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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com It's March 26, 1964 at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City. 22 year old Barbra Streisand walks back and forth across her dressing room, focusing on her breathing, trying to calm her nerves. It's opening night of Funny Girl, a musical based on the life of American actress and singer Fanny Brice. Funny Girl isn't Barbara's first time on Broadway, but it is her debut in a leading role. Her heartbeat quickens as a stagehand peers in and tells Barbara there's only two minutes until curtain. Barbara again tries to collect herself and then heads out into the hallway, but she stops when someone grabs her arm. A makeup artist has a horrified look on her face. While Barbara has been fidgeting in her dressing room, she smudged her eyeliner. As other cast members hurry past, the makeup artist holds Barbara's head still and gives her one last quick touch up. Barbara then rushes after the other performers to the stage. Reaching the wings, she pauses, takes yet another deep breath and waits for her cue. But when her moment comes and Barbara walks out to thunderous applause, all trace of her nerves evaporates and she launches into a first night performance that will be talked about for years to come. Barbra Streisand will win the praise of critics and theatergoers alike as Funny Girl proves an instant Broadway hit. Barbara will go on to perform as Fanny Brice hundreds of times in New York and in London's West End, and she'll even reprise the role in an award winning Hollywood adaptation of the play. Barbra Streisand was already building a name for herself, but Funny Girl rockets her to stardom after her first performance in the Musical on March 26, 1964. History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment with one connection the experts at Express Employment professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews and lower your recruitment costs. Visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express employment professionals can take care of your hiring.
- [02:40]
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- [03:17]
Lindsey Graham
From Noiser in Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is March 26, 1964 Funny Girl opens on Broadway it's 1949 at an elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. 15 years before Barbra Streisand's first performance in Funny Girl. A seven year old Barbara clutches her churning stomach as she stands beside the school stage. At home, Barbara loves to sing, but today is the first time she's performed in front of an audience. But that's not the only reason why Barbara's stomach is doing somersaults. She spent all yesterday sick in bed, and she should probably still be out of school today. But Barbara's determined not to miss this chance. She gazes out at the parents and students who have gathered in the hall for today's special assembly until Barbara eventually spots her mother's face. She gives Barbara a reassuring smile, and then a teacher announces Barbara's name. Barbara self consciously shuffles onto stage and looks around the packed room. The eyes of everyone are fixed on her. She takes a deep breath and begins to sing. Barbara is always happiest when she's singing, and it's an escape she desperately needs. Barbara's father died when she was only a year old, and the loss of his school teacher salary plunged the Streisand family into poverty. Barbara's mother tried to pay the bills by training as a bookkeeper, but she struggled to earn enough money to make ends meet. Times were often tough, but the family found some relief in music. Barbara's mother was a talented singer, and she encouraged Barbara to practice and train her voice. After all, singing was a hobby that didn't require any expensive equipment. After Barbara's stage debut in the school assembly, she continues to practice and takes every opportunity she can to sing and perform. In high school, Barbara joins the freshman chorus, teaming up to sing with others for the first time. There, Barbara discovers the joy of performing as part of a wider cast, especially alongside another talented student with a great Voice, the future pop star, Neil Diamond. Soon, Neil and Barbara are sharing most of the singing group's leading parts between them. But though Barbara and Neil are close friends, she doesn't have any romantic feelings toward him. She saves those for another classmate, one who doesn't attend the freshman chorus at all. Instead, the young Bobby Fischer spends most of his time hunched over a chessboard. He's already on his way to becoming one of the greatest chess players of all time. But Barbra Streisand is soon departing on her own extraordinary journey as well. After graduating high school in 1959, Barbara signs a lease for an apartment on 48th street in the heart of New York's theater district. It's a bold move because Barbara is still only 16 and her show business experience is limited to school plays, weddings and a few walk on parts in local amateur productions. But Barbara is determined to pursue her dream of becoming a Broadway star. Barbara takes on low paying work while she auditions for any part she can. But she finds it tough to earn a break in the competitive theater industry. After a few months, she's out of cash and gives up her apartment. She starts sleeping on friends couches. And her mother tells her that she should give up on a career in show business and get a real job instead. But Barbara isn't prepared to throw in the towel just yet. She's encouraged by every morsel of praise that casting directors give her, no matter how small. And when Barbara's boyfriend spots that a nightclub is holding a talent contest, Barbara decides to enter. At this talent show, Barbara sings two numbers and both leave the audience in enraptured silence. And until the end, when they break out in thunderous applause, the reaction of the crowd is all the judges need to hear. Barbara is crowned the winner of the talent contest and she's invited back to become one of the club's regular singers. Soon after this, another nightclub signs up Barbara to perform. They pay her $125 a week, five times the average woman's wage in 1960. Now that she has a regular paycheck, Barbara realizes that she does have a future in show business after all. But perhaps as a singer, not as an actor. Over the next six months, Barbara steadily refines her act. Critics are soon comparing her to established stars like Julie Garland, with one reviewer even predicting that by the time she's 30, Barbara will have rewritten the record books. These words will prove prophetic because within a decade, Barbara won't just be a nightclub singer in New York, she'll be a star of stage and screen who's famous all around the world. History Daily is sponsored by indeed. One thing I've noticed in my business is that by the time a problem reveals itself, it's already too late. You might say we need help now, but it's more like we needed help six weeks ago, but we are only just figuring that out. And if the help you need is a new hire, well, get ready for more waiting. Unless you turn to Indeed. How fast is Indeed? Well, in the minute I've been talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed data worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs, there are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of History Daily will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com onthis day, just go to Indeed.com onthis day right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com onthisday Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.
- [09:16]
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- [10:05]
Lindsey Graham
Foreign 1961 at the Blue angel nightclub in New York A year after Barbra Streisand won a nightclub talent contest. Now 19 years old, Barbra takes to the stage and blinks in the bright lights. The Blue angel is a step above the usual venues where Barbara performs. It's an upscale nightclub that attracts many of New York's trendsetters. Barbara's been hired for a week long run, but at tonight's opening show, there's only one person in the audience she's performing for. A few weeks ago, Barbara discovered that a new musical was coming to Broadway. I can get it for your wholesale. It's based on a 1937 novel and it's been adapted for the stage by renowned playwright Arthur Lawrence. When Barbara read the novel, she loved it and her dreams of being a Broadway star were suddenly rekindled. Earlier today, she auditioned for the role and now Arthur Lawrence has come to see her sing on stage. Barbara hopes it's a positive sign. And like the rest of the audience, Arthur is captivated by Barbara's nightclub set. And a few days later, Barbara gets the call she's been hoping for. She's been cast in the part of Ms. Marmelstein, a supporting role in the musical. Barbara's experience on I Can Get it for your Wholesale is everything she dreamed it would be. The show opens to rave reviews from critics and Barbara secures a nomination for Best Actress in the prestigious Tony Awards. She even ends up in a romantic relationship with the show's lead, Elliot Gould. And when the final curtain falls at the end of a nine month run, Barbara has completed 300 performances of the musical. She's no longer a nightclub singer. She is a Broadway star. Over the next few months, Barbara becomes an in demand celebrity. And that brings new opportunities for her to show off her talents. She appears on the Ed Sullivan show alongside the singer Liberace, one of the biggest stars in America. He is so taken with Barbara that he invites her to open for him at his long running Las Vegas show. Barbara then records a solo album which reaches the top 10 in the charts and wins three Grammy awards. But despite her growing success off the stage, Barbara still considers theater to be her first love. And thanks to her growing profile, there's no shortage of producers wanting her to star in their shows. In 1963, she's asked to audition for the lead in Funny Girl, a new musical based on the life of comedian Fanny Brice. Funny Girl has been developed by Fanny's son in law, Ray Stark. But