Simply Barbra has been channeling Streisand for over 30 years

By Samuel Eli Shepherd
February 28, 2025

When a Barbra Steisand lookalike, dressed in a sequined black gown and a platinum blonde wig, walked up on stage Wednesday night, the Williamsburg crowd cheered as if the real Streisand had flown in from California to dazzle them. The audience hollered and spilled popcorn as she sang selections from The Way We Were and A Star is Born, before she introduced the evening’s main event: a screening of Yentl.

“Simply Barbra is considered to be the ‘leading Barbra impersonator,’” said Rebecca Guber, founder of The Neighborhood, the Brooklyn-based Jewish arts and culture organization that organized the screening. Everything at the event was Streisand-themed — it was hosted in Streisand’s home borough of Brooklyn, and there were pink hoodies for sale with “What Would Streisand Do?” printed on them. The event focused on Yentl and Streisand’s legacy, but Simply Barbra was the evening’s star.

At the performance, Barbra belted out “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” where she played both parts in the famous Streisand-Neil Diamond duet. She then announced there was a birthday in the audience — Guber had just turned 47 —and led the audience in a jazzy rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

I caught up with Steven Brinberg, the mastermind behind Simply Barbra, in the lobby of the theater after his performance. Unlike his fabulous drag persona, Brinberg wore a paint-stained hoodie, a pink t-shirt and baggy jeans. At 5 feet 7 inches and soft-spoken, Brinberg was unrecognizable from the E.G.O.T.-winning actress he embodied just moments ago. His entire Streisand get-up folded into a single, orange duffle bag.

While the real Streisand crooned on screen in the cinema behind us, Brinberg shared with me that he was going home early to rest. He had just returned from New Zealand, where he had been performing on a cruise ship, and he was preparing for a trip to Mexico next week. Despite the jet lag, Brinberg shared with me — both in-person, then again over the phone two days later — some stories from performing as Simply Barbra for more than 25 years.

This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

SAMUEL ELI SHEPHERD: What makes your Streisand persona different from other Streisand impersonators?

STEVEN BRINBERG: I’ve always been a big fan. When I started doing it, I just acted as myself. I think I bring something to it that’s unique because number one, I’m a big fan, and number two, I’m actually singing.

And I’m Jewish. I have a picture of Barbra’s mother. Looks a lot like my grandfather’s sister. We’re all from Russia, so I don’t know, maybe we’re related?

What was your Barbra-wakening?

Oh gosh! I don’t ever remember not knowing who she was. But I think the movie that made me a really big fan was Funny Lady, which turns 50 this year. When every movie reaches a milestone, I do a performance. So I never run out of material.

What was the most surprising reaction you’ve ever gotten to a Simply Barbra performance?

Someone actually thought I was either her, or a woman.

I was in London, John Barrowman — he’s an actor, he was in Doctor Who — he took some very old guy with him and told him, “We’re going to see Barbra! It’s really her.” And then when the show was over, he said to him, “How can she make money in such a small theater?” And then one time when I was performing at a casino in Connecticut, somebody was walking out and said, “Wow, I never thought I’d see her in person!”

What surprises you when you do your set nowadays?

I was thrilled to see young people who know her!

I do a lot of stuff with seniors, who’ve grown old along with Barbra. She was famous when she was 20. Sondheim was a big supporter of mine. So anyone who is still around in her age who followed her then also grew old with her. But then she got so many new generations, because all her music changed in the 70s. So you’ll get three generations at one show — a woman, a kid, a grandkid.

What do you think makes Barbra Streisand such a Jewish icon?

Oh my god. It’s such an important part of who she was and is. Barbra was like the first out Jewish woman in Hollywood since Fanny Brice. It was always such a part of her and I think that made her such a hero to Jewish women and women in general  who didn’t look blonde and perfect. You know, she changed the way women looked.

I try to incorporate her Jewishness into my routine. I said that the other night “My book is 974 pages. Be careful, you shouldn’t get a hernia!” I consider that an English Yiddish expression. I’ve been in Idaho and places maybe not filled with Jews, and I try to keep all my Yiddishisms in my show. And if they know it, that’s great! And if they don’t? Yiddish is always funny anyways.

What’s something most people don’t know about Barbra?

She’s always been politically active. She was one of the first people, her and Elizabeth Taylor, to deal with AIDS. She did one of the first benefits that was in L.A. And this was before her son came out as gay.  She was an ally. She could’ve been president. I mean, she would have been good at it.

Does Barbra know about your impression?

Yes! She hired me to sing for her best friend Donna Karan’s birthday. I never met her in person, but she had to see me on video before she approved me singing for this party. Her direction was, I needed to go in and sing “Happy Birthday” first, and then sing the other songs. She also told me I had to say, “Donna, remember those flammable sweaters?”  Something between them, I guess.

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