Crowds and onlookers of all-ages thronged the streets and sidewalks around the venue hoping for glimpses of the legendary performer who'd last performed in Greenwich Village in 1962, and for notables, including former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Sarah Jessica Park and Nicole Kidman attending the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Streisand decided to return to the Village Vanguard to perform the songs from Love Is The Answer -- her new album of jazz standards and classics -- in the most intimate setting possible. With its astounding acoustics and deeply comfortable vibe, The Village Vanguard -- an epicenter of the New York jazz scene since an all-jazz policy was implemented in 1957 -- was, and is one of the most renowned musical venues in the world.
During her Vanguard concert, Streisand performed songs from her new album, as well as personal favorites and some surprises, in an extraordinarily warm and powerful set, as the artist and her audience shared an evening filled with music, magic and memories. Several people with connection to Barbra’s early Greenwich Village days appeared to present Barbra to thunderous applause including Lorraine Gordon, widow of the Village Vanguard’s owner, Max Gordon; Rick Edelstein, a waiter at the Village Vanguard who arranged for a then-teen-aged Streisand's first audition at the venue, and lastly, Marty Erlichman, Barbra Streisand’s longtime manager, who was introduced to Barbra by Rick Edelstein in 1961. Backed by a small, tightly-honed band, Streisand delivered passionate and unforgettable performances. The full set-list included, in order of performance, “Here’s To Life”, “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning”, “Gentle Rain”, “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most”, “If You Go Away”, “Where Do You Start”, “Make Someone Happy”, “My Funny Valentine”, “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”, “Evergreen”, “Some Other Time” and “The Way We Were”
