Charles Richards stood up to help his beautiful new bride, Diana Maitland Richards, stand so she could walk down to the stage area of the nightclub in The Riviera Resort in Las Vegas, where they were staying on their honeymoon. Diana had agreed, as a favor to the concierge of the resort hotel, to perform a few songs that evening in return for a free dinner and their hotel suite for the weekend. As the crowd clapped and cheered loudly, Diana made her way onto the stage and over to the microphone and greeted the bandleader, who kissed her hand before he went back to his podium.
When the crowd finally quieted, Diana began her introduction to the first song: "Good evening, and thank you for that enthusiastic welcome! Some of you may notice that the dress I'm wearing looks similar to a fashion worn by the incomparable Miss Marilyn Monroe in the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Well, my first number this evening is a song from that movie, even though this wasn't the dress she wore for that particular scene; however, I am wearing the appropriate accessories! These lovely jewels are Harry Winston originals that the jewelry store in the lobby was kind enough to loan to me for the evening, so they are still available for sale if any of you men out there need a really good way to apologize to your wife!" She paused, grinning, and looked at her friends, Ward Bond and his wife Mary Lou, seated with her husband at their table as the room erupted in laughter.
As it quieted again, she continued; "So, I guess you know the song I'm referring to is 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.' While I would never dare compare myself to the wonderful Miss Monroe, I learned this entire routine at the same time she did as I work for one of the producers of that movie and I spent a lot of time on the set and got to know Miss Monroe quite well. She is a truly lovely person and, I believe, one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood; so Marilyn, if you hear about me attempting this poor imitation of you, please don't think too unkindly of me! Hit it boys!" she exclaimed as she turned toward the band.
When she started to sing the intro to the song, Charles's eyes widened as he realized she sounded almost just like Marilyn Monroe! As she got into the song and started moving and doing the same gestures as Marilyn had done, Charles started to see just how talented she was and he wondered again what had stopped her from going into show business? The more he watched her, the more astounded he was at just how beautiful and sexy she looked from her facial expressions as she sang, did some simple dance movements, and gestured animatedly with her hands and arms.
When Diana got to the last verse of the song, she was surprised when some of the band members provided a little back-up vocals. When she sang the last lines of the last verse,
"But bent back or bent knees, You stand straight at...Tiffany's!"
the band members provided the, "ooooooo," that came right after that. Diana paused for a second and said, "Thanks, fellas!" then launched into the final lines as the band members provided the rest of the back-up vocals:
Diamonds! (Diamonds!) Diamonds! (Diamonds!) I don't mean rhinestones... But, Diamonds...are a girl's best... Best Friend!
As the final trumpet fanfare played, the room erupted into thunderous applause, cheers and whistles! Charles, Ward and Mary Lou were all on their feet cheering and clapping loudly, and Charles made several loud whistles with his fingers. It took about a minute before the crowd finally started to quiet again as Diana bowed and said, "Thank you," a few times.
When it was quiet again, Diana introduced her next song: "This next tune is a bit more subdued than my opening number. It's a lovely romantic melody with a soft jazz influence, written by Cole Porter originally for a musical play and then later featured in a film in 1934 based on the musical called 'The Gay Divorcee.' It has been recorded by many different artists; most notably by the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald and the ever-popular Mr. Frank Sinatra. It's a song about the kind of love that everyone wants to feel that makes them think about, dream of and long to be near their beloved day and night...'Night and Day!'"
As Diana sang the song, she looked most often toward Charles but also worked the room until she sang the last verse of the song for the second time, which she sang entirely to Charles:
Night and day, under the hide of me There's oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me! And this torment won't be through Until you let me spend my life making love to you... Day and night, Night and day!
Charles stared at her through that whole last verse with a look of hungry yearning burning in his eyes, which Diana mirrored in her eyes, and it caused the passion and power in her voice start to rise in intensity. The bandleader directed the band to follow with musical intensity and then he instinctively paused the music when she ended the note after singing the words, "making love to you..." Then the band began again softly as she finished the last lines passionately subdued.
When the room exploded into loud applause and cheers again, Diana bowed a couple times and then turned to direct applause toward the bandleader and the band, as she knew that last musical passage was not normally played that way with that arrangement—the bandleader had followed her and matched the music to her emotions. The bandleader blew her a kiss, as he knew most other singers didn't usually acknowledge the band until the end of their performance, but she knew what had happened and she was immediately expressing her gratitude to them. The bandleader made a mental note to pay attention to her voice and follow whatever she did on her last two songs.
Diana began the intro to her next song as soon as it was quiet again. "This next song is another wonderful love song that has been made popular performed with a sultry jazz inflection by a very talented singer, Miss Etta James. I can certainly identify with this song now, as I know I have finally found my true love...'At Last!'"
The slowness and the soft, jazzy influence made Diana keep her eyes closed during most of the song as she felt each note and word of the lyrics pour from her heart and soul. At the last verse of the song, Diana suddenly realized how much the verse described her and Charles, so she stared at him as she sang the lines:
Ohhh, You smiled, and then the spell was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine at last!
Charles smiled softly at her when she sang the first line of that last verse, as he realized she was thinking about him at 13 years old again and the fact that they had retained those memories all these years. He saw tears come into her eyes as she sang about them being in heaven, and he saw her tears well as she sang to him that he was hers...at last! His eyes misted as he, too, thought what a miracle it was that they'd finally found each other after 17 years! When Charles stood to applaud with everyone else, he paused as he kissed his right fingertips and then held his hand toward her, sending her a kiss as she smiled softly at him and carefully wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.
Diana bowed a couple times to the crowd and thanked them again and waited until it was quiet enough to introduce her last song and dedicate it to Charles. She began; "I know it seems the last couple songs I have been singing to my new husband, Charles Richards...right over there... wave to everyone, my sexy man!" Charles chuckled and looked around, embarrassed, as he put his right hand up and waved shyly. Then she started again; "I honestly didn't realize when I picked those last 2 songs how much they applied to my feelings for and my relationship with my new husband—I picked them just because I know them well from my act in L.A.! I'd never really paid that much attention to the lyrics before—terrible thing for a singer to admit, huh?"
She paused for a few seconds as a ripple of laughter floated through the room, then she continued, "Now, this last song I picked specifically to dedicate to my new husband because it seems to perfectly describe what happened between us just last night...when we met, fell in love, flew here and got married! Charles and I have known each other for just over 24 hours now, but we've been searching for each other for 17 years...and I just knew somehow that he would find me again...'Some Enchanted Evening!'"
Some enchanted evening You may see a stranger, You may see a stranger Across a crowded room And somehow you know, You know even then That somewhere you'll see her Again and again.
Some enchanted evening Someone may be laughin', You may hear her laughin' Across a crowded room And night after night, As strange as it seems The sound of her laughter Will sing in your dreams.
Who can explain it? Who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, Wise men never try.