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Review and photos by Gerald Stevenson
September 15, 2019 (El Cajon) -- What can be said about the incomparable Luann de Lesseps? The sky is the limit, her fans would say. Also known as The Countess, she held the audience in the palm of her hand during the opening week of El Cajon’s newly reborn concert hall, The Magnolia.
Friday the 13th was Luann’s night to entertain. Bringing her cabaret show to El Cajon was a nice gift for our city, and the wider region of San Diego. My only wish was for her to remind the audience where we are: El Cajon, not San Diego. Come on Luann, give our city some recognition! But, that’s a small thing. Maybe future stars will give us a shout out.
The Magnolia was a sell out on Friday. The audience was frisky and full of life, eventually clapping and chanting, "Luann! Luann! Luann!’ as encouragement, hoping their cries reached her dressing room. With phone cameras in everyone’s hands, the fans had time to take "selfies" and photos of the growing crowd.
T
he show, said to start at 8 p.m., left the audience eagerly waiting, familiar with her talent for being fashionably late. But with many people still filing in, searching for their seats, ‘fashionably late’ really worked well. I think stars, no matter how late to the stage, would prefer a settled house, where all eyes would be on them, and not the numbers on the seats. And so, as the lights dimmed, expectant faces glued to the stage, we waited for Luann, knowing her entrance would be spectacular, because yes, she is a star!
As Luann de Lesseps made her way to the main stage center microphone, a searchlight followed, illuminating her brilliant smile on display. She wore the first of four meticulously fitted and fabulous gowns by her favorite designer Jovani, this one a striking red number, covered in reflective jewel-like rhinestones. As she sashayed to center stage, the crowd erupted with cheers, clapping, and more chants of "Luann!" This put a beaming smile on the star’s face.
The show opened smoothly and continued on with a seamless abandon, the tempo designed I’m sure to showcase the talents of our Luann, still a regular on Bravo’s "Real Housewives of New York City" television show. That show saw the beginnings of her efforts at "cabaret," which at that time consisted of only two hit songs sung by her, neither that catchy, but still entertaining to her friends from the the Real Housewives of New York City show. What did El Cajon get? A fun night that lasted about 90 minutes.
The show consisted of a series of small acts, hilarious stories, including Luann playfully reading from her diary in a spoken word fashion. She spoke generously of exotic destinations with ‘the girls’, including vintage Luann sayings, like "Be cool! Don’t be all, like...uncool!" The crowd chanted along, knowing this line to be right out of the Luann playbook.
The show continued, and featured a rather risqué comedian, Murray Hill, whose call outs to the audience were met by laughter and applause.
There was also a singer, a rather attractive man with a fantastic voice, fresh from the Broadway show "Wicked." Luann joined him, and together they sang a flashy duet. Then he had the stage to himself, to sing a few songs on his own. She reappeared in the second of her gowns, a blue number this time with a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. It, too, glittered with shiny stones.
All thru the performance, Luann appeared to be thoroughly happy and excited, knowing she was bringing a fun night to The Magnolia, whether El Cajon, or San Diego, it matters not. The night was filled with laughter, music and onstage antics. It was colorful, vibrant, with a good time had by all.
The Magnolia, fresh off its $8 million dollar renovation, really was the second attraction of the night. Restored to a modern concert hall, it is a great venue, where a limited small audience of 1200 can enjoy the intimate setting in comfort. Closed in 2009 as the East County Performing Arts Center due to El Cajon city budget constraints, it is now under management by Live Nation, an international conglomerate with all manner of entertainment under its umbrella. Live Nation renovated the theater, bringing it up to modern standards, including state of the art lighting and sound, a new VIP lounge, and enough room between rows to make getting to your seat less cumbersome. No stepping on feet necessary. With an expansive outdoor plaza, the entrance seemed fit for Broadway.
My word for the night? Spectacular! Luann de Lesseps, The Countess, not only gave us a great show, her cabaret opened a now fabulous East County venue, freshly restored, eminently comfortable, and now waiting for the next stars to light up the night.
Yes, Luann and The Magnolia, teamed up for a memorable night out on the town. With many star acts to come, The Magnolia promises to be an excellent venue, and a fitting addition to East County, and my fair city of El Cajon! Thank you LuAnn for opening The Magnolia in such a fine way!
For our write-up on upcoming performers this season, visit https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/lineup-announced-magnolia-revitalized...
For tickets, visit www.magnoliasandiego.com.
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