Halloween is finished, Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. In our town, the trees have fallen and there’s even been some light snow. Even in far off Switzerland, everyone seems aware of the US elections coming up. My musical partner, David Morell and I are getting ready for a super big band concert with The Uptown Big Band at the Kuturhaus in Schofheim, Germany. The Marilyn Monroe Story will swing into the holiday season.
The tinsel of our cabaret show, Gossip, Glitter & Glam, also seems to be making it’s mark for the holiday season, both for Parachute Productions in Zug and Lang Kino in Zürich. We hope to see you here. Blessings and many cuddles to you going into the Northern hemisphere’s winter season.
Are you a show impersonator?
Not often, but every now and then, people ask me to come “be” Marilyn Monroe. So I guess, sometimes, I’m an impersonator, too… or show-double as they call it Europe.
Mostly it’s because of my tribute show - Swinging the Marilyn Monroe Songbook. Sometimes one of my agents or manager will get a call asking if I can don the white dress and prrr out onstage dripping in diamonds and famous one-liners. It’s fun to see how people react. And at the same time is a very displaced feeling - much different than acting in a play.
When I was doing the research for my first request as Marilyn - I was pretty surprised to find out what big business it was being a show-double/impersonator. Do you know how often people are hired to dress up and play other famous people- living and dead?
I’m collecting numbers - if you do this, or know someone who does, write and tell me about it. How did you get started? Do you like it? What’s the funniest time you had doing it? Send me an email from the contact section and I’ll send you a free download of Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
I’m sitting in my studio listening to a Brahms sextet in B-flat for strings, op. 18. Yehudi Menuhin is concert master and the recording is simply amazing. Adding to the romance, rain is pouring down outside, drumming off the roof and thick green leaves of the nearby oaks.
Watching the weather while listening to the music and speaking to a client on the phone, I neglect to notice that the beautiful rain pouring down on my terrace is also pouring into the kitchen through the open doors… is this a penalty for multi-tasking? But wading through the centimetres-deep water covering the stone floor to finally close the patio doors while listening to the thunder outside seems delightful and decadent.
Existing in the world’s most orderly host country, my normally very Swiss and tidy kitchen seems to relax into the warm summer rain. Tortillas and salsa sit happily and languidly on the marble countertop, urging someone to come and take a bite. All the while, violins soar higher and higher - it’s easy to imagine almost anything…
Would you take a recommendation to enrich your life today? Turn on some Brahms; almost any of it will take you away to another place completely when you really listen. Close your eyes, breathe deep and absorb the sound. No rain necessary - although it helps.
Kids Kidney Care in Switzerland is an amazing organization that helps kids with kidney problems and their families cope with the stress of surviving and handling this dangerous condition. If you would like to support them, please go to the Autograph section and consider donating today. Marilyn Zeller will answer any questions and be thrilled that you thought enough to get involved.
