Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand

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Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 177 ratings · 61 reviews

The best-selling biographer of Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor tells the electrifying story of how Barbra Streisand transformed herself into the greatest star of her era, etching “an indelible portrait of the artist as a young woman” (Publishers Weekly).

In 1960, she was a seventeen-year-old Brooklyn kid with plenty of talent but no connections and certainly no money...more

Hardcover, 576 pages

Published October 9th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published September 1st 2012)

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Apr 20, 2013 Joy H. is currently reading it

Shelves: biography, celebrity, hollywood, show-business, celebrity-streisand

Added 4/20/13
Barbra Streisand fascinates me. She is an original. As the book suggests, she has many sides to her personality... and they are ALL original! She's different! Have those many odd characteristics been magnified and merchandised to finally bring her fame? Maybe. No matter. She made it! And she's still different. And gifted with a gorgeous voice.

I'm impressed with the way make-up has brought out her hidden beauty. She was fortunate enough to run into the right people who knew how to ha...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Roz Warren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ten Things I Learned about Streisand from reading “Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand”

Streisand was a smoker by the time she was 10. She taught her mother to smoke.

She has tinnitus (ringing ears).

She once had an affair with Tommy Smothers.

Liberace was a big fan.

She originally wanted to be a serious dramatic actress and acted out scenes from Chekov and Shakespeare in the privacy of her room.

Retired silent film star Lillian Gish was so impressed when she first saw Streisand perform that s...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Alecia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not the only biography of Barbra Streisand that I have read. But it is the only one that focuses on the five years (1960-65) when she experiences her meteoric rise to stardom. I am not a Streisand "fan", but I certainly appreciate her talent and drive. It was interesting to concentrate on that time period, as her ascension was so swift, and she was so very young ( a broadway leading lady at 21). The calculation involved to develop a "kookie" persona is intersting, as is her young wish to...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-memoir, nyc

The fairy-tale, rags-to-riches four years of Barbra Streisand's early career. I got most of the way through this chunkster book, even though this is a lot more detail about Streisand and the Broadway scene than I'm interested in. Three things kept me interested.

(1) Descriptions of Manhattan in the early 1960s. Night clubs. Diners. Streisand and Gould living in a tiny apartment above a greasy spoon restaurant.
(2) Streisand's curious personality--the cultivated "kookiness," the drive to be a seri...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Alla rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand” by William J. Mann tracks the four years, 1960-1964, that turned Streisand from a seventeen-year-old wannabe to an outright star, starring in a Broadway play after successfully securing her management team and seducing large crowds with her nightclub singing, and poised to enter Hollywood. This isn’t a story about what she did after she became famous, but rather how she became famous in the first place.

Interestingly enough, even though these four car...more “Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand” by William J. Mann tracks the four years, 1960-1964, that turned Streisand from a seventeen-year-old wannabe to an outright star, starring in a Broadway play after successfully securing her management team and seducing large crowds with her nightclub singing, and poised to enter Hollywood. This isn’t a story about what she did after she became famous, but rather how she became famous in the first place.

Interestingly enough, even though these four career-making years in Streisand’s life happened nearly fifty years ago, the author was able to meticulously research the timeline of places and events, with so much detail that at times it feels like the events described just happened. I’ve seen bios of current stars, detailing their whole lives, one half the size of Streisand’s bio about four years in her life. In other words, the author did a masterful job with the research, as the thick bibliography section proves. The book itself is divided by the years and corresponding seasons in Barbra’s life—starting from the Winter of 1960.

As the book starts, Barbra has just graduated high school and, despite her high grades, decides to skip college and try to build her career. Her primary goal is to become an actress, and singing just becomes a means to this end. Her dream is to join the prestigious Actors Studio, which becomes difficult and Strasberg is dismissive of her. Streisand wins roles in some minor plays, but it is the nightclub singing which ultimately financially supports her and gets her introduced to a manager and agent, who help secure her future singing gigs and even manage to get her on evening talk shows.

