Barbra, Is That You?

When it comes to television-watching habits, we don’t need Nielsen ratings to know what’s happening in our neighborhood. Our hip friends are tuned into “Barbra by Halstead,” a series with no regular time slot on Century Cable. (It airs next at 10 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 30.) Let’s see . . . how to describe? Actor Gregory Halstead impersonates Ms. Streisand “alone with her thoughts.” Then, each week, he/she is on the telephone placing real phone calls when the show is pre-taped.

Halstead identifies himself simply as Barbra, never Barbra Streisand. “Barbra” has called in search of household help and an attack dog, and has inquired about how to get a slot as a stand-up comic at comedy clubs. Occasionally she breaks out in a hum or song. For those who don’t like their icons messed with, Halstead assures that Barbra is “never abusive” to anyone on the phone.

So Close, Yet So Far: Speaking of Streisand reminds us of show biz and of our fave Las Vegas headliners, Siegfried and Roy, tiger tamers and illusionists extraordinaire. While on our regular antiquing rounds around town, we learned that the word is out that Siegfried and Roy are huge antiquers too, who acquire many of their beloved architectural pieces from churches and their bejeweled and gold encrusted trinkets (such as Victorian lamps and boxes) at the Santa Monica Antiques Market. But darn, the guys never shop in person. A shopper does most of the purchasing by fax.

Buying and Giving: Now there’s a way to wear your concern about AIDS on your sleeve. You can buy a man’s tuxedo shirt or dress shirt made of white cotton in which the message “Stop AIDS” is subtly woven into the fabric. The manufacturer, Eton of Sweden, is donating 20% of the shirts’ profits to a not-yet-selected American AIDS charity, and retailers (Ron Ross, Studio City; Sami Dinar, Beverly Hills; Danielli, Los Angeles, and Stiegler, Los Angeles) will donate 10% of their proceeds to either American Foundation for AIDS Research/Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation or Project Angel Food, depending on the store. The shirts retail for $225.