Meeting Streisand: A Miniature Comic Tragedy in 3 Acts
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 9:44PM Thank you once more to Tom Mizer, one half of the songwriting team Mizer & Moore (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), who has blessed us with funny, insightful guest blogs from the set, his childhood, and writing rooms all day! - Nathaniel
by Tom Mizer
I was raised on Barbra Streisand. My mother adored her. She owned The Way We Were and Yentl on VHS. She vacuumed to the “Guilty” album. Every birthday, she joyously opened Bab’s anual release like a Dickens’ orphan getting her yearly pair of shoes. And I was, step by step, initiated into the catechism of Our Lady of Funny Girl. (“Tom, THIS is 'Color Me Barbra'. Let us bow our heads in silence before we begin.”)
So when I met her...Barbra, not my mother...it was brief but epic. And ridiculous. And wonderful. And bittersweet. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present, “Meeting Streisand: A Miniature Comic Tragedy in 3 Acts.”
PROLOGUE: Tom is performing in a small Off-Broadway show. (His acting career will consist of playing 15 until he is 30 and appearing in musicals that end in “Live!”) In order to make more money, he is spending days off from the play as an extra in film and TV. The agency calls. They need students for a classroom scene in a film called The Mirror Has Two Faces. Directed by Barbara Streisand...
And the angels sing.
ACT 1: A hallway at Columbia University. It is inspection time as clothes and hair are checked. There are crew members everywhere. Amidst the bustle, a tiny energetic woman in black leggings and a sweater stops in front of Tom. She says hello, looks him over, smiles, and moves on. It is only as she has passed that Tom is fully struck by the fact that he has just been in the presence BARBRA STREISAND. He is stunned. He thought he wouldn’t be able to breathe when the visitation happened but...she was so normal. And the leggings made it look like she had no butt. What a world.
ACT 2: A college classroom. “Students” have been told to just sit on set for a half-hour break; the director is leaving for a bit to look at some footage. Conversation inevitably turns to Streisand and how awesome it is to watch her direct. She’s fun and focused and clearly likes working with Jeff Bridges (whose classroom this is). Then it turns to her other work and Tom is swept back to his catechism. “Oh God, when she brushes Redford’s hair away from his forehead.” Swoons in the room. Tom begins to lead the classroom in a chorus of “The Way We Were.” Suddenly, only he is singing. He turns to see that the director has returned early and is standing in the doorway. She shakes her head at Tom, with schoolmarm exaggeration. But could that be a twinkle in her eye?
my big movie scene in "The Mirror Has Two Faces"
ACT 3: Barbra, as her character Rose, is now in the scene with the students. She has placed Tom next to her for a shot. As the camera pans across the bored classroom, he is to yawn and then she will do a comic bit where she catches herself dropping in sleep. She asks him to yawn for her. He does. She thinks it doesn’t look real. She demonstrates. He does it back. Again. And again. She is inches from his face. She yawns again. He yawns back for real because someone is yawning in his face. She still thinks it isn’t real. He starts to panic. She stops, thinks, then tells him to forget the yawn, but instead raise his hand eagerly, realize he won’t be called on, and drop it in snarky disappointment. Tom does this. She is very happy. They do a few takes. For a few sweet, misty water-colored moments, they are a comic team. Somewhere, Tom’s mother is smiling. And singing along to “Guilty.”
pan to Barbra sleeping
EPILOGUE: Backstage at an Off-Broadway theater. The next day, Tom has a show and no understudy so he couldn’t do more extra work. The film’s AD said it was fine. They would be shooting a scene from later in the film when the class is larger and no one will notice that he is no longer in the room. But later in the day there’s a phone call. It is an actor friend who was also an extra, asking where Tom is.
Tom tries to explain but he can sense the blow coming before it is said. The friend tells him that Barbra came into the classroom and asked for him. By name. She wanted to give him a line of dialogue, to bookend the earlier moment in the film. She was disappointed but gave the line to someone else. The angels weep.
But she knew my name. Once upon a time, Barbra Streisand knew my name. And curtain.
all posts by Tom Mizer...
Childhood movie love
Oscar winners for Best Original Song
Filming Mrs Maisel's Musical Numbers
Movies to Stage -Musical Adaptations
Meeting Barbra Streisand
Reader Comments (27)
your story is lovely, mizer
This is a lovely story and I appreciate it even more than I would have if I were reading this a few months earlier before seeing this movie (and The Prince of Tides) for the first time. I didn't grow up on her work and so my appreciation for her is only now starting to develop into adoration. She really did it all!
