Singer Diane Lynn sings 20 plus songs from the career of Barbra Streisand including Streisand Christmas songs in her return to the Boca Black Box in Boca Raton for two 90 minute shows titled “Hello Gorgeous: The Ultimate Barbra Streisand Holiday Show” on Sunday, December 22. Lynn last performed as Streisand at Boca Black Box on June 27.
Accompanied by her five member “The Tribulations” band of local musicians, Lynn will sing both Streisand hits and Christmas songs such as “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night.”
Along with singing Streisand songs, Lynn will share anecdotes on the many achievements of Streisand as an actress, concert headliner, film director, 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 and a versatile genre of songs from Broadway and film songs to romantic and upbeat songs,” said Lynn.
Although Lynn did not reveal her entire song set in the 90 minute shows, the audience should expect to hear Streisand standards such as “A Piece Of Sky”, “Don’t Rain On My Parade”, “Evergreen”, “Papa Can You Hear Me”, “The Way We Were”, “Woman In Love” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”
Aware that many in the audience will remember Lynn from her last show at Boca Black Box, she has added new songs, featuring duets with soprano Marcela Del Pino on the Streisand duets with Celine Dion (“Tell Him”), Judy Garland (medley of “Get Happy/Happy Days”) and Donna Summer (“Enough is Enough”)..
Barbra Streisand, now 82, started her 65 plus 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, a soprano who has the Sreisand voice range, does not call herself “Barbra Streisand” on stage and is unusual among contemporary Streisand tribute artists in that she has only begun performing professionally for the past four years.
“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 Lynn.
Lynn resides in Weston with her husband Ralph Sadek 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.”
In the past four 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 in addition to shows at the Boca Black Box.
“The past three years have 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 B’nai Aviv 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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Singer Diane Lynn performs “Hello Gorgeous: The Ultimate Barbra Streisand Holiday Show” on Sunday, December 22 in two shows at 3 p.m.and 8 p.m.at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road in Boca Raton.Tickets range from $43-$53. For tickets and more information, go to bocablackbox.com or call 561-483-9036.
