Streisand Talks YENTL DVD with USA Today

As producer, co-writer, director and star of Yentl, Barbra Streisand brought her legendary talents to the acclaimed film about a young woman who risks everything for her insatiable passion to learn.

The Yentl Extended Director's Edition Two-Disc DVD set will be released tomorrow, Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009. The long awaited release includes never before seen bonus features such as Barbra Streisand's Original Concept Reel, rehearsal/final film comparisons, storyboard montages for musical numbers, deleted scenes, and much more, Streisand spoke to USA Today over the weekend about the much anticipated video release.

"There are fun things, like where we put the rehearsal tapes and the final film versions" of several numbers side by side. Streisand reveals she, "had only nine days to rehearse" before leaving for the U.K., where Yentl was shot. "So I just dressed up in a schleppy little costume and tried out my scenes, with my friends playing the other parts, at my house and their houses", explained the entertainment icon to USA Today. To read the entire interview click here.

Incorporating humor and music to relate Yentl's journey, the film won an Academy Award in 1984 for best original score and received four Oscar nominations including Amy Irving for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction/Set Direction, and Best Original Songs including "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel," both sung by Streisand. Additional accolades include two Golden Globe award wins and four nominations, and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Album of Instrumental Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

* Oscar Awards: 2 wins (A Star is Born, Funny Girl); Golden Globe

Awards: 3 wins (Yentl, A Star is Born, Funny Girl)

** 1995: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama, "Chicago
Hope;" 1984 : Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -
Comedy/Musical, Yentl

Press notes describe the story as, The legendary Barbra Streisand shines as producer, co-writer, director and star of this radiant film about a young woman who risks everything for her insatiable passion to learn. Masquerading as a young man, she enters the Yeshiva to fulfill her forbidden desire for knowledge. But in a place where even the strongest mind can be betrayed by the body, how long can she uphold her secret before her new friends - and the young man she's come to love - discover the shocking truth? 

Special Features

The Yentl Extended Director's Edition DVD is presented in widescreen
with English Dolby Surround 5.1 sound. Special features include:

Disc One:

· Streisand Introduction #1 (Anniversary & Collector's Edition)
· Commentary with Barbra Streisand and Executive Producer Rusty
Lemorande(Anniversary & Collector's Edition)
· 11 Deleted Scenes (Anniversary & Collector's Edition)

Disc Two:

· Barbra Streisand's Introduction to Disc 2 (Collector's Edition)
· Barbra Streisand's Original Concept Reel (Streisand Introduction
included)(Collector's Edition)
· The Director's Reel (Streisand Introduction included) (Collector's
Edition)
· Rehearsal/Final Film Comparisons (Collector's Edition)
· Where is it Written? Rehearsal (Streisand Introduction included)
(Collector's Edition)
· Where is it Written? Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector's
Edition)
· No Wonder Rehearsal (Collector's Edition)
· No Wonder Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector's Edition)
· The Way He Makes Me Feel Rehearsal (Collector's Edition)
· The Way He Makes Me Feel/Final Film Comparison (Collector's Edition)
· No Wonder - Reprise Rehearsal (Collector's Edition)
· No Wonder - Reprise Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector's
Edition)
· Tomorrow Night Rehearsal (Collector's Edition)
· Tomorrow Night Rehearsal/Final Film Comparison (Collector's Edition)
· Will Someone Ever Look at Me That Way? Rehearsal/Final Film
Comparison(Collector's Edition)
· Storyboard Montages for Musical Numbers (Collector's Edition)
· Deleted Number: The Moon and I (Streisand Introduction included)
(Collector's Edition)
· Deleted Number: Several Sins a Day (Collector's Edition)
· Papa, Can You Hear Me? (Collector's Edition)
· A Piece of Sky (Collector's Edition)
· Tomorrow Night (Collector's Edition)
· Teaser Trailer
· Theatrical Trailer
· Photo Gallery

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.