Barbra at Nomad Two Worlds Exhibition

Designer Donna Karan, Photographer Russell James and Barbra Streisand at Nomad Two Worlds Exhibition Opening Celebration Hosted By Donna Karan And Russell James held at 59 Pier Studios on February 22, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

LITTLE FOCKERS coming to DVD and Blu-ray

BEN STILLER AND ROBERT DE NIRO RETEAM WITH THE HILARIOUS CAST OF BELOVED CHARACTERS IN THE #1 COMEDY BLOCKBUSTER LITTLE FOCKERS. COMING APRIL 5, 2011.

Arrives on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD - Featuring an Alternate Opening and Ending - as Well as on Digital Download and On-Demand From Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Both the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and the DVD are packed with extras, including deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Little Fockers and a never-before-seen alternate opening and ending not shown in theaters! The two-disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack offers fans three different ways to catch up with the Focker family. The set includes a Blu-ray™ and DVD copy of film; and for a limited time only, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic and portable devices anytime, anywhere.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAYTM:
BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE FEATURETTES:

• Bob and Ben: Cast members Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro reflect on their history and their characters’ evolution throughout the Meet the Parents trilogy.
• Ben and Owen: On average, every 1.3 years Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller share the silver screen. Little Fockers marks their 10th movie together. In this dual interview, Ben and Owen reveal the secrets of their shared success.

BLU-RAYTM and DVD BONUS FEATURES:

• GAG REEL
• DELETED SCENES
• NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ALTERNATE OPENING AND ENDING

BEHIND THE SCENES:

• MAKING OF A GODFOCKER: A behind-the-scenes look at Little Fockers. Everyone’s back in this knock down, drag out third installment of the Meet the Parents Trilogy and this piece brings it all together. Featuring the return of cast members, Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner and Terri Polo and newcomers, Harvey Keitel, Jessica Alba and Laura Dern.
• BOUT TIME: A fun behind-the-scenes look at the climatic fight scene where Greg and Jack finally throw down the gloves.
• THE FOCKER FOOT LOCKER: A string of clips from the film of every time someone utters a version of “Focker.”
• THEATRICAL TRAILERS AND MORE!

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
BLU-RAY™

• Street Date: April 5, 2011
• Running Time: 1 Hour 38 Minutes
• Picture Format: Widescreen
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles
• Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish DTS Surround 5.1, French (Canadian) DTS Surround 5.1

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD

• Street Date: April 5, 2011
• Running Time: 1 Hour 38 Minutes
• Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles
• Sound: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French (Canadian) Dolby Digital 5.1

Barbra Sets the Record Straight

1. Regarding those absurd rumors that Barbra demanded the Staples Center be closed as she rehearsed for the Grammy Awards on Friday... she "tweeted" the following on Twitter:

How ridiculous to read that I shut down Staples Center during my rehearsal. Then who were the hundreds of people I was singing to?

2. Clarification on her 'Glee' statement to reporter at MusiCares Concert:

When asked if I would ever appear on ‘Glee, I should have said, “You never know.” It was wrong to say, “Not if I can help it.”

What I meant was that I’ve been overwhelmed preparing for my performances on MusiCares, the Grammys, recordings, and two movies. So I couldn’t take on any more work, and besides that, I wasn’t asked.

I’m so honored that a lead character on “Glee” is so admiring of my work. In my speech at MusiCares, I thanked them “for exposing young people to music they might otherwise not hear today: Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, and Darren Criss…you’re all so gifted."

MusiCares Photo Slideshow

Barbra Is MusiCares Person of the Year

Barbra stepped out in LA last night to accept the MusiCares Person of the Year Award, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The honor is handed out annually by the Recording Academy to artists for their artistic and philanthropic achievements

Barbra, who attended the event with hubby Jim Brolin, son Jason Gould, and other close friends and business associates, even walked the red carpet... a part of showbiz she usually shies away from.

