VIDEO Roundup: Richard Jay-Alexander & Matt Howe Mine YouTube for Barbra Streisand's Birthday

It's Barbra Streisand's birthday and BroadwayWorld wanted to do something special to acknowledge it, so I think we think we've got that BOX checked, celebrating an absolutely singular artist and giving you a glimpse into some of the birthday girl's remarkable history. Just before Rob Diamond and I spoke, I had been chatting with Matt Howe, the creator and curator of BARBRA-ARCHIVES.com, who has been updating and polishing the encyclopedic site, since 2003.

Over the years of working with Barbra, I have met so many remarkable people. Barbra and her longtime Manager, Marty Erlichman, have worked with a plethora of creative talents and I was lucky enough to become part of TEAM BARBRA in 2000, after an introduction through Jay Landers. 20 years later and what can only be described as too many adventures to describe, the ride has been thrilling and creatively mind-boggling. Along the way, memorable events, moments and, of course, people cross through my mind. Barbra fans are very special and to have seen and met many of them, across the globe, has been an extraordinary opportunity to share in.

Matt Howe is one of those individuals. All of us on TEAM BARBRA love his site and often call upon Matt for settling our own arguments or discrepancies and breaking "ties" of opinion. We were chatting about the current #StayAtHome #SocialDistancing situation and how we were filling the days and nights and got onto the subject of falling into "YouTube holes" and, even more specifically, "Barbra Streisand YouTube holes." Matt started talking about clips I hadn't seen and then I loved some stuff he wasn't so familiar with, so we decided to compare notes and the timing couldn't have been better, with Rob's request from BroadwayWorld and Barbra's birthday just around the corner.

We each made a LIST of a Baker's Dozen (13), without consultation or discussion and, then, revealed "our hands" to each other. It was illuminating, to say the least. We then whittled down and focused and decided to share these 13 clips with readers to try to show you the inspiration and breadth of Barbra Streisand, this remarkable creature. We decided to steer away from the "obvious" of what you can easily find on the Internet: film trailers, various numbers from the musicals, the "classic" Barbra & Judy, etc. and went for some "deep cuts." We're pretty happy with these and hope you enjoy the ride.

Happy Birthday, Barbra Joan.
We love you.
XO

BEWITCHED

MH: This is my #1. For anyone who ever wondered what makes Barbra Streisand so special, here is a brilliant example. This is when I first fell in love with her.
RJA: This clip was new to me. I understand what Matt is saying.

HAPPY DAYS

MH: I love her concentration and her total commitment to the story she is singing.
RJA: This is MY #1. The acting and the singing here are outrageously brilliant. Whenever I do a Master Class, this is required viewing for everyone. I love to watch the young performers' tongues hang out. This is extraordinary on every level. She performed it on the Garry Moore Show in 1962 (pre-FUNNY GIRL). They used to do a segment of "The Year That Was" and the assignment was 1929, the year of the stock market crash.

1963 INTERVIEW

MH: Barbra is so clear and succinct about this stage of her career and on the very cusp of FUNNY GIRL on Broadway. After Tahoe, she would start rehearsals.
RJA: Another clip I was totally unfamiliar with. Thanks Matt. You are expanding my knowledge base and Barbra is so focused in this interview. I love it.

WINDMILLS

MH: This is so rare and she had never sung this live in concert.
RJA: I was there for this event. The evening was an amazing MUSICARES tribute to Barbra, but when SHE sang that night, it was riveting and I remember how beautiful she looked. This song was dizzyingly stunning.

C'EST SI BON

MH: Her vocals on this song are simply amazing
RJA: For me ... Another killer vocal and a lesson, physically, of "less is more." One of my all-time favorites. We sang it in Grandma's house last summer, and it was STILL amazing!

GRAMMY LEGEND Sondheim

MH: For me, it was such a career milestone and so special that Stephen Sondheim presented it. This was before the 1994 concert tour, so to hear her sing a little snippet on TV was thrilling.
RJA: Streisand and Sondheim ... Works for ME!

Michel Legrand & Barbra

MH: "C'est Si Bon"
RJA: What he said.

THE SUMMER KNOWS - Bercy Paris

MH: This was quite a surprise when it happened and the alternate notes at the end were unexpected and lovely.
RJA: I was THRILLED someone captured this on their phone. It was in Paris, the night Michel Legrand and Charles Aznavour attended the show, in 2007. Barbra and I discussed it in the morning, she did it at Sound Check and, boom, it went into the show ... and .... I must add, flawlessly. It was also exciting to be playing "in the round." She had NEVER sung the song live... EVER ... and it only went onto the SET LIST one more time, in Berlin. I am so happy this is on YouTube.

LOVE WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS

MH: "Iconic"
RJA: "Iconic"

WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT

MH: This was the first time America got to see Barbra for an hour, in their home, on television. This song opened the Concert section and was explosive.
RJA: Of the few times this was performed on television, this is my favorite. The unabashed abandon and the torrid vocal is mesmerizing. A real slow-burn. All guns ablaze in this. We put it into the show on tour, in 2006, and she was STILL "killing it." Barbra has put her distinctive moniker on so many songs, but performing the lyrics is always at the heart of her delivery. ALWAYS.

LOVER COME BACK TO ME

MH: She looks like she's having a ball.
RJA: I can't even categorize what is going on here. I have watched it again and again, over the years, and EVERY SINGLE TIME ... I feel like it gets more brilliant. It's just CRAZY GOOD!

PUTTING IT TOGETHER Career Montage

MH/RJA: We BOTH love this. We believe it's a FAN Edit and has so much great footage for you to feast on.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS

MH: I had never heard this song until she sang it in MUSIC, MEM'RIES ... MAGIC! Now, it's one of my new favorites.
RJA: I would have to say that this is a full-circle moment in her musical pantheon. Barbra has impeccable taste and casts a particular spell on this one, making time disappear. PURE Streisand.

Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images