The Most Exciting Woman in the World

December 26, 2008 | Cleveland, Ohio | Vetting explained

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jgerard

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Eartha Kitt felt like a friend. It's no wonder that Orson Wells coined her "the most exciting woman in the world." I had the delight of hearing Eartha perform on several occasions at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. Blues Alley is a very intimate setting and Miss Kitt genuinely reached out to connect with each and every person in the audience. On one of those occasions, she was especially nostalgic, thanking the audience for all of their years of support. As she exited through the performers' aisle, she walked past me while greeting fans. All of sudden, she turned around, looked at me, and extended her hand. I couldn't believe that I was being acknowledged by Eartha Kitt! She last performed there in 2005. During her encore, she waved directly at me. I waved back, feeling elated that I again had connected with Eartha. In 2002, I worked for the John F. Kennedy Center where Eartha was performing in Cinderella. I was standing behind the stage during a performance while the bartenders were unloading their bar supplies from the elevator. As I was staring off into space, I was startled to hear a squeaky, little girl voice exclaim, "Champagne. Where's the party?" I turned and it was Eartha Kitt! While I desperately wanted to talk to her, I knew it wasn't professional. Instead, I chose to write to her through her website. Several weeks later, I received an email from kikittinc . I opened it to discover that it was from Eartha Kitt! She thanked me for being savvy enough to know to step back during a performance. It was was signed "EK." Whether it was cabaret or Catwoman, Eartha comforted me during the worst of times; her drive motivated me when I wanted to stop; her activism was inspirational; and her appreciation and admiration to her fans could only come from the most gracious and classiest of woman. I will truly miss her. To me, she was just an old fashion girl, with champagne tastes, who wanted to be evil.

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Memories of Eartha Kitt

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