Meet the tribute stars and their backing band…
Sharon Owens (Barbara Streisand): Upon graduating from high school in 1984, Sharon shot off on her way into the real world of touring with American Entertainment Company in Columbus Ohio. A year on the road opening for country acts such as the Mandrells, Letterman, and Willie Nelson, Sharon decided to stop the rolling stone and get her education before returning to the entertainment biz. During her studies, she spent many summers in Cambridge, England, where she studied under John Rutter, the famous 20th century composer. During the school year, Sharon would study Opera during the day then run to her night gig, where she sang and danced in the Busch Gardens Main Theater in Tampa Bay Florida.
After years of vocal training and a strong master's of education under her belt, Sharon took off for Los Angeles to pursue a career in ANYTHING that had to do with entertainment. Sharon didn’t realize at the time that she was to become a pioneer in the tribute business. Unlike many of the other impersonators who are “lookalikes,” she didn’t study voice and acting simply to be called a tribute artist. “Imitating Streisand became an acting job,” she insists. “So many movies have been made where famous actors immerse themselves into their movie character and then tell a life story of the REAL person, I simply do the same thing, but on stage.”
Soon after starting out as a dynamic mimic of the incomparable Streisand, Sharon began to take the comedy routine more seriously. She honed her Brooklyn accent, studied Streisand’s intense vocal sounds and spent hours recreating her look with gorgeous gowns. In the 15 years of her career, she has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, and in People Magazine. She also starred in ABC’s reality show, “The Next Best Thing.”
Winning the Fox TV show, “Performing As…” propelled Sharon’s career. Her national success has created a whirlwind of Barbra fans waiting to see her famous tribute.
In addition to performing solo, Sharon and her business partner and dear friend, Sebastian Anzaldo (aka Frank) have an internationally success show, “Barbra and Frank, The Concert That Never Was!” This popular duo can be seen on the Las Vegas strip (where they have performed for over eight years), and in theaters, and corporate events as far away as Holland, Belgium, China, Canada, Germany, Australia, UK, New Zealand and Vietnam!
Sebastian Anzaldo (Frank Sinatra): Originally hailing from Omaha, Sebastian grew up in a musical family (his father a sax player and later a talent agent, his mother a singer). He started playing drums and singing at age 11, and from then on, knew what he wanted to do. Sebastian's passion for jazz led him to New York, compliments of The National Endowment for the Arts. The next year, he headed to the opposite coast to make his fame and fortune in L.A., where he played professionally for 14 years. He then relocated to The Entertainment Capitol Of The World, Las Vegas, where he discovered his knack for doing "Frank". With a dedication to perfecting the art of Sinatra, everything was in place and Sebastian began doing one corporate event after another. As word got out that there was a new ‘Chairman' in town, he got the call to star in ‘The Tribute To The Rat Pack' show on the Strip. This in turn led to his current show - headlining with Sharon Owens as Barbra Streisand in the wonderful "Barbra and Frank, The Concert That Never Was..." at the Riviera. Sebastian made his television debut as Sinatra in the summer of 2007 on the ABC hit show, "The Next Best Thing: Who Is The Greatest Celebrity Impersonator," where he came in 2nd to none other than Elvis!
Bill Vint (saxophonist): Saxophonist and woodwind specialist Bill Vint, originally from Tucson Arizona, began playing with jazz, blues, and latin bands in local nightclubs and venues while still in high school. A move to Boston then followed to attend Berklee College of Music where he studied woodwinds with Joe Viola and Bill Pierce, and was in many of the school’s most prestigious ensembles including Herb Pomeroy’s Concert Jazz Orchestra and the Thelonious Monk Ensemble. After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1996, for the next four years Bill played in the house band aboard the Odyssey, a large luxury yacht that does Boston harbor cruises. Bill has performed in bands backing up such artists as Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Ojays, Frankie Valli, Kristin Chenoweth, Johnny Mathis, Josh Groban, Bernadette Peters, John Mayer, David Foster and Bobby Caldwell. Also with instrumental jazz artists Joe Zawinal, John Abercrombie, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Faddis, Bobby Shew and Steve Marcus, as well as participating in the recording project “Spajazzy” featuring guitarist Mike Stern. He has done big band/swing tours with the Artie Shaw, Jimmy Dorsey, and Harry James Orchestras and performed with various groups at the Montreaux, Nice, Monterey, and North Sea Jazz Festivals. When many touring productions of Broadway musicals come through the northeast Bill has played in the pit orchestra for shows including “Book Of Mormon”, “Motown”, “Chicago”, “Grease”, “Cats”, “Legally Blonde”, “Sister Act”, “42nd St.”, “Peter Pan”, “A Chorus Line”, “White Christmas”, and “Miss Saigon”. Currently Bill plays in the band Clockwork, is a member of the John Allmark Jazz Orchestra, and teaches woodwinds and jazz improvisation at Providence College and the Arlington MA public schools.
Bob Cook (pianist): Originally from Cincinnati Ohio, Ben Cook has performed since 2003 as pianist with the Boston Pops and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestras under the direction of Keith Lockhart and John Williams. He has also played in numerous national tours with the orchestra as well as 4th of July performances. Cook performed on PBS' Holiday at Pops in 2015, and in thousands of performances as Broadway pit orchestra musician for national tours ofWicked, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, West Side Story, Chorus Line and countless others. He is a regular performer as a jazz pianist in the Boston/New England area, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Brandeis University and a summer instructor at Berklee College of Music.
John DiSanto (percussionist): John DiSanto is a performing drummer with over 40 years experience in the greater New England area and touring abroad. After graduation Berklee College of Music in 1982, John went on to own a thriving music school and instrument center in Easton for the next 24 years; being instrumental in the music education of thousands of music students and providing a creative teaching environment for dozens of instructors. John's extensive and diverse experience includes performances with Dick Johnson, Mokoto Ozone, Moksha and the Drifters; and he currently is the drummer for "The Rat Pack is Back", a Las Vegas National touring group. As a drummer, he also has multiple recording credits and also has engineered and produced projects for area musicians. John is a member of the Piano Technicians Guild, specializing in grand piano restoration. He owns and operates an antique and piano center in Easton, MA and still provides private instruction to advanced drummers in the greater Boston area.
Steve Cady (bassist): Steve lives in Keene, NH and performs throughout New England. He has studied and performed jazz since his childhood, which highlights Steve’s playing career as a bassist in performances with the “Rat Pack is Back” and “The Crooner and the Dame” Las Vegas Reviews, with the Scott Mullett Trio, at Ryles Jazz Club, The Press Room, and at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Steve has performed with New England’s finest musicians and has shared the stage with Joan Rivers, Loraine Bracco, Steve Schirripa, and Tony Sirico. Steve has studied with Scott Mullett, Bruce Gertz, Don Baldini, and Douglas Mapp, is a founding member and acting director of the Keene Jazz Orchestra and directs Big Band and Jazz Combos at Keene State College. Steve’s career in Jazz Education has included guest conducting, ensemble management, and audition judge for district and regional festivals as well as 20 years of experience in directing student Jazz Ensembles.