Barbra Streisand never saw Michael Urie in “Buyer & Cellar” – and that’s just fine with him

Michael Urie was not offended when Barbra Streisand did not come to see him play her in the play Buyer & Cellar during its run in Los Angeles last year.

In fact, he was glad.

It’s a completely fictional tale about a completely fake person who works in the absolutely real basement mall at Streisand’s house and Urie actually portrays the diva in a few scenes.

‘I think the only way she could see it would be on tape or in a private performance with her friends,’ Urie tells Queerty. ‘If anyone knew she was in the audience it would ruin the whole show. If no one knew she was in the audience it wouldn’t be fair to her. The play only works because she’s not in the room.’

The play basically takes place in 2010 when Streisand’s book My Passion for Design came out. In it, she shares photos of her basement in which she stores things in themed stores in a basement mall.

‘I feel the play is quite respectful of her entirely,’ Urie says. ‘Of course, we have fun at her expense but ultimately we tell the truth about her. She comes off great. But the audience does laugh at her and I think that would be hard for her. If the audience laughing at her was all her friends it would be very different because they’d be laughing with her. If she ever saw it, she’d need to be sitting right next to (best friend) Donna Karan and (husband) James Brolin.

Urie was a smash Off-Broadway in the play then took it on a national tour. He will next take it to London for a two-month run at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

This week also marks the re-release of Urie’s 2005 film WTC View which is now available on iTunes,  He plays a young New Yorker looking for roommate for his apartment in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks on the city.

BONUS VIDEO: Streisand gives a tour of her home and at the 7:40 mark, we see the basement mall that inspired the play: