The Countess Comes to Charlotte
A Q&A with Real Housewives of New York alum Luann de Lesseps ahead of her Countess Cabaret at The Fillmore on March 22
Real Housewives fans remember when Bethenny shrilled across the table that life is not a cabaret, but it hasn’t stopped the Countess from living as though it might be. In fact, not much of anything seems to stop the reality star-turned-cabaret headliner. We caught up with Luann as she prepares for her Charlotte show (her first visit to the Queen City) at The Fillmore on Saturday, March 22.
What can we expect from the show?
It’s really a greatest hits, all the classics over the years. It’s pop culture-meets-cabaret-meets-comedy-meets-a fashion show. I’ll show clips from the show (The Real Housewives of New York) and talk about what goes on behind the scenes. It’s a trip down memory lane. And I pick songs that I know my fans love so it’s a big sing-along. I cover Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Tears for Fears —it’s all related to the stories of my life which is what cabaret is all about.
Why cabaret?
A friend suggested to me that I do cabaret and when we created the show there really was a void there. It used to be Liza, Chita (Rivera), and Bette Midler—all the greats and they’ve really been my inspiration.
I love the creative freedom. When you watch the Housewives in the past, it’s always about the drama around the cabaret show. But you never got to see my actual show because of music rights, etc. I love what I do and I work really hard at it. I’ve been doing cabaret since 2018 and have done many different iterations of it.
You are the queen of second acts. We’ve watched you go through some struggles on the show, and then the loss of the show when they recast RHONY. Every time something hits you, you seem to come back swinging.
I run with it. It’s a gut instinct. I always say, go with your gut. There are more neurons in your gut than there is in your head. I learned that at a yoga retreat with Deepak Chopra in 2009 when I was going through a divorce.
What advice would you give people going through a change in their life, particularly an unwelcome one?
Be fearless. Do the things that you love to do and it will work out. Don’t work from your head to try to figure things out. Be fearless and jump. You can always go home. If you’re not a little in fear you’re not really living because you’re staying safe. Go deep within yourself, you’ll know which way to go. I’ve also had great mentors. Pick someone who you admire and want to be like and change up your life.
What are we going to see on the new Bravo show, Love Hotel? I know you’re not going to be shy!
Well, you know me, I do love my boys. I can’t say much, but it’s coming out soon. I think the fans are going to love it, it’s totally different. It’s me, Shannon Beador, and Gizelle and Ashely (from The Real Housewives of Potomac). It’s a dating show, but it’s really about the women and us being wingmen for each other.
Anything else we should know about your show on Saturday?
It’s two hours long with an intermission and it’s a full-on party the whole time. It’s really immersive and I engage with the fans. We do a trivia game to see how much they know about the Housewives and about me. I cover songs that we all know and love, along with my own songs and it’s really the best time. You can come to this show alone and you’ll leave with a bunch of friends because we all have this common thread because we’re all connected by the Bravo universe.
