BAY AREA MAN FULFILLS DREAM WITH STREISAND SHRINE.

Byline: David Kligman Associated Press 

For Barbra Streisand fans, a soon-to-be opened museum and art gallery devoted to the venerable singer, actress and director will be heaven.

Or, as the character Linda Richman on Saturday Night Live's ``Caaw-fee Talk'' skit might say, it's ``just like buttah.''

Located in the heart of San Francisco's largely gay Castro District, the gallery is an opportunity for Streisand followers to revisit the vocalist's 35-year career.

Even the museum's name - Hello Gorgeous!! - is vintage Streisand, a reference to her opening line in the 1968 film ``Funny Girl.''

The idea of a Streisand shrine might sound odd, but certainly not to owner Ken Joachim. He says Hello Gorgeous!! pays homage to Streisand and her many talents.

``You don't have to wait to pay tribute to someone when they're dead,'' Joachim says. ``In this country, that's what we do. We honor them after they're gone. Why not honor them now?''

Joachim, who had many of the gallery's items donated to him, insists the museum will be classy, not kitschy. He refuses to display anything tacky or that pokes fun at Streisand.

He had no problem accepting costumes, dishes and lamps once owned by Streisand. But he drew the line when a Los Angeles woman offered him a bottle of Streisand's prescription throat medicine that she somehow acquired.

Inside a large glass case at the front of the restored house will be Streisand-like mannequins dressed to re-create scenes from her films. The first display will be of Streisand in a leopard coat and hat outfit like the one she wore in ``Funny Girl.'' The displays will change every month to a different scene from one of her movies.

A narrow walkway to the two-level museum is lined with posters from Streisand's 15 movies. They range from classic Streisand (``Funny Girl,'' ``The Way We Were'') to clunkers (``The Main Event'') to her more recent films (``The Prince of Tides'').

Downstairs is a museum store that also will display collectibles, including glass-encased displays of her 50 albums, magazines and other odds and ends.

For the art gallery upstairs, Joachim commissioned artists to create oil paintings and charcoal sketches based on famous Streisand photos. In the corner of the small room is an ivory-colored baby grand piano, where a local performer will belt out Streisand songs at a black-tie benefit Friday and a gala premiere Saturday.

The museum will open to the public May 10.

Joachim will generate money for the gallery from the $2 admission fee, a fan magazine (also called Hello Gorgeous!!) and a VIP club so that members can meet once a month to gab about Streisand's latest projects and hear guest speakers such as her biographer, James Spada.

And for anyone who ever wanted to have that bubble hairdo like the one Streisand wore in the late 1960s or those mid-70s permed curls in ``A Star is Born,'' replica wigs will be sold at the museum store along with other collectibles.

The museum also will offer make-overs, prosthetic noses and wigs to visitors who can take home souvenir photos of themselves dressed as Streisand.

Joachim and his staff hope the museum will become a major tourist destination in San Francisco, perhaps one of the country's few cities that would support such an attraction.

``The thing that's really exciting about this project is that it spans ages, it spans sexes, it spans heterosexual, homosexual,'' says Mary Griffin, co-editor of Joachim's fan magazine.

``Some people are attracted by her voice, some people are attracted by the way she acts, some just by the strength of her personality. Everybody loves Barbra.''

Thousands of Streisand fans, some from as far away as Australia, have written to Joachim asking about the museum. A tour bus company has contacted Joachim about adding the gallery to its list of stops.

As for Streisand, Joachim sent her an invitation for a personal tour anytime she's in San FrancisDco. Joachim hasn't gotten an answer yet, and he's not sure whether she will take him up on his offer.

Streisand was in New York finishing production on her latest movie, ``The Mirror Has Two Faces,'' and would not comment on the museum, Streisand spokesman Dick Gutman said.

Just getting the museum opened has been an ordeal for Joachim, who sank $200,000 - his life savings - into the project. Real estate agents even tried to convince him to open a luggage store instead.

``Barbra takes risks all the time, too,'' Joachim says. ``That's what this museum is all about.''

AUCTION ITEMS

SAN FRANCISCO - A silent auction is being held to kick off the opening of Hello Gorgeous!!, a museum and gallery devoted to Barbra Streisand. Proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Child Abuse Center. Here are some of the collectibles and the minimum bids:

``Funny Girl'' movie program, minimum bid $25.

``I Love Barbra!'' T-shirt imprinted with Streisand's 50 album titles, $35.

Rare promo picture album from the movie ``Yentl,'' $60.

Streisand poster from 1984 Las Vegas concert, $85.

Commemorative concert button set, $100.

Bottle of champagne bottled exclusively for Streisand's 1994 concert tour, $200.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: Barbra Streisand

Won't comment on museum

Box: A UCTION ITEMS (see text)