MALIBU, Calif.—Sometimes even Barbra Streisand needs a little help from her friends.
The 74-year-old stage and screen legend decided early on that her 36th studio album would feature Broadway duets. So she called on some of her friends and favorite actors, including Anne Hathaway, Daisy Ridley, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine and Bradley Cooper, to bring her vision to life.
The result, “Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway,” is a quirky mix of surprising and entertaining collaborations pulled from hit musicals like “My Fair Lady” and “A Chorus Line,” as well more obscure productions such as “Evening Primrose” and “Smile.”
Despite the group effort, the album — out Friday — is still authentically Streisand.
“Records I have control over,” said Streisand, who was hands-on with every aspect, from song conception to directing each performance.
“That’s what I cared about as a young performer as well. I didn’t know about what salary it was,” she recalled. “I cared about creative control. That nobody can tell me what to sing or force me to sing or album cover design or anything that had to do with my creativity. It had to feel right to me.”
In a recent interview at the oceanside Malibu, California, studio where she recorded “Encore,” Streisand delved into her directing process with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
BALDWIN CAME READY TO PLAY
