DEBORAH
DEBORAH DUNCAN . >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO GREAT DAY HOUSTON .
WE HAVE THE FIRST GUESTS WHICH
WAS PART OF THE FIRST GROUP TO
HIT THE AIR AND SHE WAS NOT
ONLY A HOUSEWIFE BUT ALSO A
COUNTESS, A SINGER, AND A
PHILANTHROPIST.
PHILANTHROPIST. >> SHE IS GOOD.
>> I AM DOING OKAY.
>> DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO SAY.
>> IT IS MY SHOW AND I CAN TALK
ABOUT WHATEVER I WANT TO.
>> WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS WITH
THE COUNTESS.
THE COUNTESS. >> PLEASE WELCOME COUNTESS
LUANN DE LESSEPS . THAT IS THE
BEST WE'LL EVER YOU HAVE TO
GIVE THAT TO ME.
>> IT IS SO FUNNY BECAUSE WHEN
YOU ARE IN IT, YOU'RE IN IT.
WHEN YOU SEE THAT WHAT DO YOU
THINK?
THINK?
THINK? >>
THINK? >> I DIED OF LAUGHTER BECAUSE
IT IS SO FUNNY. WE GO THROUGH A
LOT OF THINGS IN LIFE AND THEN
TO SEE IT ALL PUT TOGETHER AND
RELIVE THOSE MOMENTS AGAIN, IT
IS AMAZING.
IS AMAZING. IT IS A LIVING PHOTO ALBUM OF
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. >> HOW DID YOU GROW UP?
>> NOBODY'S EVER ASKED ME THAT.
I GREW UP ONE OF SEVEN CHILDREN
IN CONNECTICUT. MY PARENTS ARE
CANADIAN SO A BIG FAMILY.
I WENT TO NURSING SCHOOL.
>> SOMETIMES YOU BLEND INTO THE
BACKGROUND OR YOU STAND OUT.
>> THIS IS WHAT I AM ON THE
CABARET STAGE.
CABARET STAGE. IT IS MY TURN.
>> YOU MENTIONED BEING A NURSE.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE YOU WANT
TO BE A NURSE?
>> IT IS MY FIRST TIME TO
HOUSTON SO I AM SUPER EXCITED.
I STARTED BABYSITTING FOR A
FAMILY WHO OWNED A REST HOME
FOR THE ELDERLY. I STARTED DOING
DISHES IN THE KITCHEN OF THE
REST HOME.
REST HOME. MY MOTHER WOULD COME AND PICK
ME UP AND EVERYONE WOULD BE ON
THE FRONT PORCH OF THE REST
HOME AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE ELDERLY. MY
GRANDPARENTS DIED EARLY, AND
THEY LIVED IN CANADA. I FELL IN
LOVE WITH THE ELDERLY AND I
BECAME A GERIATRIC NURSE.
>> YOU THE NURSE THAT EVERY MAN
WANTED.
WANTED.
WANTED. >> THAT IS WHY I LOVE THE
GERIATRIC COMMUNITY BECAUSE
THEY CANNOT RUN AS FAST. I WAS
SCOUTED TO BE A MODEL IN THE
MISS CONNECTICUT BEAUTY
PAGEANT.
PAGEANT.
PAGEANT. I DIDN'T WIN AND I DIDN'T PLACE
AND THERE WAS A MAN THERE WHO
CHANGE MY LIFE AND SAID YOU
COULD MAKE MONEY IN NEW YORK AS
A MODEL. I GOT INVOLVED IN A
BEAUTY PAGEANT AND I ENDED UP
WINNING THIS SMALL PAGEANT IN
NEW YORK AND THAT IS HOW I
STARTED MODELING AND THAT GOT
ME TO EUROPE.
>> THE RENAISSANCE KING SAID
SHE IS A COUNTESS. EXPLAINED
THAT TO US.
>> I WENT TO EUROPE AND I ENDED
UP MARRYING A FRENCH ARISTOCRAT
AND THE DE LESSEPS WERE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUEZ AND
THE PANAMA CANAL CHANGING OUR
PLANET FOREVER WHICH NO ONE
HAS EVER DONE AND THEN THE DE
LESSEPS ALSO GIVE THE STATUE
OF LIBERTY TO NEW YORK. IT IS A
VERY IMPORTANT FRENCH FAMILY SO
I BECAME A COUNTESS THROUGH
MARRIAGE.
MARRIAGE.
MARRIAGE. >> THE IDEA OF REAL HOUSEWIVES
AT THAT TIME YOU DO NOT HAVE
ALL OF THE OTHER FRANCHISES TO
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT FOR YOU?
>> AT FIRST IT WAS CALLED
MANHATTAN MOMS FOLLOWING ALL OF
YOU LADIES AND YOUR CHILDREN
AND YOUR FABULOUS LIVES.
I HAD DONE TELEVISION IN THE
PAST.
PAST.
PAST. WHEN I FIRST WENT TO EUROPE I
DID ITALIAN TELEVISION THAT
THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER DIFFERENT
FORM OF TELEVISION, AND THEN IT
TURNED INTO THE HOUSEWIVES OF
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. I THINK IF I HAD SEEN THE
HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA OR
ANYBODY, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE
SAID NO.
SAID NO.
SAID NO. >> WITH THAT SAID IT IS AN
EDITED PART OF YOUR LIFE.
SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD AND BAD
BUT WITH THAT SAID WOULD YOU DO
IT AGAIN?
IT AGAIN?
IT AGAIN? >> ABSOLUTELY. I'M NOT THE KIND
OF PERSON WHO LIVES WITH
REGRET.
REGRET.
REGRET. TRY NOT TO.
I HAVE LEARNED A LOT BY BEING
ON THE SHOW AND HAVE DONE WHAT
EVERY WOMAN DOES IT RAISES A
FAMILY, DEALING WITH THE
CHALLENGES OF MARRIAGE AND
DIVORCE.
DIVORCE.
DIVORCE. THE THINGS THAT CHALLENGE ALL
OF US.
OF US.
OF US. THEY LIVED THROUGH THE SAME
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> YOU HAVE STUMBLED AND YOU
HAVE HAD SOME MOMENTS, BUT YOU
GET BACK UP AND YOU SPARKLE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE DO. WE CAN PUT YOU ON A
PEDESTAL LOOKING AT ALL OF
THESE WOMEN SAYING THEY ARE
BEAUTIFUL AND WEALTHY, BUT WHEN
YOU SHOW THAT YOU ALSO DEAL
WITH THE SAME THINGS THAT YOU
CANNOT ESCAPE FROM BEING HUMAN.
>> YOU CANNOT ESCAPE FROM BEING
HUMAN AND I HAVE MADE MISTAKES.
SOME BIG MISTAKES FROM MARRIAGE
WILL NOT SAY MISTAKE.
IT IS AN EXPERIENCE.
I FEEL LIKE EACH EXPERIENCE
TAKES YOU TO THE NEXT PART OF
YOUR LIFE AND THAT IS WHERE YOU
HAVE TO END UP.
>> SO YOU LOVE TO DO IN THE
CABARET. WAS THAT ALWAYS A PART
OF YOUR JOY IN LIFE?
>> YOU KNOW I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED
TO SING. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED TO
TELL JOKES.
TELL JOKES. I LOVE TO BE A HOSTESS SEMI
GOOD FRIENDS SAY YOU ARE A
CABARET STAR THAT YOU DIDN'T
KNOW THAT?
KNOW THAT? NO.
NO.
NO. I
NO. I PUT
NO. I PUT TOGETHER THIS SHOW NOT
EXPECTING TO HAVE SUCCESS AT ALL
. IT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE AND I
THINK IT STEMS FROM MY
CHILDHOOD LOOK AT ME AND THEN I
LOVE SINGING AND I LOVE MUSIC
AND I HAVE MY DANCING GOALS.
>> FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW
WHAT A CABARET IS HOW IS IT
DIFFERENT FROM A CONCERT?
>> YOU ARE IN MY LIVING ROOM.
YOU ARE REALLY PART OF ME
HAVING YOU OVER FOR DINNER AND
I AM TELLING YOU STORIES AND
SINGING FOR YOU AND MAKING YOU
FEEL WELCOME AND ENTERTAINED.
IT IS VERY CAROL BURNETT. IN A
VARIETY. I HAVE A COMEDIAN THAT
COMES IN AND IT IS REALLY
VARIETY.
VARIETY.
VARIETY. IT IS FUN. YOU JUST REALLY HAVE
A GOOD TIME AND I EVEN HAVE
PEOPLE COME TO THE SHOW AND
THEY SAY THAT IS SUCH A FUN
SHOW.
SHOW.
SHOW. WHEN I DID THE SHOW I DID NOT
REALIZE I WAS KIND OF FEELING A
VOID THAT HAS BEEN MISSING IN
TERMS OF ENTERTAINMENT.
I HAVE THE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIST
WHO IS AMAZING AND WORKS WITH
ALL OF THE GREATEST BROADWAY
STARS. I HAVE A GREAT TALENTED
ORCHESTRA THAT TRAVELS WITH ME.
IT IS REALLY SO MUCH FUN AND I
AM HAVING FUN ON STAGE AND
ENJOYING MYSELF AND I FEEL
LUCKY AND BLESSED THAT I CAN DO
THIS AND MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND
IT GIVES ME SO MUCH JOY.
I LOVE IT.
>> LIFE IS A CABARET.
COME TO HER CABARET. YOU CAN
SEE THE COUNTESS SHOW TONIGHT
AND IT STARTS AT 8:00 PM.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION WE
HAVE A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE
WWW.GREATDAYHOUSTON.COM AND I
CAN TAKE THOSE SHOES BACK OFF
AND PUT YOUR FLATS ON. THOSE
ARE FABULOUS SHOES, THOUGH.
SPARKLING SHOES. FORGET DALLAS
HERE IN