From then on, Babra’s star grows brighter as powerful players in the business get behind her and public adoration grows. There’s one scene in the book when Streisand stops by Judy Garland’s new talk shows, and the veteran singer/actress is more nervous than Streisand is, even though, with Streisand’s lack of experience at that point, it should have been the other way around. As careers of stars of the past decline, Streisand’s is on the way up—and despite feeling pity for Garland, she recognizes that—even as the incident sheds some light on the ephemeral nature of stardom. Overall, a very well researched book and highly recommended for fans of Streisand. (less)

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Jan 22, 2013 Wanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Covers a crucial 5 years in Streisand's life when she goes from 17 year old wannabe to stardom. Nothing new in this book, although it is pretty well written. Lots of speculative sentences which became annoying after a while. If you don't know for sure, don't include it. Not sure why the author wrote it when there are so many biographies of Streisand. The only thing that it did confirm is that most biographers have a hard time getting past Streisand's abrasive and self-centered personality. She c...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Marisa Adair rated it 4 of 5 stars

One might think, upon glancing at the cover of Hello Gorgeous, that the book is another Hollywood tell-all - all fluff and no substance. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

The author conducted meticulous and in-depth research that chronicles the first four years in the career of Barbra Streisand, one of the most private of Hollywood superstars. We meet a vulnerable yet driven 17 year old from Brooklyn who is determined to become an actress. Not a singer. In fact, the singing is almost an af...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Marcy Peskin-Larkin rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Barbra fan due to early parental exposure, I was looking forward to this book in a way that gripped both heart and mind in that sense of tasty anticipation. The book starts out strong with details that bring the reader into those years, even if you are a generation or two too young to have remembered the events. This was not the kind of book that one could read through quickly only skimming over the words. It was the kind of book that screamed for a cup of tea, a comfy chair and plenty of time...more A Barbra fan due to early parental exposure, I was looking forward to this book in a way that gripped both heart and mind in that sense of tasty anticipation. The book starts out strong with details that bring the reader into those years, even if you are a generation or two too young to have remembered the events. This was not the kind of book that one could read through quickly only skimming over the words. It was the kind of book that screamed for a cup of tea, a comfy chair and plenty of time to digest the details of the determined young Brooklyn girl that dreamed of being a star.

With great attention to details from her clothing, her mannerisms, her words and her looks one becomes exposed to the raw talent. Descriptions of events and people, places she was and points that she set as future goals were finely strung together like a lovely necklace or perhaps like one of the boas that she was so fond of. Learning about the clusters of people that worked behind the scenes; directors, agents, producers, arrangers, columnists, friends, family, lovers, foes, fans... was all part of the threading together of the fabric of her gingham dresses. The reader needs to know who they all were and is able to follow all of those sub plots perfectly.

With so much of the book being about her attempting to realize her goal of being chosen for the role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" the reader is taken through the attempts to woo all the key players into rooting for and finally securing her as such. We know what she ate and where she shopped. We know what she wore and what she sang and said during her performances. We followed her as she stepped onto the television screen, met some iconic talents and became a star with her own cult following.

Lovingly I read the details of how she cultivated herself into being Barbra.

So I then question how such a well written book could just sputter out and die like a vehicle running out of fuel? Did the author lose interest and decide that he had enough of a manuscript to get published so he just stopped the story? She stands above the streets of Manhattan and dreams of the skies of Hollywood; the end? This was not about becoming Barbra as much as it was the journey to becoming Fanny Brice, with a short skim - a limited peek - into what happened afterward. A poorly written ending for what was initially my newest favorite read. It was sad to see it end the way it did because a book like this won't lend itself to a sequel. The story needed to have the strength to go forward past "Funny Girl" and give the reader more Barbra. (less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Brie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a tedious and pretentious read.It seemed to have a lot of padding added to it by the writer because I do not believe he knew exactly what Streisand and her friends were feeling in 1960 or 1961.A lot of what was written makes me think he wasn't entirely truthful in this biography writing because it was written so 'story like". It also only covered 5 years of Streisand's life and went into detail about her performances...all that were long before Mann's time so it makes me side-eye him as...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: broadway-hollywood

Having just seen La Streisand less than a month ago, I figured it was time to find out about her rise to fame. After reading this I can now say that it wasn't as much of a "rise" to fame as a "rocket ride." This is as much a biography of Streisand as a "how-to" manual on how to create an actual Broadway production - in this instance the original 1964 production of "Funny Girl", the ertswhile story of legendary Ziegfeld star Fanny Brice. From the beginnings where Streisand was readily attended to...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once again, I discovered more than I really wanted to know about a celebrity I admire in this unauthorized biography. This author admits he was not a fan before researching Babs' life, but he came to admire her tenacious view of becoming successful. Being the best was more important than family, friends, or colleagues. Regardless, I could identify with her struggles and her view. I appreciated that he spoke directly with many who worked with her even though she is notorious for not cooperating w...more

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Dec 19, 2012 CJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm rather hot and cold on Ms. Streisand. Sometimes she's fabulous and sometimes she's a kook. This was a review copy given to me by a friend and it explains so much about the craziness that surrounds Barbra Streisand.