Tom,
What a great story. I can see your Mom so vividly. And she is singing a lot lately.
Your experience was sublime and the Angels didn’t weep. Thanks for sharing and yes, you should write a book or at least some short stories!
So relieved and glad that it was a great encounter for you! It reminds me of the encounter I had with Mike Nichols 8 months before his passing, moments like these really motivate and inspire one to march forward.
Have no recollection of this film apart from Bacall's grumpy face at the Oscar that year, but I will revisit it tonight.
Awwww
What an AMAZING story, it was moving and hilarious and bittersweet... and I clearly remember your arm-raising from that scene in the film. (What would have been your line of dialogue, anyway?)
Such a brilliant story, thanks for sharing. The thought of being critiqued by Babs on the realness of your yawn keeps making me chuckle.
And thank you so much for all your contribution today, such a wonderful insight into the way you work.
My favourite of all of today's awesome posts. Such a great story. And reminds us of how many little details in movies can change in the blink of an eye.
I own the DVD, so you're welcome for that share of the rent that month!
Great Story!
Thank you all for being so kind and welcoming to my ramblings. I love this site and the family of opinionated, funny, kind movie lovers that Nathaniel has created. Now back to being a commentator in these threads!
(Stefano - As I recall, Jeff Bridges calls on someone in his classroom when he's a "better" teacher and they are surprised to get to ask a question. That was supposed to be me. I'd have had a character arc...)
Tom, your story is so wonderful and heartwarming. And also written in such a vivid way, it put a big grin on my face. Wow.
And as a HUGE Barbra fan, I immediately recognized your face! :) I’ve watched that movie countless times, you were memorable even without a line.
tom, thanks for your fantastic contributions yesterday. thoroughly enjoyed reading all your smart, funny writing, and i'm thrilled for you and your successes. congrats across the board.
(i worked with travis for years at comedy central, in another lifetime. i heart him.)
Ordinary miracles. Amazing.
I love this story. so. much.
Nice story! The only line I remember from the Bridges classroom scenes was when a students asks, "Does a rising fastball really rise?" and he responds, " l don't know. l'll have to ask my wife."
Based on this film, I was dreaming of the day when I would become a professor and give such an amazing lecture that the whole class would burst into applause at the end. So far it hasn't happened. Only a little bitter about it.
Tom - Ok, maybe you didn't get a character arc, but Barbra Streisand knew your name and she teached you how to yawn in front of a camera... do life goals get better than that???
And why don't we all try to make this story go viral on Twitter or something, until Barbra notices it?
Stefano - Be still my heart. My secret deepest dream is that she sings one of our songs. I know she's a fan of Maisel so...she has probably heard them. Is it too much that I want her version of "No One Has to Know"... gah.
Tom, that would be a PERFECT Babs song - I'd love to hear her singing that amazing Mrs. Maisel tune!
Come on Nat (and other Twitter people), let's spread the word and make it happen... Richard E. Grant got her attention one year ago, and Tom's story is even better than Grant's!
No butt! You don't want to end up in her burn book.
Wow what an interesting story. Almost like a movie within a movie. Unfortunately, the real movie itself (Mirror) is nothing but a vanity junk. Sorry Babs I love you but some of your movies are insufferable!
Are you the extra that took home the apple core that was on the classroom desk ..the very one she ate from? I was an extra in Too Wong foo filming at Wesley hall and the tumor was just that: one of the extras took the used apple home.lol.m
Streisand is straight 🔥 in this movie
What a wonderful story. I wouldn't be able to concentrate if Barbra was that close to me. I wouldn't be able to yawn, raise my hand or even say a word of dialogue.
Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful story! I have been an extra a time or two, and it's fun when you get to interact with the stars. And WOW, Babs herself! I love this movie, and no, it wasn't a dazzling event like TWWW, but I loved the message of it! So great that she was trying to get you more $$ as an extra! I will look for you next time I watch it. Kudos to you. Btw, Love Mrs. Maisel!
I find the end of this story heartbreaking. My wife didn't seem to think it was as heartbreaking as I did. What does she know?! Huge hug Tom! And congratulations!
This was so amazing. There's another school scene where Eli Roth of all people is an extra. And I think I see Skipper from Sex and the City in one of those screen shots?
Guilty really is good house cleaning music, too...