Singer Diane Lynn sings 20 plus songs from the career of Barbra Streisand in “Hello Gorgeous: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand” on Thursday, June 27 at 8 p.m. at Boca Black Box in Boca Raton. Accompanied by a band of local musicians, Lynn will sing more than 20 Streisand hits, share anecdotes on the many achievements of Streisand as an actress, film director, concert attraction and singer in her tribute show.
“I want the audience to know and remember all that Barbra has accomplished in her career. I not only will sing and talk about Barbra’s novel hit songs, but also about how she became so powerful as the first female director in Hollywood through a versatile genre of songs from Broadway and film to romantic and upbeat songs,” said Lynn.
Although Lynn did not reveal her entire song set in the 90-minute show, the audience should expect to her hit Streisand standards such as “A Piece Of Sky”, “Don’t Rain On My Parade”, “Evergreen”,”Happy Days Are Here Again”, “He Touched Me”, “Guilty”, “I Am A Woman In Love”, “Papa Can You Hear Me”, “The Way We Were”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, among other memorable Streisand songs.
Barbra Streisand, now 82, started her over 65-year career in show business in 1962 and has been so well-known that scores of impressionists, such as Marilyn Michael and Jim Bailey, (along with hundreds of others) had long careers featuring a Streisand impersonation as the primary draw in their performances.
Lynn is unusual among contemporary Streisand tribute artists in that she has only begun performing professionally singing the songs of for the past three years, when theaters in South Florida reopened after the outbreak of Covid 19 ended.
“Although I started to love Barbra Streisand music when my sister introduced me to her songs as a child, I never envisioned myself as a professional Streisand tribute act until Covid hit us,” said Owens, who resides in Weston with her husband Raph and her three children. “I started to sing Barbra on an app titled Smule and the word spread online and I had many, many followers who not only said that I sounded like Barbra, but encouraged me to go on stage and sing her songs.”
Diane Lynn as Barbra in concert
In the past three years, Lynn had multiple bookings mostly in South Florida retirement communities, such as in Kings Point in Tamarac, Sunrise Lakes in Sunrise, The Palace at Weston and, prior to her booking on June 27, twice at Boca Black Box.
“The past three years had given me renewed optimism that being a Streisand tribute artist can be more than just my second career in life. I am very positive that good things will come.”
Another unusual fact is that Lynn has blossomed as a Streisand tribute artist in her mid-fifties, a testimony to her willingness to have a new career in music, despite spending most of her life as a physical therapist.
“I grew up in a family in which my parents wanted to stir me away from a show business career, fearing the instability that often occurs to actors, dancers, and musicians… so I decided to become a physical therapist.”
Born and raised in a New York City based Jewish family, Lynn has honed herself as a teen and young adult as a singer and actress for much of her life despite not being a paid singer until 2021.
In high school and college, she won roles in the musicals “Annie”, “Babes In Arms”, “Grease”, “The Music Man” and “West Side Story” and sang in the choir for both Nova Singers in Broward County and Temple B’nai Av in Weston.
“Everything has a reason and I am happy excelling at what I love to do, both as a singer and a physical therapist. I am always looking to improve my performances and I have taken vocal lessons so that I can be at my best whenever I perform on stage.”
“I hope the day will come that I will meet Barbra because I admire all that she has done to pave the way for talented people, especially women,” said Lynn.
Diane Lynn Headshot
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Singer Diane Lynn performs “Hello Gorgeous: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand” on Thursday, June 27 at 8 p.m. at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road in Boca Raton.Tickets range from $38-43.. For tickets and more information,go to bocablackbox.com or call 561-483-9036.
