El Rancho
As we ascended the stairs to El Rancho the outside temperature was just 12°. Little did anyone realise that it would all change!!
Hubby and I were so looking forward to seeing Julie~Lyn again and we hadn't been able to hear her sing especially as (see my Snippets), the CD she left me in August had mysteriously "disappeared". So sharp at 9.30pm Julie~Lyn came on stage wearing a very elegant all in one trouser suit with long sleeves in an elegant shade of dark lilac - with her blonde hair, it was most flattering. In her full power packed style, she begun with Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" - 10 seconds into the act and my hairs were standing up on end with goose bumps all over. Immediately she followed with a blasting interpretation of Shirley Bassey's "I Am What I Am". She didn't seem to pause to take breath when she went straight into Cilla Black's "You're My World" - FAB! FAB! FAB! We were mesmerised and just knew she was going to be as good as last time or even better if that was possible, and IT WAS!
I would say that none of the audience sitting in El Rancho, baring the staff, Hubby and I had ever heard Julie~Lyn sing. Before the show started Boris from Team Marina stood next to me and said "Who is this Julie~Lyn, I don't know exactly who the lookalike is trying to be but I know she's your favourite" I replied "Julie Lyn IS Julie Lyn - Just stay put and listen to her". So with each number Boris stood motionless with mouth open and the audience too were definitely sensing that this was no "ordinary" resort entertainer. "Wow, she's really good isn't she," said Boris. "Told you!"
During her next few numbers beautifully sung were Cher's "Chip, Chip", Bett Midler's "Wind Between my Wings" & Dolly Parton's "Sometimes When we Touch" when a little girl, Laura with a dummy strategically placed wandered on to the stage, Julie~Lyn held her hand and they swayed together with the music. On the wings were two other little girls, Lisa and Abigail who you could see were dying to join in and Julie~Lyn gently coaxed them to "appear with her". At the end she introduced them and of course, the audience loved it.
Julie~Lyn then caught me totally unaware when she said she wanted to dedicate her next song to someone who she knew loved her next song as much as she did "I'd like to dedicate this next song "LIVE" for Antonia"!! My Kleenex was sodden through by the end and from my spot I warmly thanked her.
The next number of songs I did write down but in between being totally captured by the atmosphere which was building up to quite a climax, it now doesn't seem at all important. The inside temperature had by now risen by at least 20 degrees believe me as people were taking their jackets and jumpers off, dancing around the tables and Julie~Lyn didn't need to invite them up onto the stage. The audience was now totally totally absorbed. Somewhere along the way she had managed to grab enough time to change into a most attractive outfit - soft gold jeans with matching top over which was a delicately embroidered black & gold sleeveless blouse. Completing the outfit was a most fetching white cowboy hat trimmed with a gold sparkling effect - she has a very elegant slim figure and looked perfect for her Shania Twain numbers to follow (my favourite is becoming "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under").
Here I'd like to give a mention to the best audience participator for CLC - Hubby. He has over the past 6 months supported me religiously on Thursdays and has proved to be a pretty good animator but on this night he was outstanding bopping all over the place, wolf whistling, cheering and clapping most enthusiastically - and I wasn't far behind him!
The tempo of Julie~Lyn's repertoire just got better and better with each number and we were all oblivious to the fact that she had been singing practically non-stop for nearly two and half-hours. Her finale included a non stop range of songs from The Drifters :- "Save The Last Dance For Me"; "Come On Over To My Place"; "My Little Red Book"; "Saturday Night"; "Kissing In the Back Row"; "There Goes My First Love"; & I couldn't see Julie~Lyn as she was engulfed by what seemed to be every member of the audience up on the stage including Hubby and me. Needless to say when she did have to finally say goodbye she didn't want to leave without expressing how much she had enjoyed herself - NOBODY wanted her to go. Tony in his inimitable voice repeated "Do you want more?" "Do you really want more?"- Julie~Lyn didn't stand a chance.
She gave a very special thank you to all the staff in El Rancho (& me) for making her feel yet again, very welcomed in CLC. She finished with a beautiful rendition of Whitney Houston's theme song from The Bodyguard. On and on went the applause. PHEW!!!
Of course I had to head back stage and was warmly greeted by Julie~Lyn who immediately said "Antonia, this is for you" - She handed me a copy of her CD on which the song she had dedicated to me was included. - (Someone must have let the cat out of the bag, I bet it was Reddin"!!) It was so nice to see her again and if I could have dedicated a song to her it would have been "You're Simply the Best". Of course I had to say how touched I was by her dedication and how much once again, I had enjoyed her total performance. She said she had seen my write up on her (Reddin again) and that she had included it on her Web Page!! "Hope you don't mind" "Of course not, I feel flattered and maybe who knows, someone out there may recognise my talents!" . We chatted for a while and then I left her to enjoy the company of her family and friends who were in the audience. She was not too keen on returning to UK on Saturday and to all that extra water!
This is Antonia Hagelen-McIntosh for CLC NEWS.
CONTACT
Julie~Lyn
E-mail julie~lyn@julie-lyn.co.uk
