Known as the queen of daytime drama, Susan Lucci of “All My Children” fame came to Naperville Monday night, arriving at Wentz Concert Hall to a royal welcome as hundreds of devoted fans filled the seats, many of them having watched her for decades.
“She’s a great actress and just brought so much drama to the show,” said Linda Purtell of Itasca. “It was just fun to see her in action and see how she is today.”
A lively conversation
Cortney Hall, co-host of NBC’s “Chicago Today” joined the Emmy award-winning actress turned author for a live conversation, discussing her latest memoir titled “La Lucci,” a nickname she became known as by viewers throughout her time on television.
Lucci says the book recounts some of the “most impactful experiences” she’s ever had, beginning at age 18 when she took the stage before an empty auditorium during a college audition.
“With nobody there and everything dark except the ghost light, I could belt out every Barbra Streisand song and dance like everybody was watching because that was my dream,” said Lucci.
That dream would go on to bring her great success as the character Erica Kane.
“Erica was the woman you loved to hate,” said Lucci. “I think people really identified with her spirit, with her spunk, with her wanting to have everything she wanted to have right when she wanted it.”
“I’m really in awe of her, just really being a ground-breaking actress in some really important stories that changed how we live today versus how we lived years ago,” said Nichole Horvat of Chisago City, Minnesota.
Susan Lucci opens up about life’s latest chapter
“La Lucci” is Susan Lucci’s second memoir. Her first, “All My Life,” was written 15 years ago, just months before the end of “All My Children,” which premiered in January 1970 and ran through September 2011.
While the first told the story of Lucci’s earlier career, the second shares more of the actress’s personal life and explores deeper themes, including heartbreak and loss.
“After I lost my husband, I felt like I was completely lost and that I had lost my light, and it was a process,” said Lucci, who was married to Helmut Huber for 52 years. She says that by sharing her stories, she hopes to connect with and inspire fans.
“This is a way to maybe bring light to some of your personal experiences that have impacted you big time,” Lucci said to the audience.
The new memoir includes never-before-seen photos from Lucci and a special chapter dedicated to answering frequently asked questions from her followers. It debuted on February 3 and has become a New York Times bestseller.
Meeting their idol
Following her discussion on stage, Lucci took photos with the 600 people in attendance, many leaving with an autographed copy of “La Lucci.”
“It was just a dream to meet somebody that you see on TV every day who seems like an amazing, fantastic individual,” said Wallace Holder of Woodridge.
Anderson’s Bookshop hosted the event as one of about 250 author events they bring to the community each year.
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