Musical star

Maya Hakvoort: From Streisand to Shanghai

Maya Hakvoort honors her great idol Barbra Streisand with a tribute concert.(Bild: Alexander Haiden)

The grande dame of musicals, Maya Hakvoort, is paying tribute to her great role model in a special way - and is currently also being celebrated in China. 

"Now that Barbra Streisand is no longer on stage herself, I thought it was time to say thank you," says musical grande dame Maya Hakvoort, explaining her motivation for an unusual and ambitious project. And of course her thank you will be a musical one: On April 19, she will pay tribute to Streisand, this unique icon of show biz, at the Wiener Konzerthaus - with a very intimate musical journey inspired by Streisand's personality and her music.

"She has been with me my whole life and has always been a role model for me in terms of voice and music. But above all with her courage to simply do everything, from acting to directing. She never accepted a stop sign in her creativity," enthuses Hakvoort in the "Krone" interview.

If so, then Streisand can only be properly honored
Maya Hakvoort has been infected by this unwavering attitude. "In my career, I've always taken a lot into my own hands so that I don't have to depend on others." For example, she has produced musicals herself - and also put together beautiful concert projects like this one. "Paying tribute to Streisand like this is pretty brave of me," she smiles, "and I knew that if I was going to do it, I was going to do it properly. With a big orchestra and in a wonderful hall like the Konzerthaus."

The two singers Monika Ballwein and Andie Gabauer will also be there. "On this evening, I will be taking a walk through her entire life, with the most beautiful songs from her career, as well as stories and anecdotes."

The Chinese are at Maya's feet
In addition to the preparations for this tribute, Hakvoort is currently often drawn to Shanghai (China) for rehearsals. From May 9, she will be on stage there as Lady Macbeth in the world premiere of the musical "Lady M.". The renowned musical diva is also loved in China. "I had a solo concert in Shanghai last year, which was sold out immediately. Because of this success, I was immediately offered the leading role," she says. She is also an ambassador for a major musical festival.

So there's quite a lot going on in the life of this tireless singer. "I still have a lot planned, so many ideas. After all, that's the best way to stay young."

Information about the tribute concert for Barbra Streisand on April 19 can be found here.