An eclectic range of singers and presenters took to the stage to entertain the crowd. Here's what they performed:

Darren Criss & The Warblers from GLEE - 'What Kind of Fool'
Diana Krall - 'Down With Love'
Seal - 'Guilty'
Leona Lewis - 'Somewhere'
Herbie Hancock & Nikki Yanofsky - Medley of 'On a Clear Day' and 'Lazy Afternoon'
Lea Michele - 'My Man'
Jeff Beck, LeAnn Rimes and BeBe Winans - 'Come Rain or Come Shine'
Faith Hill - 'Send in the Clowns'
Kristin Chenoweth & Matthew Morrison - 'One Less Bell to Answer / A House is Not a Home'
Barry Manilow - 'Memory'
Tony Bennett - 'Smile'
Stevie Wonder - 'People'.

"She's one of the greatest talents we've ever had" - Manilow.

He went on to say... "Neither one of us know what the heck the lyric means," referring to the Cats song 'Memory'. Later, Streisand said, "I think it's about a vampire."

"When I was 12, I wished she could be my girlfriend because she sounded so good" - Stevie Wonder.

"There was never a picture of her getting out of a car without her underwear on," - Comedian Bill Maher.

As Barbra took to the stage to close the evening, she joked "I'm stuck with the leftovers!".

Leftovers they might have been, but Barbra was really left with some of the biggest signature tunes of her career, opening with 'Happy Days Are Here Again', segued into 'The Way We Were', 'What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?', 'Evergreen', 'I Finally Found Someone', and then coming full circle back to 'Happy Days Are Here Again'. She followed the medley by singing 'Make Someone Happy' - a song from Love Is The Answer.

Barbra concluded her performance with two songs from her forthcoming un-named album, which she has been recording since last month in LA... a tribute to Alan and Marilyn Bergman (who were there last night). Barbra sang "The Windmills Of Your Mind" and "I'll Never Say Goodbye".

Barbra thanked a handful of her colleagues for being there... especially Marty Erlichman, who she joked "discovered me in a neonatal unit of Brooklyn Hospital".

In a speech that came straight from her heart, Barbra said "I love music for what it does for the soul. It let me express myself when I had no other outlet."

“I love music for what it does to the soul, how it elevates the moment, the emotions. I love music for what it's given me. It gave me a job when I couldn't get a job as an actress. It let me express myself when I had no other outlet. I love how music binds us together. It also reflects the times we live in.”

Barbra at the Grammy Awards - Through The Years.

MusiCares honors Babs - Streisand takes event to next level

By MELINDA NEWMAN - Variety.com

As one of the most decorated entertainers in show business history, Barbra Streisand -- one of those rare birds who has scored an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and multiple Grammys -- is notoriously shy about her public performances. In fact, it took 27 years for her to commit to a concert tour following her Broadway, West End and Hollywood triumphs as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" and a series of celebrated TV specials. Her record-breaking concert appearances have been sporadic since the mid '90s.
And so when Streisand agreed to perform as the Recording Academy's MusiCares Person of the Year at tonight's gala, as well as making a rare singing appearance at Sunday night's 53rd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center -- where she concluded her last U.S. tour in 2006 -- Recording Acad president/CEO Neil Portnow admits he felt like one of the luckiest people in the world to have landed Babs.

"There are a few that are even beyond your dreams in terms of the night you might have," he says. "You want to be able to present names and personalities that become irresistible in terms of selling tickets and tables and (program) ads. Who better than Barbra Streisand? No one."

The annual benefit raises funds for members of the music community who require emergency financial and medical assistance; in other words, people who need people.

As most charities struggle to regain lost ground from the recession, Streisand provides MusiCares with a wide reach when it comes to soliciting support. With her ties to the music, film, television, theater, book and political worlds, "this is someone that has an incredibly broad following and a lot of them want to be in the room," Portnow says.

An invite has been extended to President Bill Clinton, who attended in 2003 when Bono was honored. Portnow says Clinton, for whom Streisand helped raise millions during his initial presidential campaign, will likely provide a taped message.

MusiCares hopes to top the more than $4 million raised from last year's event honoring Neil Young. Tonight's program, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, has sold out with attendance capped at 2,400. It is believed to be the highest attendance since MusiCares was established in 1989, according to Portnow.

"For me, being able to create is both a gift and a responsibility, and I have seen firsthand the power of philanthropy to make the world a safer, healthier and more peaceful place," Streisand said in a statement. "I have so much respect for the work (MusiCares) does to create a lifeline of resources...for music people in times of need."

