Over at Universal Studios
in North Hollywood you'll find the Universal Pictures back lot and the
Universal City Amphitheatre. On November 18, 1992, Barbra was
honored by AIDS Project Los Angeles for her support in finding
a cure. The event, held at the Amphitheatre, was a
star-studded concert, the highlight of which was Barbra. She
gave a live performance at the APLA Commitment to Life benefit
that evening, her first in a very long time, and dazzled the
audience when she and Johnny Mathis did a
duet of "I Have A Love/One Hand One
Heart" from West Side Story.
Barbra then gave an
impassioned speech, calling on public
officials to take a stronger role in helping to fight the AIDS
epidemic. Finally, she again took to the stage, this time in a solo
performance. She sang "Somewhere" and closed the show with a glimmer
of optimism.
In 1994, Barbra
returned to the same stage at Universal. This time she wasn't a
performer. She was on hand to present the APLA award to Hillary
Clinton.
The
premiere of Meet the Fockers at Universal's City Walk, 2004
In 1981, Barbra made her first, and least successful film for
Universal, All Night Long, on their back lot. In 2004, she
returned to Universal to film her most successful film, Meet the
Fockers. She attended the Los Angeles premiere at Universal's City
Walk.
Grauman's Chinese
6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Real estate is about
location, location, location. Barbra's star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame is located in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood
Blvd. Every tourist who visits Hollywood sees it or walks across it
whether they realize it or not. Barbra received the honor on December
1, 1976.
Barbra did not attend
her own star ceremony but was on hand when her husband, James Brolin
received the honors in 1998. For that occasion, Barbra returned to Hollywood Blvd, across the street from Grauman's Chinese and her own
star on the Walk of Fame.
Several of Barbra's
films have had their road show engagements at The Chinese, including
Hello, Dolly! and Funny Lady.
Grauman's Chinese premiere of
Funny Lady - and now
Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The date was October 9, 1968 when perhaps the biggest movie premiere
in Barbra's career took place. It was the night when the film Funny
Girl premiered at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Barbra showed
up, of course, sporting an outfit by one of her favorite couturiers,
Arnold Scaasi, topped by a classically designed Adolfo pill box hat
(right).
Funny Girl remained at the Egyptian as a road show engagement well
after the picture had garnered Barbra her first Oscar. Funny Girl
was the last major motion picture to have its premiere at the Egyptian
before massive renovations closed the venue for several years.
The theatre is located on Hollywood Blvd. across the street from
Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In fact, The Egyptian was another of Sid
Grauman's Hollywood theatres to have earned fame as a world class
movie palace.
Funny Girl was the last major film to have its premiere at the Egyptian
prior to the theatre's extensive facelift. Recent renovations to the
theatre resulted in the removal of its large facade and the creation of an
inner forecourt.
The forecourt of the theatre contains Egyptian-style columns and friezes
in keeping with the overall theme.
Once inside, as you walk down a ramp to enter the theatre from the lobby,
you feel as if you are entering a sacrosanct tomb of an ancient ruler of
the Nile. The theatre is massive and was a perfect showcase for road show
pictures like
Funny Girl
in the 1960's.
The Egyptian Theatre then and now
