Barbra Confirms Film

Barbra Streisand confirms that she will play Mama Rose, the ultimate stage mother, in a new film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical Gypsy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The news leaked "a little early, because the deal wasn't finished," Streisand says. "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."

With difficult songs such as "Rose's Turn" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses," the role of Mama Rose is one of the most challenging in musical theater. It has previously been played on Broadway by 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.

On Friday Streisand will be honored by MusiCares, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences foundation that aids musicians in crisis. Barry Manilow, Stevie Wonder, and the cast of Glee are among entertainers who will perform Streisand's classics. On Sunday she is scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards, where she is a nominee for best traditional pop album for Love Is the Answer.

The legendary entertainer is suddenly very busy again. Besides recording a new album of songs by her close friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Streisand will also star opposite Seth Rogen in a road-trip comedy titled My Mother's Curse, which is expected to begin filming this spring.