Mann gives great insight into the "character" that lives in front of the real woman. There's lots of backstage gossip, stories about boyfriends and husbands, and ALL the traveling she did to make a name for herself in show business. It's no spoiler to say that to be an "overnight s...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Lynne Perednia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before Madonna, before Lady Gaga, before Nicki Minaj or any other performer of the past 50 years, there was Barbra. Hello Gorgeous is a well-structured look at how a quirky teenager who desperately wanted to become an actress became one, but not before becoming the toast of Broadway and a woman who didn't even realize the power of her gift -- that voice. That glorious voice.

William J. Mann, whose previous books include biographies of Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and John Schlesinger, as w...more Before Madonna, before Lady Gaga, before Nicki Minaj or any other performer of the past 50 years, there was Barbra. Hello Gorgeous is a well-structured look at how a quirky teenager who desperately wanted to become an actress became one, but not before becoming the toast of Broadway and a woman who didn't even realize the power of her gift -- that voice. That glorious voice.

William J. Mann, whose previous books include biographies of Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and John Schlesinger, as well as novels, has put together bits and pieces of not only the legend, but also stories from people who knew her when. The result is a coherent and cohesive narrative of how Streisand became an overnight sensation after only four years.

Mann recounts Streisand's early acting classes and compares the myth to what he can document. He takes the same approach through her tutelage under her first boyfriend, actor Barry Dennen, who encouraged her to sing and who introduced her to music she later incorporated in early nightclub appearances. Two other friends helped Streisand with her distinctive makeup and fashion sense to cultivate the thriftshop look that became an early trademark.

Throughout, there is a consistent sense that Streisand wanted to be the best and do her best, although doing the same performance night after night after night soon grew tiresome in her first Broadway show, I Can Get It For You Wholesale. Streisand made a splash in that show and captured the heart of leading man Elliot Gould in her small role. Mann recounts the lack of warmth and support from her mother without making her a monster.

Between the show and her nightclub appearances, comparisons soon began between her and Fanny Brice. The convoluted path that led to her getting the role of a lifetime in Funny Girl is described chronologically and thoroughly. Even knowing the outcome and the bare bones of the myth, Mann's account makes for compelling reading.

Mann is careful about noting his sources, but part of his writing style does grate. When he refers to how Streisand or others must be feeling or how if something didn't happen on one night it happened on a night like this, the reader can be forgiven for pausing to question, well, how does he know? Because so much of this comprehensive look at Streisand's path to stardom is documented here with credit to primary sources, these narrative tics take away from the scholarship that was plainly involved.

Even so, Hello Gorgeous is an engaging look at a star and the era when she first blossomed.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ya' gotta be a fan to slog through this one. As other reviewers have said, the details about the early '60 s entertainment scene are Interesting. The author's style is pedestrian, puffy, and sometimes hilarious. There must be six or seven instances where he writes, "It was on this day, or one very much like it . . ." There is a lot of detail about what Barbra was wearing, what Barbra was eating, how Barbra wore her hair, what Barbra said, what Barbra was really thinking on a particular day or on...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

whether or not you're a Streisand fan this book is an interesting read about Streisand's early career.Barbra Streisand's first ambition was to be a stage actress, not a singer. Her cultivated image in the sixties as a "kook" was based on her genuine quirkiness in dress and character. (In one early interview she claims to be Turkish.) Driven, intelligent and talented, Streisand achieved fame thro hard work and perseverance. This book tells about some of her romances, including Eliot Gould, and he...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

William J. Mann is an excellent writer who has a knack for weaving factual details into passages that read like a novel. In Hello, Gorgeous, Mann expertly recreates 1960s NYC and Barbra's early days as a performer. I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of nightclubs-gone-by like the infamous Bon Soir that helped catapult Barbra to stardom. Mann is also evidently quite a fan of Barbra, or at least he became one during his research, as there is hardly a negative description of her in the entir...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Henk-Jan van der Klis rated it 3 of 5 stars

In only 4 years Barbra Streisand grew from a rebellious teenager to an icon in the making. In Hello, Gorgeous, William Mann takes you back to Streisand's formative years. From a 17 year-old Brooklyn girl, uncertain about her nose and profiling her Jewish background, talent yet unknown, but ambitious. Four years later, after learning to sing in night clubs and bars, playing roles in musicals and slowly seeing her salary rise from $150 a week to $100,000+ yearly, she is Broadway stage star in Funn...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Holly Weiss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, to-review, biography, non-fiction

Streisand On Fire With Guts – The Early Years

This biography of Barbra Streisand is a timely release, marking her fiftieth anniversary in show business. While the singer/actress giant is still actively performing (sold out for her tour at age seventy), Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand covers only the first four years of her career in show business. It is a detailed account of how this petite-sized young woman and her “out-sized” personality” took the entertainment industry by storm.