Among the artists feting Streisand will be Tony Bennett, Jeff Beck, Seal, Donna Summer, Herbie Hancock, Leann Rimes, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, Faith Hill, Leona Lewis and members of the cast of "Glee" (including Lea Michele, who has made no secret of her love for "Funny Girl."

"Barbra Streisand is a renaissance woman of incomparable voice, creativity, invention, integrity and magic," Hancock tells Variety. "She is also a compassionate fighter for what's best for the world and the planet."

Grammy winner T Bone Burnett, who was honored Wednesday by the Recording Academy's Producers and Engineers Wing, recalls a revelatory performance by Streisand in his youth. "When I was a kid, she went on 'The Tonight Show' (in 1962) and sang 'Happy Days Are Here Again.' She sang it with the greatest sadness. We all knew that song as a song that helped rally the country out of the Depression and the fact that she was able to take that song and show how much pain was in all of that and how much we lost redefined the song. I employed (that) when I did 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.' You take an old song and look at it from this way or look it from over here. She taught me that. That was her artistry. That was a genius moment by her."

Courting Streisand -- who is reportedly prepping for a feature remake of the musical "Gypsy," which would be her first film role since 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces -- for MusiCares has been a multi-year process. Portnow has regular lunches with Streisand's longtime manager Marty Erlichman. "It's always something on my mind and he knows this," Portnow says. "When we did our annual lunch this (past) year to catch up and talk about things, he said, 'You know, this might be a good year. She might want to do this.'"

Streisand's longtime collaborator Jay Landers and multiple Grammy-winning producer Phil Ramone are producing the event.

Past MusiCares honorees include Bennett, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. Portnow would not say who remains on his wish list, other than "Anyone who hasn't been on the stage" as an honoree.

Streisand is also a previous recipient of the Grammy Legend and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Barbra Streisand draws A-list to MusiCares gala

By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY.

Barbra Streisand didn't supply a wish list of performers for Friday's gala honoring her as MusiCares Person of the Year. "I wanted to be surprised," she says. "I didn't know who would be there."

An estimable and eclectic bunch, as it turns out. Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes and Glee castmates are among those scheduled to salute Streisand, 68, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The honoree will sing as well, though "I'm not saying what." She'll perform again at Sunday's Grammy Awards (CBS, 8 p.m. ET/tape delay PT), where her Love Is the Answer is up for best traditional pop album.

The pre-Grammys event pays tribute to an artist who has had an influence creatively and philanthropically. Previous icons recognized by MusiCares, which helps musicians and industry professionals in need, include Bono and Luciano Pavarotti.

Through her Streisand Foundation, she's raising money for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center on Crowdrise.com; she'll match the first $5 million. "Heart disease kills more women than all cancers. Research has focused on men, but there's new work. Female stem cells may help men more. It's always the mother, nourishing."

Actually, Streisand may play one of the least nourishing mothers on record, Momma Rose, in a new film adaptation of the classic musical Gypsy. "We're still in negotiations, but Arthur (Laurents, the show's librettist) let the cat out of the bag."

For now, Streisand will portray Seth Rogen's mom in the comedy My Mother's Curse. She's also working on an album celebrating the lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

The eight-time Grammy winner is, of course, looking forward to Sunday. "My lucky number is 24. I was born on the 24th and had my son at 24. When I won my last Grammy, I said, 'Maybe I'll see you in 24 years.' That was 24 years ago. We'll see."

Grammy preview: MusiCares to honor Barbra Streisand Friday

By Susan King - Los Angeles Times.

Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder and the cast of 'Glee' are among the stars who will perform the singer's hits at the benefit, where Streisand will be lauded for her 'creative accomplishments and philanthropy.'

She's recording a new album and getting ready to star in a remake of the musical "Gypsy," but Barbra Streisand isn't too busy to be honored this week by MusiCares, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences foundation that aids musicians in crisis.

"I love musicians," she explains. "I love people who create music, play music, sing music — whatever. It is a very unified profession. We admire each other's work."

