Singer Diane Lynn sings 20 plus songs from the career of Barbra Streisand in her third Boca Black Box Center for the Arts show in Boca Raton for her 90-minute show titled “Hello Gorgeous: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand” on Friday, June 13, marking her third appearance at Boca Black Box over the past year.
“I love the Boca Raton audiences, and I met so many people after the show that tell me how much Barbra Streisand has moved them over the years. It is always an honor to pay tribute to Barbra, and it never gets old for me,” said Lynn from her home in Weston.
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 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 show, 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.”
Along with various duet partners, Lynn will sing duets as Streisand did with Celine Dion (“Tell Him”), Neil Diamond (“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”), Judy Garland “Get Happy/Happy Days”) and Donna Summer (“Enough Is Enough”)
Barbra Streisand, now 83, 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 Streisand 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.
“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.”
As an observer of two of Lynn’s Streisand tribute shows, Lynn succeeds by tapping into the strong South Florida appeal of Streisand, especially among the LGBT and Jewish communities
Tapping into the many memories of Streisand fans involve a relishing of the many Streisand hit songs combined with the anecdotes that allow one to enjoy Streisand again, especially because at age 83, Streisand is likely not to perform in concert again.
“I am aware that the odds of seeing Barbra Streisand perform live again is slim to none. Seeing Diane Lynn bring back all the memories with her stories and her interpretation of Barbra Streisand songs takes me back to my youth and my love of her music,” said Dr. Linda Kaplan of Hollywood, who also is a part time singer.
What Lynn also does well is create a strong vocal resemblance to Streisand, especially holding long dramatic musical notes as Streisand did in “Don’t Rain On My Parade” among other songs.
Lynn enjoys singing Streisand as a supplement to her happy life as wife to Ralph Sadek and their three children who all reside in Weston,
“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.”
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“It is not in my plans, at least for now, to be travelling around the world as a Barbra Streisand tribute singer, but I am happy for the success I have now, especially with the balance in my life with my husband and children.”
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, Lynn 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: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand” on Friday, June 13 in two shows at 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.
