JayCee Driesen: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand
JayCee Driesen
A Tribute to Barbra Streisand
Metropolitan Room, NYC, July 9, 2016
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
JayCee Driesen’s A Tribute to Barbra Streisand will possibly please some of Streisand’s fans. Driesen is a lively performer with a powerful voice, and the haimisch personality of the Brooklyn native, works perfectly for a Streisand tribute. The song selection captures the best of Streisand’s work. Driesen does not do an impression, but, instead, interprets the songs associated with the legend in her own way. She also has the ability to deftly place amusing stories about Streisand in her interesting patter between musical numbers. Musical Director Lydia Sabosto’s piano playing is an excellent addition to the show.
The opening number, “The Way We Were,” was performed beautifully on piano by Sabosto. Driesen began off stage, with a lively, up-tempo “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” and performed the song as she walked through the audience. After reminding us that “He Touched Me” was introduced as “She Touched Me” by Streisand’s ex-husband Elliott Gould in Drat! The Cat!, Driesen added special lyrics to her version, to express how Streisand had touched her. Dreisen covered “Evergreen,” “Moon River,” “Woman in Love” and “Someone to Watch Over Me” admirably. After talking amusingly about Streisand’s love affair and marriage to James Brolin, Driesen performed her best number, “Where Do You Start?,” sung as if she really believed the Bergmans’ marvelous lyric. Her voice soared with “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before closing with what the audience had been waiting for—“People.” The encore, to a cheering audience, was a very Streisandish “Happy Days Are Here Again.” The crowd demanded and got a second encore of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
