An Evening of Streisand With 'MEMORIES'
Sharon Owens' salute to Barbra is far superior to expectations...and that's saying something...
Tribute artists rarely receive the respect they deserve. Any live performance can be difficult, but doing so while channeling the vocal styles, mannerisms, and appearance of a celebrity requires a Herculean effort. The best tribute artists are "in on the joke", acknowledging the odd nature of their profession. That's one of the many reasons I loved Sharon Owens in MEMORIES: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand.
Sharon Owens is our city's most accomplished Streisand impersonator. From LEGENDS IN CONCERTS to FRANK AND BARBRA: The Concert That Never Was, Ms. Owens' career is enviable by any standards. Her return to the Vegas stage is more than welcome...it's long overdue.
MEMORIES is the latest production at Modern Showrooms at Alexis Park Resort (we first announced it here). Sharon's tribute joined Sir Elton, Adam London's Laughternoon, and the breakout hit Queen Selena as new ADMIT.VIP offerings for summer 2025.
The joy of MEMORIES is in its simplicity...just a career-spanning cavalcade of hits, a stool, a keyboard, and a flower arrangement. Owens and pianist/vocalist Pete Sprague take guests on a journey from Broadway to the cinema, covering everything from heartbreaking ballads to disco beats, Funny Girl and Yentl to A Star Is Born. Duets with Neil Diamond, Barry Gibb, Louis Armstrong, and even Donna Summer are represented.
"This dazzling residency pays homage to over five decades of Streisand’s legendary career, featuring iconic hits like People, Evergreen, Don’t Rain On My Parade, The Way We Were, and many more. The Las Vegas Leisure Guide said, “If one closes the eyes and just listens, you would swear the actual person is on stage.” - ADMIT.VIP
[embed]https://youtu.be/syfsRUkkeLk[/embed] [embed]https://youtu.be/PyOZHcjPvHY[/embed] An unexpectedly memorable segment is when Ms. Owens drops the Barbra "mask" and becomes herself. Leaning toward the audience, she cheekily confides, "You know I'm not her, right?". In a split second, a dramatically different person has occupied the same space. Barbra's affectations, vocal inflections, and facial expressions are gone, and Ms. Owens herself has joined the fun.
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Sharon discusses how she became a professional 'Streisand', answers questions, shares career highlights, and welcomes song requests. Armed with razor-sharp wit, she strikes a wonderful balance between respectful satire and idolization.
A video segment pokes fun at Barbra's targeted demographic, and Sharon jokes about the show's early-evening appeal to older audiences. "You can see me at five, have dinner, then go straight to bed!". Long before a stirring finale of 1964's "People", you've already fallen in love with both sides of Sharon Owens. You can discover more about the dazzling entertainer by visiting this link.
Modern Showrooms continues to offer attractively-priced shows that touch the heart and rekindle memories. So, return to the way we were with the songs of Streisand in MEMORIES. The show performs Tuesday through Thursday at 5 pm. Tickets start at $44.95 and can be purchased here.
Alexis Park Resort is located at 375 E. Harmon Avenue, across from Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Parking is free.
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