Miami fans show love for Barbra Streisand at Los Angeles dress-rehearsal concert
South Florida fans — invited by Barbra Streisand’s Miami Beach co-director, Richard Jay-Alexander — trekked to Los Angeles this week to pay homage to The Greatest Star.
“I can't think of a superlative worthy of last night's amazingness. I love Babs and Lisa!!!! #dreamcometrue,” Miami city communications director and longtime South Florida reporter Diana Gonzalez posted Tuesday on friend Lisa Petrillo’s Facebook page, after they and thousands of “friends & family” attended Streisand’s invitation-only dress rehearsal at Staples Center in Los Angeles, kicking off a nine-city concert tour throughout August.
Petrillo, arts and entertainment reporter for CBS 4 in Miami, also was joined at the concert by station news director Liz Roldan, along with other South Florida celebrities including WTVJ Assistant News Director Chad Matthews and former CBS 4 morning anchor Rhiannon Ally.
My husband, Ric Katz, and I also attended, along with a host of well-known South Florida names including former “Deco Drive” co-host Louis Aguirre, Mario Lavandeira (better known as Perez Hilton), talent manager Billy Sammeth, director David Chacon Perez, writer-director Camilo Hernandez, attorney Danielle Garno, Bibi Andrade (“The Adventures of Bibi & Friends”), Michael Valdes of Sotheby’s, Miami Wilds creative director Jack Illes and Key West entertainer Randy Roberts.
The South Florida fans also got to mix at the Staples with some of Streisand’s better-known friends & family, including husband James Brolin; son Jason Gould with dad Elliott Gould; songwriters Alan & Marilyn Bergman (“The Way We Were”); composer-entertainer Paul Williams (who co-wrote the Oscar-winning “Evergreen” with Streisand for “A Star is Born”); composer Richard Baskin; designer Donna Karan; “Glee” stars Darren Criss and Jane Lynch; comedians Kathy Griffin and Melissa McCarthy; and Broadway’s Kristin Chenoweth.
Streisand’s limited tour, which ends Aug. 23 in Toronto, is tied to the release of her new album, “ENCORE: Movie Partners Sing Broadway,” which features songs performed with Anne Hathaway and Daisy Ridley; Patrick Wilson; Anthony Newley; Alec Baldwin; Hugh Jackman; McCarthy; Seth MacFarlane; Antonio Banderas; Chris Pine and Jamie Foxx.
MacFarlane (“Pure Imagination” )and Foxx (“Climb Ev’ry Mountain”) joined Streisand on-stage at the Los Angeles concerts Monday and Tuesday, along with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, who sang “Evergreen” with Streisand on her previous duets album, “Partners.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Miami fans show love for Barbra Streisand at Los Angeles dress-rehearsal concert."