Season 5: Barbra Streisand!

The Gospel of Musical Theatre

Everybody said don't, but we're doing it anyway... It's the Gospel According to Babs!

It's the queerest thing we've ever done. This season, we're focusing on the musical (and musical-adjacent) films of one of the greats – Barbra Streisand: GOAT queer diva, filmmaker, actor, and singer, who just released her autobiography My Name is Barbra.

We talk about:

– The Method: Barbra’s early training in the method developed by Konstantin Stanislavski and his students in the early decades of the 20th century – and the theology of human experience it depends on.

– The Albums: Streisand as an interpreter of the American Songbook, and the ways in which her acting training influences her recording career.

– The power of thought as Barbra’s autobiography (and discography!) expresses it. Do thoughts really transcend matter?

– Keep a performance fresh – how to stay in the moment when the moment needs to be repeated over and over.

– Streisand as prophet and priest. How does an artist bring a prophetic voice to society?

You’ll hear:

– Mostly Barbra! “Putting it Together” from the Broadway Album (1985), “Everybody Says Don’t” from Back to Broadway (1993) and “Guilty” (with Barry Gibbs!) from 1980.

Continue the conversation with us on Instagram and The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter (@gospelofmt).