According to Streisand “The news leaked a little early, because the deal wasn't finished. I am not sure about directing it. It may just be too much. I know I will be playing the part. It's like a bookend starting with Funny Girl."
Streisand has the blessing of 92-year-old Broadway legend Arthur Laurents who wrote the book to the show. He has said “Barbra had a mother who she always thought was Mama Rose. I don’t want to get into the details, but the point is she knows. She’s got it in her. She’s going to be much more than people expect We’ve talked about it a lot, and she knows what she’s doing. She has my approval.”
Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics to the Broadway play and has said of the Mama Rose character “She’s monstrous to her daughters and the world is secondary…. She’s a very American character, a gallant figure and a life force.”
Mama Rose is one of the most challenging roles in musical theatre with numbers including "Rose's Turn" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses". It has previously been played on Broadway by “belters” Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Linda Lavin, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. In previous film versions Rose has been portrayed by Rosalind Russell and Bette Midler.
After taking a bit of a back seat for a while, Streisand definitely seems to be returning to the business as she is scheduled to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards where she is a nominee for best traditional pop album for Love Is the Answer.
She is also recording a new album of songs by her close friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman and is due star opposite Seth Rogen in a road-trip comedy My Mother's Curse which is expected to begin filming this spring.
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