A group of talented and older women who previously have brought their performances to Alpine, the Rhinestone Grannies are holding their 25th anniversary show, featuring John James of the original Platters at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center on Oct. 14 from 1-3 p.m.
Rhinestone Grannies Founder Adrienne Hart said this event promotes donations from the audience to help the group with its costs, and it is a colorful and fun-filled show, with its wonderful dancers, comedians, and celebrity impersonators.
Hart said founding the Rhinestone Grannies 25 years ago, some of the originals are no longer with them, and through the years have “recycled” members of the group, with a current troupe of nine members. She said her husband, Michael Aronstein, does all the music for the shows.
“Some are dancers, some are celebrity impersonators. We have an original member of the Platters, John James, who performs with us, and he is fantastic,” she said. “Our ages are between 68 and 84 [that’s me]. We have performed throughout San Diego County for the last 25 years, except for the COVID shutdown.”
Hart said the ensemble dedicates themselves to the Lord for all their shows, because for nearly 20 years, she was housebound and could not leave her house without a member of her family because she had agoraphobia.
“Finally, I asked the Lord for some healing, and that is what he did,” she said. “So, I dedicated every performance to him.”
Hart said they work extremely hard, meeting once a week, practicing every Wednesday in the studio.
“I plan all the shows and put the shows together, but I have another lady who does choreography with me, and she also makes our costumes,” she said.
Hart said every year they do a fundraiser for the Wound Warrior Freedom Station, a local veteran’s support station in San Diego, and they will be performing for them on Dec. 9.
“We always get a great response for that and we have been doing this show for nearly 10 years,” she said.
Hart also teaches line dancing every Monday at the Adult Enrichment Center and has been doing so for nearly 30 years.
