Sergio Says! Musings from Cosmo (And Beyond…)

by The Daily Front Row

Per usual, it’s been a busy week for Cosmo’s Sergio Kletnoy. He met Celine Dion and she sang for him personally, the Cosmo staff dressed up as imposter versions of Joanna Coles and Sergio, and he attended the star studded premiere of Naomi Watts‘ much anticipated debut as Princess Diana in Diana. Plus! Find out what tunes he was dancing to this week!

Monday
Did you know that your body language shapes who you are? Me neither! Thankfully JoCo has famous friends in high places, one of whom happens to be Amy Cuddy, the Harvard Business School professor and researcher who’s insanely popular TED talk on body language went viral last year and has been viewed over 8 million times. And since any friend of JC is a friend of Cosmo, Amy was gracious enough to come by our office this afternoon for a Cosmo talk of our own [Ed. Note: Amy Cuddy recently gave a talk for Marie Claire this week too!]. Take away: No slouching, shoulders back, stand up straight, hands on your hips (preferably not all at once) and my fave – I finally have permission to put my feet up on my desk with my hands behind my head while working. Apparently, it raises your testosterone levels which in the process apparently makes you more ambitious and powerful. No wonder THE BOSS always seems to be “reclining” in her office…

Tuesday
Remember when SNL was really funny in the Nineties, and in a series of skits, Ana Gasteyer portrayed an over-the-top version of Celine Dion? When “Ana as Celine” referred to herself as the greatest singer in the world, I laughed at the absurdity of such a statement. That’s because back then I didn’t know any better, or maybe I just didn’t understand why. This evening at a once-in-a-lifetime concert for Pandora Radio at NYC’s Edison Ballroom I became an eternal member of the Church of Celine. She is the greatest singer in the world and here’s why: The legendary French-Canadian chanteuse arrived a little after 7 p.m., floated through the crowd of about 300 adoring fans (like a true goddess should), high-fiving the lucky few on her way to the stage, and had us all mesmerized for the next hour. Dion was decked out in a pair of white skinny pants and a jacket and performed fan favorites, including: “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”, “All By Myself”, “The Power Of Love”, and what has to be Leo and Kate’s fave song ever, “My Heart Will Go On”. We also got to hear three new songs, one of which is “Loved Me Back To Life” penned by Sia (the woman responsible for RiRi‘s “Diamonds” and David Guetta‘s “Titanium”) and it’s truly a work of art.

At one point during a chills-down-your-spine rendition of “Because You Loved Me”, I turned to a friend and said “You do realize that we are a bunch of lucky mofo’s to be here? The only other time something like this might ever happen again is when you or I attend a Russian billionaire’s wedding and Celine is the surprise guest.” 

Dion is the only musical icon who can still hit and hold a note like her life depends on it. There’s literally no one who can do what she does with her voice. She is a universal treasure and her pipes are a gift to this world. Celine’s stage presence is infectious and she had everyone eating from the palm of her hands. I was singing so loud that I almost lost my voice. With each chest thump we got to see a true master at work. This was the real Celine, filled with raw emotion, lovable personality and incredible songs that stand the test of time. I laughed, I cried, and I felt every single note and emotion. The applause after each song was thunderous. And this is why she was, is, and always will be The Greatest Singer In The World. 

Her incredible new album “Loved Me Back To Life” is out November 5th. Get one for yourself, your sister, your mother, your cousin, or your lover. Trust me, they might not ask for it, but once they hear that timeless voice, they won’t ever want to put it down! Oh, and after the show I got to hang with Celine and René. After telling her that I was upset my fave song from the new album, the infectious “Somebody Loves Somebody”, wasn’t included in the set she sang it on the spot just for me. HELLO!!! Celine sang to me. My heart melted and now my life is complete. Bye.

Wednesday
Oh film premieres, how I miss thee. This evening’s Cinema Society with Linda Wells and Allure hosted the premiere of Entertainment One’s Diana was the hottest ticket in town. Major guest list: Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti, Gloria Steinem, Olympia Dukakis, Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas, Gina Gershon, Jessica Seinfeld, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes, Tony Danza, Sean Young, Rachel Roy, Anna Sui, Ingrid Sischy, Ben Watts, Catherine Malandrino, supermodel Frederique van der Wal, and the film’s stars, Naveen Andrews and Naomi Watts. The film was gripping, moving, insightful, and fascinating. I thought I knew Diana, but I was wrong. The most famous woman on earth was full of surprises and Naomi’s performance was spot-on brilliant (although at times I did think to myself, is this Tina Brown playing Diana or was that really Naomi?). I’m not ashamed to admit: lately I’ve become a major crier (I must be getting old). So be sure to bring a box of Kleenex, because you’ll need it! Of course, there was an afterparty and of course, I went. It was held at David Rabin‘s new spot, The Skylark, in Midtown, which at times felt like a maze with secret stairs and doors leading to God knows where. One of those stairs led me to the rooftop with the most breathtaking views of the Empire State Building and Times Square. The weather was perfect, warm October wind was blowing through my baseball cap, and with a Vikingfjord cocktail named “Her Majesty” in my hand, I ended my night with an hourlong conversation with my friends about Diana…   

Thursday
Today for Cosmoween all but three of my co-workers dressed up like JoCo and it was pretty scary. There were 52 blonde wigs, sunglasses, and lots of bangles roaming the hallways, calling out my name and asking me for a cup of tea. Ha Ha! That isn’t all I do, you know! The three that didn’t dress up as JC dressed up as me…which is even more frightening. One of me is all this world can handle.

Friday
Heart Attack” by Enrique Iglesias

Come Together” by Sons Of The Sea

Half Of Me” by Geri Halliwell

No Strings Attached” by David Bowie

Right There” by Ariana Grande

Alien Days” by MGMT

Monster” by Eminem & Rihanna

 

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