Film · 1968 · Music

A Happening in Central Park

Barbra sings the birds out of the trees.

A Happening in Central Park was performed and taped by video cameras on Saturday, June 17, 1967. The concert, sponsored by Rheingold Beer, and free to the public, was held in the Sheep Meadow section of New York City's Central Park. Barbra's television sponsor, Monsanto, captured the event on videotape for airing on CBS at a later date. Barbra took a weekend off from the filming of Funny Girl to perform the concert. On Friday night, June 16th, Barbra and crew rehearsed until very late. Many photos of Barbra in which she wears a headband were taken the evening of the dress rehearsal. (The cover of Barbra's A Christmas Album is actually a photo from the Friday night dress rehearsal in Central Park.) On that evening she tried on different gowns and worked with hairdresser Fred Glaser on alternate hairstyles. Director Robert Scheerer also worked out some of his camera blocking at the Friday night rehearsal. He utilized seven color video cameras to capture the concert.