it's had a troubled journey to the stage. Ray has tried several different ways to tell Fanny's story. He's spent tens of thousands of dollars commissioning a biography, only to be unhappy with the response results. He also tried to develop a screenplay, but 11 different writers failed to produce a script that Ray deemed good enough. He finally decided to adapt Fanny's life into a stage musical, but then struggled to find a leading lady. But when Barbara sings for Ray, he realizes that she is perfect for the role and he hires her on the spot. But even though Funny Girl has secured its lead, it's still far from ready. Over the next few months, Sarah, several directors and composers will come and go. And when Funny Girl begins an out of town tryout in Boston, Massachusetts to identify and fix any issues before the show is performed on Broadway. Audiences are left unimpressed. They think the show is too long, so the producers cut 30 minutes and then stage another test run in Philadelphia. But it's still too long. Another five songs are cut and the director is replaced. But now the clock is tickled kicking. Funny Girl's Broadway debut has already been postponed five times, and the bosses at the Winter Garden Theater are starting to put pressure on Ray Stark. Either Funny Girl opens on Broadway soon or it'll lose its slot. But after only a few more adjustments, Ray declares that he's satisfied. Funny Girl is finally ready for its Broadway debut. It opens on March 26, 1964, and the extra time spent on perfecting the show soon proves its worth. The reaction from the audience on opening night is ecstatic. Barbara and her fellow cast take 23 curtain calls before heading off for a party. They're still celebrating when the morning papers hit the newsstands full of praise for the show and especially Barbara's performance. Barbara will continue to play Fanny Brice for the next two years in New York and London before finally leaving Funny Girl in July of 1966. But even then, her time with Fanny Brice won't be over. Two years later, she'll reprise the role one final time. Funny the musical made her a Broadway star, but funny the movie will take Barbra Streisand to new Hollywood Heights. Mom, I need to lay low for a few days.
- [14:46]
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- [14:47]
Lindsey Graham
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- [15:12]
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- [15:21]
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- [15:38]
Lindsey Graham
It's April 14, 1969 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. Five years after Funny Girl opened on Broadway, 26 year old Barbara Streisand sits alongside Hollywood, its biggest stars at the 41st Academy Awards. Legendary actress Ingrid Bergman has just walked onto stage with an envelope in her hand, and Barbara tries her best to remain calm for the cameras. But that's a tall order, because tonight could be the biggest moment of Barbara's career so far. After Funny Girl opened on Broadway to critical acclaim, producer Ray Stark revisited his idea of turning his mother in law's life into a movie. The success of the Broadway show meant there was intense competition among Hollywood studios to secure the rights to the musical. But Ray had one condition. He insisted that he would only allow Funny Girl to be adapted into a movie if Barbra Streisand retained the lead role. Thankfully for Ray, the studios were eager to cast her, and Barbara was delighted to add a Hollywood movie to her resume. Funny Girl was released in theaters in September 1968. In was a box office hit with audiences, and now Barbara's hoping that the Academy liked it too. She's been nominated for Best Actress alongside the likes of Vanessa Redgrave and Katharine Hepburn. The entire theater holds its breath as Ingrid Bergman tears open the envelope. She pauses, frowning at the card inside. Then when she finally starts to speak, her voice is hesitant. The winner. It's a tie. The winners are Katharine Hepburn in Lion in the Winter and Barbra Streisand. This is only the third time in Oscar history that an award has been shared, but Barbara doesn't mind. She'll get plenty of opportunities to add other solo awards to her collection in her long career. She'll go on to win another Oscar, as well as 10 Grammys, nine Golden Globes, five Emmys and four Peabody Awards. A storied career that got its biggest boost when Barbra Streisand debuted in the lead of Funny Girl when it opened on Broadway on March 26, 1964. Next on History Daily March 27, 1912 as a gesture of friendship between two nations once at odds, Japan presents the United States a gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Noiser and Airship. This is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Christian Paraga Sound design by Gabriel Gould Supervising Sound Designer Matthew Filler Music by Throwing this episode is written and researched by Rob Scragg Edited by Scott Reeves Managing Producer Emily Burt Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.
- [18:38]
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