A few weeks back, I was given an opportunity to get a free ticket to attend the Paula Deen Live show in Charlotte. I decided to accept the offer so this is full disclosure that this post about the live show was made possible by a free ticket.
Now, as date for the event got closer, I noticed that it was the same day for the launch of her new, fully online Paula Deen Network. Wouldn’t she want to make a big deal about the launch day in a bigtime town? Perhaps one of her live events—surrounded by the warmth and admiration of her fans—is exactly where she needed to be. And maybe, Charlotte is earning its way as a bigtime place?
At any rate, I made it to my seat on the mezzanine level and had a pretty good view of the stage.
In each chair throughout the 2,100 seat theater was a branded Paula Deen Network tote bag, 9 inch round cake pan, one copy of a Paula Deen magazine and what’s this? An autographed copy of The Lady & Sons, Too! cookbook. Oh hell yeah….
I must admit, I’m interested in how the show and the rest of the evening will go. The Paula Deen brand has spent the better part of this past year in rebuild mode. An investment, to the reported tune of $75 million, by a venture capitalist has given the Deen team some deep pockets. This new digital channel is a bold move. I’m looking around the Belk Theater and seeing a lot of older people—is her fanbase tech savvy enough to make it work? Or, will getting the Deen branded cookware and other products back out on the market help get that ship moving in the right direction?
As we’re waiting for the Queen of Southern Cuisine to start her show, a band comes out and plays a few tunes. The lead singer addresses the audience in between songs with tales of meeting and getting to know Paula. He speaks about “who her heart is” and I’m beginning to feel some spin. It’s pretty obvious that the auditorium is filled with supporters and admirers. I’m not sure that any spin is necessary—especially not so early on.
As she takes the stage with her husband, Michael, she’s met with thunderous applause and quite a few give her a standing ovation. There’s an uber-fan sitting right behind me shouting, screaming and whistling. My right ear won’t be able to hear as well for a few hours. When the crowd settles and takes their seats, a few shout out, “We love you, Paula!” and “We missed you!” She responds in kind, but you can tell from the quiver in her voice that she’s already getting misty.
She starts the show off talking about the new digital Paula Deen Network and says that her team wanted to be in Charlotte to officially launch it. The website will offer all of her old shows (she recently purchased the rights to them from Food Network), newly filmed cooking segments as well as game shows and other lifestyle pieces. We get to view a video up on the big screen—the first of many. Then, she gets down to what she knows best: cooking. But first, she announces that she’ll need help in the kitchen and brings out her sons, Jamie and Bobby.
You would’ve thought all those women in that theater had lost…their…minds.
So now we have all four on stage. And just when I started to wonder if her producer, Gordon Elliott, was along for the ride…there he is.
Now, we’re on to the cooking. She’s making a Peach Trifle with custard (Bobby’s making one without the custard) and talking about life (“We’re ordinary women doing extraordinary things.”) and coming through her recent storm (“I realized everything is going to be okay”). Another cooking segment only using five ingredients and prepared in ten minutes. On her digital network, it’s a feature called “5 & Dime.” Then, we get a game show featuring Bobby “Chewbanks” (Bobby in a bad wig) called “What Did Paula Deen Just Put in My Mouth.” Here’s a hint—whatever it is, it’s not good.
Tonight’s show is, essentially, a live version of the digital network’s offerings. Look for regular versions of her cooking, side by side with a lighter version. And even though she’s prepared a very light, grilled chicken and arugula salad, she’s still got plenty of room for the fare that made her famous. “The butter’s down there darlin’! I didn’t come here without no butter!”
Country music star Lee Greenwood makes a brief appearance. He talks about his work with Helping A Hero, a charity that works to provide homes for wounded soldiers. He introduces a soldier in the audience, who will soon receive a home, and he gets a standing ovation from the entire theater. It’s a deeply moving and Paula announces that her home furnishings line will help upfit the kitchens and some additional rooms in several of the donated homes.
As the evening comes to a close, there is no doubt that the audience is happy to have Paula Deen back. You can tell that she has been missed, the energy in the theater is almost palpable. Plus, she’s in the unique position of being able to refill the void that was left during her time away from the spotlight. And there’s no wondering why. She has always seemed accessible and genuine. Her meals have always seemed to be more practical than those with the buffed-to-perfection Southern Living sheen. And now, she’s ready to give us more.
And let’s face it. She has weathered a storm that would’ve had other personalities closing up shop and retiring under a rock. But not her. She has had to, once again, reach deep down and grab hold of the resolve and pluck that originally pulled her out of the house and on the road to success. And now she emerges, hopeful, stronger and wiser, leading her brand into the digital realm and answering to no one but her investors and subscribers.
She is ready to get back to her waiting fans and up for the challenge of winning more over. With her digital network now up and running, she declares to the world, “The Bag Lady is getting back on her feet! Her toes were stubbed for a bit.”