Sharon Owens
Flat Rock Playhouse Pays Homage to Barbra & Dolly
This month, Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton will grace the stage at Flat Rock Playhouse. Well—not quite. Talented performers will take on the roles of these two icons in productions of Sharon Owens as Barbra Streisand, July 14–17, and Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, July 28 through August 20. You’ll feel as if these stars are right there in the room.
After performing at the Playhouse last year with Sebastian Anzaldo as Frank Sinatra in Barbra and Frank: The Christmas Concert That Never Was, Sharon returns in a one-weekend-only solo performance as the Babs. She will be accompanied by a full band, with George Wilkins as music director and pianist.
Sharon’s uncanny resemblance and vocal match to Barbra has landed her roles in international films, commercials, stage appearances, and TV shows over the years. For this show, she will perform such hits as “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “People,” and “The Way We Were,” among others.
The first time Sharon recalls being compared to Barbra Streisand was when she starred in a production of Once Upon a Mattress as a teenager. A reviewer called her a “funny girl,” referring to Barbra’s film by the same name. Sharon says, “I knew at 16 it was a nice review on me, but what I didn’t understand was the strong comparison they were making with my work to Barbra Streisand. At the age of 16, in the ’80s, Barbra wasn’t exactly a strong influence. I dressed more like Madonna!”
Sharon says it is an honor to pay tribute to such a gifted and giving philanthropist who has paved the way for so many women who dare to dream big. “When you see or hear Barbra’s voice or her acting ability, one can’t deny her natural ability to be an incredible talent,” says Sharon. “But what I feel is one of her outstanding qualities is that she does not ride the fence in her opinions…You hear so many times Barbra has stage fright, but she sure doesn’t have a fear of speaking her truth and her mind.”
Tickets for Sharon Owens as Barbra Streisand are $30. Evening performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and matinees take place Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30.
The theme of being true to oneself continues with Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, a hilarious musical based on the 1980 film by the same name that starred Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly herself. The plot centers on three secretaries who team up to end the tyranny of their sexist and lying bigot of a boss. To date, this is the only musical with music and lyrics written by Dolly.
Tickets are $15–40. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and matinee performances take place on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 p.m
Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage is located at 2661 Greenville Highway in Flat Rock. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling the box office at 828.693.0731 or visiting flatrockplayhouse.org.
