Barbra Streisand offered a mischievously clever headline suggestion for her Variety cover shoot this week; send in the clones.

More than just a pun on the Stephen Sondheim hit, it’s a commentary on her love for her dog Samantha.

Before her beloved Coton du Tulear died, aged 14, last year the singer arranged for cells to be taken from the dogs mouth and stomach and cultured into two clone ‘replicas’ of the pooch.

The two dogs are now lively puppies called Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett.

“They have different personalities,” Streisand told the entertainment industry bible. “I’m waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her brown eyes and seriousness.”

While the Funny Girl star was waiting for the two cloned pups to arrive, Ms Streisand found another dog, a distant relation of Samantha's and adopted that too, naming the animal 'Miss Fanny'.

For the full interview, featuring the 75-year-old Oscar-winner’s forthright views on her career, her country and its controversial president, click here.