Cabaret Tribute to Streisand's COLOR ME BARBRA Set for Philadelphia Museum of Art
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 18, 2017
On Friday, January 27 at 6:00 p.m., the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Bearded Ladies will honor Color Me Barbra, Barbra Streisand's celebrated CBS television special, filmed at the Museum more than 50 years ago.
The cabaret troupe will pay homage to Streisand in a premiere of Color Me Bearded, a spirited performance that echoes and updates Streisand's original in a musically-inspired, queer-themed walking tour through the galleries.
Visitors will follow a "Bearded Barbra" into the European galleries, encountering a variety of performers along the way. They will stop at some of the same works of art which had captivated Streisand in the special, including The Large Bathers (1918-1919) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
When informed by the Museum about the upcoming musical tribute, and shown its related video trailer, Barbara Streisand reflected on her experience filming Color Me Barbra. She said:
"I remember how beautiful the museum was. We only had 36 hours to film the show while the museum was closed from Sunday night 'til Tuesday morning. But I was so inspired by the paintings that I couldn't wait to inhabit some of their subjects and sing a song the way I thought the characters were feeling. I didn't need sleep. It also enhanced my lifelong interest in art."
John Jarboe, Artistic Director of The Bearded Ladies, noted that in addition to making a tribute to Streisand's 1960s classic, which was broadcast to a national audience, the cabaret troupe also had artistic goals for our time: "This performance is all about making the galleries as accessible as possible and claiming the museum for everyone. And of course, absolutely everyone loves Barbra."
Color Me Bearded, written and directed by Jarboe, will run for ten performances, from January 27 to February 10 on Wednesday and Friday evenings with two performances each day at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia Voices of Pride, a LGBT vocal ensemble, will appear as special guests throughout the run.
Below, watch a 30 second preview of the performance or the full video performance of Gotta Be Out! Video produced by John Jarboe with Jorge Cousineau.
The event takes place at Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. Tickets are $25, $20 for Museum Members and $10 for artists and students and include admission to the Museum.
About Color Me Barbra - It was Streisand's second TV special and was broadcast in color on March 30, 1966, at a moment when most television was still produced in black-and-white-thus the title. Color Me Barbra was also the name of her seventh studio album, released in the same year by Columbia Records.
About The Bearded Ladies - The Bearded Ladies fuse cabaret and theater to tackle the politics of gender, identity, and artistic invention with sparkle and wit. Only six years old, they have created over twelve original Caba-Plays including Philadelphia's annual Bastille Day Cabaret performed for a crowd of over six thousand at Eastern State Penitentiary, and their recent award-winning collaboration with Opera Philadelphia, Andy: A Popera.
About Philadelphia Voices of Pride - Philadelphia Voices of Pride is a self-affirming Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) vocal ensemble devoted to enhancing the musical, educational, and cultural life of the Philadelphia area. They consider themselves ambassadors, promoting a positive image of the LGBT community by donating their time, talents, and financial resources to benefit LGBT, HIV, and Women's organizations. Learn more at www.pvop.org.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia's art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors-through scholarly study and creative play-to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world-and themselves-anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.
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