Tony Bennett, Jeff Beck, LeAnn Rimes, Seal, BeBe Winans, Stevie Wonder, Diana Krull, Barry Manilow and the cast of "Glee" are among the performers who will be offering their interpretations of Streisand's classic recordings at the benefit Friday evening at the L.A. Convention Center, two nights before the Grammy Awards. The annual MusiCares person of the year event honors an artist for his or her "creative accomplishments and philanthropy."

An eight-time Grammy winner who is nominated again this year for best traditional pop vocal album for "Love Is the Answer," Streisand, 68, will be performing at the conclusion of the tribute. "I am singing and talking for about 12 to 15 minutes," she said over the phone from her Malibu home, which she wrote about in her bestselling coffee-table book, "My Passion for Design." A portion of the book's proceeds go to the Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular Research and Education program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

But that is all she will reveal about her appearance. "I want it to be a surprise!"

What isn't a surprise is that two of the tribute's co-chairs are Streisand's longtime friends, the Oscar-winning lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who penned the lyrics to "The Way We Were" and the songs from Streisand's 1983 directorial debut, "Yentl," among numerous other renowned tunes ("The Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "I Believe in Love").

"I have sung 52 of their songs," Streisand says.

But there are others she hasn't yet sung, so she's recording an album of them. "I had the most wonderful session a few weeks ago," Streisand recalled. "It was lovely to walk into the Sony scoring stage, which is now called the Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage. It was great."

Ever the designer, Streisand had Sony redesign and redecorate the stage. "It is such a beautiful space — the height of the ceiling and the size of the room," said Streisand.

"The artist's booth used to be way across the orchestra. So every time you want to go into the booth, you would have to run across all of these people and the instruments. The bathroom was outside in the street! So I remember saying it would be fabulous if the artists who recorded there have their booth right by the control booth and a separate bathroom. It was such a treat to work in the room. I worked with so many people I loved — the incredible arranger William Ross; Jay Landers, my longtime A&R man; Marty Erlichman [her manager, who discovered her] and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, who I have known since I was 18. We have a third of an album done."

Streisand said she was singing at the Bon Soir night club when she was 18 when she met the Bergmans.

"I guess they were in the audience," she said. "Marilyn told me this later, that she was crying through my set. I remember the door opening to this tiny little dressing room that I shared with Phyllis Diller. You could hardly turn around to change your dress. The door opened and she said to me, 'Do you know how wonderful you are?' And I didn't. I was always very uncomfortable with compliments for many, many years."

The following year, the couple were present with her at the apartment of composer Jule Styne, who, with Bob Merrill, would write the legendary 1964 Broadway musical "Funny Girl," which made Streisand a superstar as Fanny Brice and for which she won the lead actress Oscar for the 1968 film version.

"I had come there because he wanted to play a song for me," Streisand said. "I was 19 and I was in 'I Can Get It For You Wholesale.' Marilyn tells the story in great detail. I always forget these stories and she reminds me. I was designing clothes then and so I designed myself a black mink cape lined with the paisley that was on my couch — the leftover fabric — a black Russian Cossack-like hat and boots. She remembers I had long, dark fingernails. I asked for a sandwich. She said when they were playing the music for me I never looked up. I was just eating my sandwich."

But Streisand did look up when they finished. "I said, 'You know, that is not right for me. It's right for Carol Burnett.' She said what was amazing to them was that Julie had told them this [musical] was originally written for Carol Burnett. She said I proceeded to describe the kind of musical I would like to do. She said it was like describing 'Funny Girl,' which wasn't around at that time."

Though she has appeared in "Meet the Fockers" and the recent sequel, "Little Fockers," Streisand hasn't done a major film since starring in and directing 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces," and she hasn't done a movie musical since "Yentl." But last month, news broke that she would be starring in a new version of the Styne-Stephen Sondheim 1959 Broadway classic "Gypsy," playing the ultimate stage mother, Mama Rose.

Rosalind Russell had the role in the 1962 film version; Bette Midler played it in the 1993 CBS-TV adaptation.

The news leaked "a little early, because the deal wasn't finished," Streisand said. "I am not sure about directing it. It may just be too much. I know I will be playing the part. It's like a bookend starting with 'Funny Girl.'"

Barbra to perform at Grammy Awards

Barbra will perform at The Grammy Awards in LA this Sunday, for the first time since 1980.