UPDATE: Barbra Streisand Returns to Brooklyn - Reviewers Weigh In!

Barbra Streisand, who last year became the only recording artist or group to achieve #1 albums in each of six decades, is bringing her legendary live performances to 9 cities. Last night, the Grammy winning artist returned to her roots, performing at the Barclays Center in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York. (Watch duet with Jamie Foxx from last night's concert HERE)

Streisand will perform her hits from each decade plus songs from her new album, "ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway," celebrating a career of unparalleled creative achievement. Other stops on the tour include Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Toronto. The concerts are co-directed by Streisand and Richard Jay-Alexander.

Let's see what the reviews had to say thus far:

From Brooklyn:

Wesley Morris, The New York Times: We came to Barclays to hear amazement as opposed to see a spectacle. Although the sight of Ms. Streisand singing "Papa, Can You Hear Me" from "Yentl" while appearing to catch the holy spirit, before the end of the first act, was quite something. The power she summoned pimpled the skin and dampened the eyes. I don't know if Papa could hear this woman, but certainly heaven could.

Glenn Gamboa, New York Daily News: When Barbra Streisand stepped onto the Barclays Center stage and almost immediately began belting out "The Way We Were," it was clear we were in for a daring show. Starting with a beloved showstopper is like throwing down the music gauntlet, promising that what is in store will surpass previous tours. And somehow Streisand delivered.

Roger Friedman, Showbiz411: The show is well written, with just enough shmaltz, pro-Clinton and anti-Trump jabs that you feel like you've spent time with this great star. Barbra was never hip and she isn't now. She's not meant to be. She was the bridge between Tin Pan Alley and the British Invasion. This show plays to her strengths, to her hits, to "Funny Girl" and her uncanny reading of the American songbook. And just when you think you've got it, she'll throw in new phrasing that surprises and thrills.

Jay Lustig, NorthJersey.com: At the start of her show Thursday night at the Barclays Center, Barbra Streisand hummed a few bars of the nostalgic "The Way We Were" and declared, "This is what the evening is all about." After singing the first verse, she hammered home the point by adding, "Think of your memories, too." That was not hard to do. Streisand, 74, still sings with the same rich tone and underlying fire she always has had, and seemed genuinely enthused to be performing.

From L.A.:

Chris Willman, Billboard: If you heard the slightest hint of a rasp in those 74-year-old cords -- and the slightest hint was all you could strain to hear -- it counted as character in a set of pipes that can still, against all odds, climb ev'ry mountain.

Eve Barlow, The Telegraph: Across the night, Streisand's songs seemed to encapsulate the entirety of human experience. The huskiness that's enveloped her voice over the years just enriched the complexity of her story-telling, stories told through melody and floor-to-ceiling notes. This was more than just singing.

Mikael Wood, L.A. Times: But songs like "Being Alive" and "Children Will Listen" showed how powerful her singing remains, how capable she is of getting inside a tune and feeling its emotional extremes. For "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," Streisand was joined by a surprisingly big-voiced Jamie Foxx, who appears on "Encore," and the competition seemed to drive her even further.

EW: Barbra Streisand brought her A Game (does she have any other?) when she kicked off a six-city tour at a star-studded, sold-out show at Los Angeles' Staples Center Tuesday night. The EGOT queen packed the stage with glam: celeb duet partners-from her new albumEncore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, out Aug. 26-vintage photos, snappy anecdotes, and Trump needling. Noticeably absent? Cell phones. Usually at a show, the audience is a sea of lights, but besides a few occasional flashes, the crowd sat at rapt attention throughout.

From San Jose:

Jim Harrington, The Mercury News: There were moments when it was nearly impossible not to be awestruck by what we were witnessing onstage at the SAP Center on Thursday. There would be a note so luxurious, a smile so radiant or a song so rich with nostalgia, leading the capacity crowd to fully realize we weren't just witnessing a performance by some ordinary pop singer. Instead, we were hearing one of the greatest vocalists of all time

From Las Vegas:

Malina Saval, Variety: At 74 years old, Streisand doesn't always hit the power notes - as ironically evidenced in opening number, "The Way We Were" - but a few spots of pitchy imperfection could hardly detract from the sheer magic of watching a living icon return to the stage after a three-year absence, recounting her storied career through a varied set list that included tracks off each of her No. 1 selling albums.

Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review Journal: Saturday's stop on a short tour seemed determined to be more casual and less rigidly theatrical than the big Las Vegas New Year's concerts of 1993-94 and 1999-2000. The musical ensemble was smaller and the set more modest, though it still had the tea set that was much discussed in '93, and that was refreshed at intermission.

From Chicago:

Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, While Streisand no longer sounded as if she could overpower a symphony, and contended with a wispier top end, she remained capable of holding prodigious notes and hitting demanding highs. Her signature instrument lacked the reach of its heyday, but claimed more command and nuance. Streisand frequently altered her phrasing within the same verse, employing glissando and improvisation to add color and surprise. She interrupted certain lines and elongated others. Caring little about technical perfection or by-the-numbers replication, she took risks with unexpected flourishes ("Being at War With Each Other"), revealed hints of tonal grit ("You Don't Bring Me Flowers") and infused a series of ballads with delicate vulnerability ("Evergreen," "Isn't This Better").

Kevin Pollack, BroadwayWorld: Overall, it was one of the best concerts I've seen in years. Streisand was at the top of her game. Despite the raspy voice, she gave it her all and was able to sing everything with no problems at all. Streisand follows tonight's concert with stops throughout August in Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Toronto. I highly recommend you get a chance to see her as it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime event you'll be sure to remember for a lifetime!

Steven Krage, Chicago Now: In many ways, this was the ultimate show for Streisand fans. If you come expecting an intellectually-stimulating event (and why would you, are you daft?) you will be sorely disappointed. If you're a fan of Streisand and her art, you will be sent to the heavens. Even though I was in section 331, it was as if I was clutched to her bosom, breathing in the soul of a woman who has inspired me more than words can say.

Credit: Photo by Tasos Katopodis/WireImage for BSB Touring

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