Category Archives: Chanel Bonfire

Georgann Rea and Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ Superstar!

One of Mother’s London boyfriends, a TV producer named Herb Sargent, swept us all off to a Wings concert one night, and Robbie and I sat in the booth. We didn’t get to meet Sir Paul (Mother did), but we did get to meet Ted Neeley, who we recognized as super cute Jesus in the film of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. We had only played the record a million times, so it was a huge thrill for us!

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My Virtual Book Tour Continues

Grateful to be in such wonderful company!

Hope Ingram and her Cincinnati Book Club.
These ladies were fabulous fun to talk with.  I always get as good as I give with a terrific group.  I love learning about them and seeing the ways in which my book takes on a life of its own when read and discussed and incorporated into the lives of others.  Thank you!

If your group is planning to read Chanel Bonfire, I’d love to Skype with you too!  Contact me at chanelbonfire@gmail.com 

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Rags to Riches

From Kansas City to Versailles in one blog post!

A much quicker version of my mother, Georgann Rea’s journey from Iowa orphanage to Kamsas City Plaza dweller to Minneapolis actor’s wife to Dakota dwelling Broadway Producer’s wife to wealthy American Divorcee in London!  Thirty years from there to here and in ten more she’d be broke again.  

Here we are on an ASL trip to Versailles.  Note the crazy 70s styling.

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Winstead’s in Kansas City Today on Chanel Bonfire

Winstead’s in the Plaza Section of Kansas City
Home of Kansas City’s “steakburgers” since 1940 and the location of my parents’ first illicit dates.  My mother knew my grandfather would not approve of her marrying an actor or a landed alien from Canada.  When they were married they kept it a secret from him for as long as they could.  I wonder if the waitresses knew. 
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Summertime Girls on Chanel Bonfire

Minneapolis Summers…

One of our summer babysitters, Beverly, with Robbie, her summer hair going wild, holding her teddy bear Guthrie (named for Sir Tyrone) and our friend Grettie. I think I took this picture.  Daddy would hire a girl to watch us while he was in rehearsal.  After a production started he’d spend the days with us himself and the babysitter would only come at night to put us to bed.  

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Chanel Bonfire, Hyde Park and Horses

This is Lilo Blum…

She was the owner of Lilo Blum’s Stables just off Hyde Park in London. Caroline and John Kennedy rode there as did their cousins the Radziwills and Zsa Zsa Gabor and Topol and many others.  She was a feisty older lady when I was a girl in London.  While Mother was off spending her giant divorce settlement, I worked for Lilo grooming horses, mucking out stalls and leading tourists on horseback through the park in exchange for time on a horse.  I was crazy about horses then.  There’s a hilarious story about me and a group of young Saudis that didn’t make the final edit of Chanel Bonfire.  I’ll post it on the blog soon.  But in the meantime, here’s a story about Lilo from The Age in 1972 right about the time I was there.

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Chanel Bonfire at the Hotel Bel Air

It’s a ways off but I’m VERY excited about appearing in the wonderful Julie Robinson’s Literary Affairs Summer Books & Breakfast series!

I’ll be at the Hotel Bel Air on July 8th from 10:30 AM  to 12:00 Noon.  Reading, breakfast, Q & A.  I can’t wait.  If you live in Los Angeles or will be in town visiting, I’d love to meet you.  Tickets and info can be found at the link:
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