Streisand: As if she never said goodbye to the stage

• The legendary singer kicks off her tour
• Guests included pop-opera ensemble Il Volo, trumpeter Chris Botti
• Son Jason Gould performed with her

PHILADELPHA -- Barbra Streisand warmed up for her highly anticipated homecoming with a tour-opening concert Monday at Wells Fargo Center before a sold-out crowd of 12,000. The Barbra: Live tour continues Thursday and Saturday at the new Barclays Center in her native Brooklyn.

The start: Streisand, 70, strolled out to wild applause, then opened with Being Good (Isn't Good Enough).

The way she wore: The singer was dressed in an elegant floor-length skirt topped with a black sequined vest and jacket and a sparkly necklace.

Philly nods: After noting similarities between Brooklyn and South Philly ("You have cheesesteaks, we have cheese blintzes"), she paid tribute to Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the Philadelphia composers behind her medley of Nice 'n' Easy and That Face.

Guest night:The Italian pop-opera ensemble Il Volo joined her for Smile, then did two songs by themselves, including a rousing O Sole Mio. "Take that, Justin Bieber!" she joked, referencing the teen trio's tender age.

Movie night: After an aching The Way He Makes Me Feel (from Yentl), she answered audience questions, turning political on a query about Big Bird. '"I hope nobody shows Mitt Romney how to get to Sesame Street -- or Pennsylvania Avenue."

Hits parade: She dipped into her hits with a stern No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) and said she wrote herself a note the night before Marvin Hamlisch died to tell him she would be performing his orchestration for The Way We Were. "I can't seem to throw that note away," she said before singing a rich rendition.

Second act: A "Brooklyn version" of Cole Porter's You're the Top switched up the words to reflect her hometown borough, including nods to Sandy Koufax and Judge Judy.

Botti break: Streisand let herself be serenaded by trumpeter Chris Botti on What'll I Do. My Funny Valentine was a fine example of two pros finishing each other's phrases.

Reborn: Her 1976 film A Star Is Born was represented by Lost Inside of You, with Botti adding a bluesy framework. She couldn't resist, however, and launched into Evergreen, with Botti nicely cutting the saccharine.

Her new duet partner: Son Jason Gould ("His first public appearance," Mom says) displayed a soft, pleasing tenor voice as both sat down to sing How Deep Is the Ocean.

A golden moment: She sang a beautifully burnished version of People, then an autumnal Here's to Life. It was a touching, masterful rendition from an aging pro, and she toasted the audience with a cup of tea, ending with "l'chiam" (to life). The night ended with an encore of Leonard Bernstein's Some Other Time.