Originally telecast April 28, 1965,
My Name is Barbra was Barbra Streisand's first television special. The taped, hour-long program is fragmented into three segments. In part one, Barbra plays a little girl making a comically painful transition to womanhood. Part two, taped at New York's Bergdorf Goodman fashion salon, permits La Streisand to try out several high-priced outfits, all the while singing such Depression-era songs as "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" The closing act is what we've all been waiting for: a virtuoso medley of songs from Barbra's Broadway hit Funny Girl, along with such showstoppers as "When the Sun Comes Out" and "Just Once." A humongous ratings success,
My Name is Barbra won two Emmy awards, and paved the way for the even better full-color follow-up special Color Me Barbra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide