HOW BARBRA MADE IT TO BROADWAY

In an excerpt from her new memoir, Barbra Streisand recalls the audition that led to her debut

- 

I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE WAS A MAJOR Broadway show, written by Jerome Weidman, with music and lyrics by Harold Rome. Arthur Laurents, was directing. The producer was David Merrick. They were all Broadway royalty, and I thought there wasn't much of a chance that they'd want to hire me.

That's my negativity, which I inherited from my mother. She always told me, "Don't count on anything good, because then God will snatch it away." And I probably used that negativity to protect myself.

I came in to audition in November 1961. Since the play took place in the 1930s, I was wearing my 1930s coat. Someone announced my name, and I stepped out onto the bare stage at the St. James Theatre, still wearing my coat, so everybody could appreciate it. But of course whoever was announcing my name mispronounced it, so I had to correct it. As I was explaining this, I was setting down my shopping bag. I always carried some food... unsalted pretzels, Or s (but I have to remove that white guck in the middle), almonds ... because you never know when you'll want a snack.

I shaded my eyes and looked out into the dark theater, but I couldn't make out any faces. "Hello! Is anyone out there? What would you like me to do?"

A voice replied. "Can you sing?"

I thought to myself, If I couldn't sing, would I be standing here? But I said, "I think I can sing. People tell me I can sing. What would you like to hear?"

Nobody answered quickly enough, so I said, "Do you want something fast or slow?" I was like the guy behind the counter in the deli. Order your sandwich, already!

Someone said, "Anything you like."