’t Rain On My Parade and People linked with a wonderful patter, parodying the superstar’s personality and idiosyncrasies.

Tomorrow and The Trolley Song sung in her style are a delightful surprise and Sondheim’s I’m Still Here gives him an opportunity to elaborate on his remarkable range of voices. Accompanist Nathan Martin joins in for a charming rendition of You’re The Top and in a remarkable show of dexterity, we are treated to an hilarious version of You Don’t Bring Me Flowers. Some moments are truly magical when Brinberg’s impersonation is spot on, such as in The Way He Makes Me Feel from one of her 17 movies, Yentl but there is much more mileage in gently making fun of her marriage, obsessions and reputation as a control freak.