Barbra Streisand keeps it real in Vancouver

The Rogers Arena stage has been graced by musical giants over the past month. Bob Dylan. Madonna. Justin Bieber.

But even those three would have been blown away by the reception received by Barbra Streisand last night, as Rogers Arena hosted the 70-year old singer’s first ever Vancouver concert.

You’d have to have a heart of stone not to root for her. The lights dimmed and the audience was treated to a fascinating five-minute montage of still photos, showing Streisand’s transformation from nerdy schoolgirl to icon of unconventional beauty. Without warning, she was suddenly there centre stage, soaking up an unprompted standing ovation before launching into “On A Clear Day.”

The inevitable greeting followed, the traditional commendation of our city’s natural glory paired with shout outs to Vancouver’s own Diana Krall and Seth Rogen, leading into a blockbuster opening of “Nice ‘n’ Easy,” “Bewitched” and “Didn’t We.” After welcoming teenage Italian popera sensations Il Volo to the stage for “Smile” (“you could add up all their ages,” she sighed, “and it wouldn’t make mine”), Streisand took her first break of the evening, leaving the trio to blast their way through a disappointingly predictable “O Sole Mio.”

In Pictures: Barbra Streisand in Vancouver

What the crowd deserved was more Streisand. She returned to the stage and, instead of singing, sat down to answer questions audience members had jotted down before the show. This was Streisand in her element, ad libbing brilliantly on everything from Obama to hockey to dating Pierre Trudeau. The question, “What are your guilty pleasures?” produced her best answer; “I’m Jewish. Every pleasure is guilty!”

Her voice was still spectacular. Perhaps not the jet powered phenomenon of her prime, but effortlessly smooth nevertheless. Her lyrical interpretation was remarkable, filling words with genuine emotion that in lesser hands could ring mawkish or hollow.

But what really made last night such a triumph was how much of herself she was willing to give her audience. Whether it was cracking self-deprecating jokes or giving a heartfelt tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch (more for his friendship than his song writing) before “The Way We Were,” every moment was an insight into the very real world of Barbra Streisand. Music fan. Mother. Democrat. Bacon enthusiast.

If anything, Streisand could have done with being slightly less generous a performer. Trumpeter Chris Botti’s guest slot dragged unnecessarily and the highlight of a two-song appearance by her son, Jason Gould, was Streisand’s own ad lib, “You can buy this in the lobby,” midway through a verse. Gould is actually a fine singer, but in the presence of his mother’s enormous talent he struggled to shine.

When Streisand returned to centre stage the hits kept coming. “Evergreen,” “People” and “Here’s To Life” all received rapturous receptions, the last of the three prefixed with Mike Myers’ “Like Buttah” and ended with a simple “L’chaim.”

The big finish, Leonard Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow,” saw all Streisand’s guests gather on stage, along with a 100-strong choir. Even then, it was the undisputed star, slipping in the last line of “Somewhere,” dominating the moment.

“You know I’m coming back,” she cracked, removing the pretence of the encore curtain call. “Why should I go down the stairs?”

Amazing at 70, what sets Streisand apart is that for all the trappings of divahood, she’s still the A-lister that kept it real. The mix of show tunes, ballads, kvelling over her son and schvitzing about the US election is far from fashionable, but it’s still hugely entertaining.

“It ain’t over until the fat lady sings,” she grinned. “And I ain’t that fat!”