Streisand, Barbra, 1942–, American singer and actress, b. New York City. Streisand first gained critical and public acclaim for her supporting role in the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962). She cemented her fame with her show-stopping portrayal of Fanny Brice Brice, Fanny, 1891–1951, American comedienne, b. New York City as Fanny Borach. Brice appeared in burlesque and vaudeville from 1906. She starred in the Ziegfeld "Follies" from 1910 onward, and in Broadway shows, emphasizing her plainness by means of a comic
..... Click the link for more information. in another musical, Funny Girl (1964), and won an Academy Award for her performance in the film version (1968). Noted for her strong, clear soprano voice and her dynamic presence, she has made numerous popular recordings. Among her other films are Hello, Dolly (1969), The Owl and the Pussy Cat (1970), What's Up, Doc? (1972), and The Way We Were (1973). Later films include Yentl (1983), which she also wrote, directed, and produced; The Prince of Tides (1991), which she also directed; and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).

Bibliography

See J. Kimbrell, Barbra (2 vol., 1989–92); J. Spada, Streisand: Her Life (1995).

Streisand, Barbra

orig. Barbara Joan Streisand

(born April 24, 1942, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. singer and actress. She sang in nightclubs before appearing on Broadway in I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962), and she became a major star with Funny Girl (1964; film and Academy Award, 1968). Her richly beautiful voice made her one of the world's most popular singers in the 1970s and '80s. An exuberant comic and dramatic actress, she starred in movies such as Hello, Dolly! (1969), What's Up Doc? (1972), The Way We Were (1973), and A Star Is Born (1976), and she later directed and starred in Yentl (1983) and The Prince of Tides (1991). She avoided live performances for several years, but in the 1990s she appeared in a series of concerts that broke box office sales records. In 1995 she received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.

Streisand, (Barbara Joan) Barbra (1942– ) film actress, singer; born in New York City. She began her career as a nightclub singer and made her Broadway debut in I Can Get It For You Wholesale (1962). With her less-than-classic face and throbbing voice, she made her first film, Funny Girl (1968), for which she won the Academy Award. She won another Oscar for the music for the song "Evergreen" in the film A Star Is Born (1977). Notorious for her demanding ways, she maintained her status as a superstar with her occasional films, recordings, and television specials, later moving on to producing and directing movies.