Impersonation is a tricky animal. Whether one thinks of it as a kind of carnival side show or true art is argued heatedly. We go hoping to be amazed or to snicker through a car crash of misguided homagery.

Steve Brinberg's Simply Barbra starts out smart. The piano overture, the darkened empty stage, and then the voice. It's Barbra alright -- the intonation, the inflection, the purity. And she makes her entrance -- yup, the look is right as well -- the choker, the black sequenced pant suit, the hair, and those nails (she makes a raptor envious!). It's vintage Babs from the late '60s- early '70s.

Any chance the show may take itself too seriously are quickly alleviated with a simply hand gesture to move the hair from her face -- the audience howls and we know we're in for a sendup. It's a natural to poke fun at La Streisand; the control freak issues, the snootiness, the many, many references to her movies and albums. Brinberg's show is well written, the banter witty and expertly delivered. But it's the voice that blows me away. A two time Mac and Bistro award winner, Brinberg has the voice down pat. He's got her phrasing, the breathiness, the exquisite control. Streisand's big numbers are included: "On A Clear Day," "People," "The Way "We Were" -- crowd-pleasers all. I particularly admired her inclusion of a subtle The Nearness of You," a beautifully sweet "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl and a fantastic "Send in the Clowns". Not a big Barbra fan myself (I prefer Rosalyn Kind to Babs) Brinberg's show is Streisand subdued and natural. He mocks her affectedness, but doesn't sing that way unless he's making a point.

"I'm Still Here" gives Brinberg the opportunity to show off his innate knack for impersonation when he alternately sings verses as: Eartha Kitt, Lena Horne, Fran Drescher, Bea Arthur, Billy Holiday, Bette Davis, Betty Buckley, Kate Hepburn, Carol Channing and others. Pretty impressive stuff. "Don't Rain on My Parade" gets the full Streisand pizzazz. Newcomer Judy Butterfield (a Judy Garland interpreter) made a guest appearance to join in the famous "Get Happy/Happy Days" duet from the Judy Garland show circa 1964. For the e"ncore, there's Barbra/Brinberg doing a duet with himself as Neil Diamond in You Don't Bring Me Flowers." The evening was a complete surprise and a complete joy. Simply Barbra is Simply Phenomenal!

Simply Barbra continues at the Empire Plush Room through Sept. 2.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
August 25, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org