“In...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although this is a very long read, it never failed to keep me interested. It only covers about four years of Barbra Streisand's life, but gives one a very good insight into the machinations of the mind and determination of someone who means to succeed. Any one is tempted to call her rise to the top New York, needs to read about all the intense training, planning, performing, and her original poverty to realize that although in the grand scheme of things she may have arisen faster than some other...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Naomi.m rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Hello gorgeous was very good. I became a bug Barbra fan about 2 years ago after listening to don't rain on my parade. This book explained Barbra very well and really showed how insecure she was about her looks.It also showed her desperate need to be a star. However this book included a lot of information that wasn't needed. Also it shoved her life after 1964 into 3 pages when it could have been stretched out. Overall the book wasn't the best but it was fun to read

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Mar 22, 2013 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finished reading biography "Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand" by Willliam J. Mann.
A++++ - First five years of Barbra Streisand's career. From singing in nightclubs with a "kooky"
style - moving on tv and then Broadway in Funny Girl. Story about getting Funny Girl produced on Broadway is amazing. I still remember hearing her sing for the first time - "A Sleeping Bee".
Barbra is the Star.

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Nov 21, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography and wish the author had continued past the stage production of "Funny Girl." He went into so much depth as he followed Streisand's rise to fame that I felt cheated out of "the rest of the story." Mann's writing kept me engaged, and the pages flew by. I have not read any other Streisand biographies, but I highly recommend this one and desperately request a Part 2!!

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Nov 06, 2012 Carole rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of how Barbra Streisand made the journey from being an unknown but extremely talented teenager to a superstar in the space of about four years. There had been no one like her before with her unconventional beauty and extreme talent (and chutzpah!). I was surprised to learn that her intention was to become a great actress, and that her singing was just a way to help her get there. The book was very readable and very detailed. It would be nice now to read about the rest of her li...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Jan Polep rated it 3 of 5 stars

A biography that covers the first years of Streisand's career, it can be daunting in marketing details to the point of the need to skim. This backstage peek is most interesting when the story is fleshed out with what else was going on in show biz and nationally. Talented gal...yes...driven...yes, huge ego...yes...not often happy...yes. Why is it that great singers want to act, great actors want to direct, etc. Must be a left brain, right brain thing.

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Nov 02, 2012 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's about Babs in the earliest years of her career. Gotta catch up before the concert next month! So far pretty interesting.

Finished book. It's about Babs so I'm interested anyway, but this was an interesting look at the first 5 years of her career. Nothing really new, but a fun look back and how Barbara became Barbra and BARBRA!

One never knows just how accurate these types of books really are. I take them with a grain and a half of salt. I'd say that I look forward to Babs writing her own book...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good book, but I thought when I started reading it that it was a full biography, but it actually only covers a short period of Barbra's life. It is very detailed, and very long, so I didn't think I would like it, but I did end up liking it. I would love to read a biography covering her entire life by this same author.

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Oct 15, 2012 Vance rated it 3 of 5 stars

A unique, solid book in focusing on the marketing of Barbra Streisand at the start of her career, especially in relation to the "media campaign" to get her the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The book is well researched and well edited, with a clean understanding of PR techniques versus marketing techniques.

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Jan 16, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A bit dry with minutiae at times, which would be better if you are a big fan which I am not. However, the book only covers the first 5 years of her career 1960- 1965 so you really get an idea of what it was about Streisand that caused her to become the legendary icon she eventually became. She really broke the mold at an opportune time. Also fun to read about show biz back in the day and even better to view many of the events you are reading about on YouTube.

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Dec 01, 2012 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the amazing story of how Barbara became Barbra. She had an amazing voice and worked so hard to gain fame and fortune. I was sad that that this book only covered the first few years of her career. Maybe the author will write more because her life is fascinating.

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Jan 07, 2013 Tom Holehan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fascinating account of the legendary singer that concentrates solely on the crucial first five years of her career. And what a five years! I'm a Streisand fan and it was great to learn so much about this driven, gifted artist and her single-minded pursuit to become the star she is today. Mann is a superb writer and biographer and his work here is extremely well-researched and thorough. I found it interesting that Mann was not a big fan of Streisand and think this may have helped in his objecti...more

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