Timeless: Live in Concert, recorded at her Las Vegas show on New Year's Eve 1999, takes as its subject the star herself. It opens with a dramatization of her first, amateur recording session, with young Lauren Frost playing a part described in the credits as "Young Girl," though Streisand later refers to her as "mini-me." Frost doesn't get too far before being joined by Streisand herself on a stirring version of "Something's Coming" from West Side Story. The rest of "Act One" traces Streisand's career from her club days to her movie performances. "Act Two" has less of a narrative structure, though it is equally autobiographical, with Streisand displaying and commenting on videos of herself performing with other stars and building up to the stroke of midnight with a combination of old, recent, and new specially written songs. At 57 that night, Streisand remains in good voice, and the old warhorses, among them inevitable hits like "People," "Evergreen," and "The Way We Were," sound, well, like they always do. More interesting are songs that, while previously recorded, have not been heard live before, especially "Alfie," which the singer confesses to having forgotten she ever did. But unless you are a big Streisand fan, you may want to stick to the studio albums on which she just sings. The extensive stage remarks here include comic interludes such as a dialogue with Shirley MacLaine and negative opinions about new technology, but for the most part they center on the singer herself. Timeless was issued a week before what were said to be her final concerts in September 2000. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Phil Yao (French Horn), Bruce Roberts (Arranger), Randy Waldman (Keyboards), Barbra Streisand (Vocals), Chris Boardman (Arranger), Chris Carlton (Engineer), Jurgen Vollmer (Photography), Robert Adcock (Celli), Henry Grossman (Photography), Alan Kaplan (Trombone), Gwen Heller (Violin), Nick Marshall (Mixing), Marty Paich (Arranger), Ralph Burns (Orchestration), Marvin Hamlisch (Arranger), Peggi Blu (Vocals (Background)), Jeremy Lubbock (Arranger), Randee Saint Nicholas (Photography), Ralph Burns (Adaptation), Barbara Porter (Violin), Horia Moroaica (Violin), Barry Gibb (Performer), Ian Freebairn-Smith (Arranger), Peter Matz (Orchestration), Peter Fletcher (Product Manager), Paul Jabara (Arranger), Neil Diamond (Performer), Bryan Adams (Performer), Kim Skalecki (Assistant), Alberto Tolot (Photography), Patty Zimmitti (Contractor), William Ross (Orchestration), Tom Ranier (Keyboards), Mario Diaz de Leon (Violin), Chris Boardman (Orchestration), Ed Meares (Bass), Marvin Hamlisch (Director), Rupert Holmes (Arranger), Jorge Calandrelli (Orchestration), Nelson Riddle (Orchestration), Lew Soloff (Trumpet), Peter Matz (Producer), David Ewart (Violin), Torrie Zito (Arranger), Dave Reitzas (Mixing), David Foster (Arranger), Stephen Marcussen (Mastering), Carrie Holzman-Little (Viola), Torrie Zito (Orchestration), Fred Vogler (Engineer), Suzie Katayama (Celli), Dane Little (Celli), David Foster (Orchestration), Bruce Jackson (Sound Design), Chris Bishop (Engineer), Joe Covello (Photography), Dan Higgins (Woodwind), Nelson Riddle (Arranger), Jorge Calandrelli (Arranger), Joel Peskin (Woodwind), Karen Swenson (Photo Research), Shari Sutcliffe (Project Coordinator), Judy Garland (Performer), Debbie Datz-Pyle (Contractor), Bob Esty (Arranger), Louis Armstrong (Performer), Sam Emerson (Photography), Don Costa (Orchestration), John Clayton (Orchestration), Jack Hayes (Orchestration), Michael Starobin (Orchestration), Matt Funes (Viola), Gayle Levant (Harp), Robert Zimmitti (Percussion), Sid Ramin (Arranger), Bruce Roberts (Orchestration), Don Mischer (Producer), Sid Ramin (Orchestration), Jim Hoffman (Librarian), Douglas Besterman (Orchestration), Gary Grant (Trumpet), Paul Jabara (Orchestration), Jeremy Lubbock (Orchestration), Ian Freebairn-Smith (Orchestration), Rupert Holmes (Orchestration), Eddie Karam (Arranger), Ralph Morrison (Concert Master), Barbra Streisand (Producer), Dan Greco (Percussion), Charles Valentino (Actor), Bob Esty (Conductor), Barbra Streisand (Director), Mark Sazer (Violin), Ken Yerke (Violin), Martin Erlichman (Executive Producer), Bob Tricarico (Woodwind), Chuck Domanico (Bass), Karen Swenson (Consultant), Eddie Karam (Orchestration), Celine Dion (Performer), Kevin Mazur (Photography), Gabrielle Raumberger (Design), Douglas Besterman (Arranger), Kenny Ortega (Assistant Director), Dan Newfeld (Viola), Randy Waldman (Arranger), Randy Waldman (Orchestration), Neil Stubenhaus (Bass (Electric)), Charles Loper (Trombone), Darius Campo (Violin), Phil Gitomer (Technical Manager), Ralph Burns (Arranger), Suzette Moriarty (French Horn), Warren Leuning (Trumpet), Steve Becknell (French Horn), Peter Morse (Lighting Director), Marty Paich (Orchestration), Marvin Hamlisch (Orchestration), Gil Romero (Violin), Savion Glover (Actor), Peter Morse (Lighting Design), Walter Scharf (Arranger), Dean Parks (Guitar), Barbra Streisand (Writer), John Simpson (Engineer), Jay Landers (Executive Producer), Don Costa (Arranger), Jack Hayes (Arranger), Jon Clarke (Woodwind), Brian Leonard (Violin), Frank Sinatra (Performer), Bruce Fowler (Trombone), John Clayton (Arranger), Firooz Zahedi (Cover Photo), Michael Starobin (Arranger), Phil Teele (Trombone), Annie Leibovitz (Photography), Ron Jannelli (Woodwind), Brad Warnaar (French Horn), Gabrielle Raumberger (Art Direction), Harry Shirinian (Viola), Mark Graham (Librarian), Robin Olson (Violin), Jerry Hey (Trumpet), Ryan Hewitt (Assistant Engineer), Walter Scharf (Orchestration), Steve Khan (Narrator), Firooz Zahedi (Photography), Peter Matz (Arranger), William Ross (Arranger), Kenny Ortega (Writer), Bob Esty (Orchestration), Bruce Dukov (Violin)
Timeless: Live in Concert is a live album released by Barbra Streisand on September 19, 2000 (see 2000 in music). It was her fifth live album and was released on Columbia Records (catalog no. 63778). The album was issued a week before what were said to be her final concerts in September 2000 and would reach platinum certification.
Timeless is a double album which includes moments from Barbra’s New Year's Eve, 1999 and New Year's Day, 2000 shows in Las Vegas, Nevada. The release is set up like a play in two acts and even has a two-minute entr'acte featuring conductor, Marvin Hamlisch, who is also present throughout the performance. It opens with a dramatization of her first, amateur recording session, in which Lauren Frost plays a part described in the credits as "Young Girl" though Streisand later refers to her as "my little-girl self" and "mini me". The rest of Act One traces Streisand's career from her club days to Broadway and her movie performances.
Act two opens with several of Barbra’s duets. This section is followed by dialogue and songs both reminiscent and optimistic thanks to the backdrop of the New Year’s holiday. As the midnight hour approaches, Barbra is joined on stage by husband, James Brolin. Much of the dialogue takes place as small scenes or skits about time and timelessness. The CD version includes songs that span Streisand’s career up to that time, such as "Cry Me a River" and "Happy Days Are Here Again", from her debut album, and "At the Same Time" from her 1997 album Higher Ground (album).
The 24-page CD insert includes photographs, portraits and concert shots as well as an account of the dress rehearsal written by producer, Jay Landers. The 2-CD set includes over two hours of performance divided into 37 tracks. The album did very well on the charts opening at #21 on the Billboard 200 and remaining on that chart for fifteen consecutive weeks. On the Top Internet Albums chart, Timeless peaked at #2. On October 20, 2000 the album would receive gold and platinum certification from the RIAA. As of then Streisand had achieved 43 gold records and 27 platinum records.
