In an ovation-filled evening, Barbra Streisand received the Paley Media Center’s coveted Icon Tribute Award from that organization’s CEO and President Maureen Reidy, culminating an evening of laughter and surprising revelations as television’s noted power producer and lifelong Streisand fan, Ryan Murphy, engaged in a conversation of candor, truth, wit and charm with the star.
As the Los Angeles Times described the occasion (in a story headlined Barbra Streisand opens the Annual Paley Fest on a high note,) “Friday’s salute kicked off with a generous montage of clips from her television accomplishments.” These included Streisand’s 1960s specials “My Name Is Barbra” and “Color Me Barbra,” and her recent Netflix special, “Barbra: The Music … The Mem’ries … The Magic!”, the critically acclaimed Netflix presentation of Ms. Streisand’s most recent SRO concert tour.
“When the lights came up,” the LA Times story continued, “Streisand, wearing a dark dress with knee-high black boots, walked on stage alone and started waving to the audience, which greeted her with a thunderous ovation. She was joined a few moments later by Ryan Murphy (“Glee,” “American Horror Story”), the evening’s moderator.
In celebrating Ms. Streisand, as writer-producer-director, star and composer,” Murphy made no effort to mask his excitement about his emcee duties, recounting his thrill as a young boy seeing Streisand for the first time in 1968’s “Funny Girl.” Murphy dismissed those who merely want to label Streisand as the greatest female star in entertainment.
“‘No, that’s not enough,’” he proclaimed. “‘Barbra Streisand is the greatest star, male or female, period.’ The crowd roared in agreement.”
Murphy alluded to her achievements, which, in addition to a slew of lifetime achievement awards, such as the Paley award of that evening, include:
* 10 Grammys / 44 nominations
* 11 Golden Globes / 21 nominations
* 5 Emmys / 10 nominations
* 2 Oscars / 5 nominations
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