- November 17, 2024
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When Angela DiBuono performed for her Flagler County food service co-workers at their company Christmas party in 2013, they gave her the nickname “Lunch Lady Gaga,” which was just another validation that encouraged the impersonator to continue to chase her dream.
Growing up in New Jersey, DiBuono was 7 years old when her grandfather, Sylvester LoPotro, 93, entertained guests at their home by impersonating famous entertainers. He made all the guests happy, and she began to idolize him.
“I loved the feeling he gave people, so I said, ‘I want to do that,’” DiBuono said. “From that point on, I began to mimic all sorts of people. I wanted to always be an entertainer of some sort, but I wanted to live out my grandfather’s dream, since he didn’t.”
Although DiBuono found her calling at a young age, she wasn’t able to find much work as an impersonator. For a large part of her life, she tried to become a professional dancer, model and actress, but nothing ever panned out. Then, as DiBuono got older, Lady Gaga stepped on the scene.
“When Gaga came out, I didn’t know what she looked like,” DiBuono said. “When a relative told me that I looked like her, I checked her out on Oprah, without all the costumes and makeup. And I saw that not only did we look alike, but our lives were very similar in many ways. We’re Catholic school girls; we’re the same size and share the same nationality.”
“Every time I turned around, people kept telling me that I look like her. I told my cousin that if I had a dollar for every time for someone told me I look like Lady Gaga, I’d be a millionaire, so my cousin said, ‘Why don’t you capitalize on it and try to impersonate her?’”
DiBuono took her cousin’s advice and got into contact with Ron Besser, an agent, who told her about the Sunburst Convention, a convention that puts on a show for 100 impersonators. While DiBuono was at the convention in street clothes, one of the impersonator’s wives asked if she was there to impersonate Lady Gaga.
“That validated what everyone was already saying about me,” DiBuono said.
The following year, on the advice of agent and impersonator Greg Thompson, who runs the conventions, DiBuono went to the convention to perform for the impersonators and agents. She wowed the audience.
This past year, DiBuono has performed at various venues as Lady Gaga, and recently added Marilyn Monroe to her character. While DiBuono mimics Lady Gaga’s looks and dance moves, she sings her own music.
Her best show so far came when she worked an event at a synagogue in Ormond Beach last year.
“The reception was unbelievable,” she said. “It made me feel like I had finally made it. I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I wanted to show my kids that it’s never too late to get started and live out a dream. This is one of many entertainment dreams that I have. ... It’s an unbelievable experience to transform yourself and pretend to be someone else and lose yourself into that person, where you forget everything in your life and immerse into another person.”
Before any impersonating event, DiBuono reaches out to her grandfather, her biggest supporter.
“If it had not been for him, Ron Besser, Greg Thompson and the Sunburst family, I would not be living one of my dreams,” she said. “With the few things I’ve done, I’ve already received enough recognition and praise to know I can continue to do this, because my fans are happy with the way I go about it, just like the guests were always happy with my grandfather’s performances.”
To book DiBuono for parties and events, call 986-7799 or go to [email protected].
