Actress Marilu Henner brings her amazing memory, fun stories to Oscar's Palm Springs

Editor's note: The Desert Sun received an email from Dan Gore Thursday stating that Marilu Henner had canceled her appearance at Oscar's due to last-minute contractual obligations. Gore hopes to reschedule the event soon.

Actress, singer and author Marilu Henner, known for her starring roles on the 1980s and '90s TV shows "Taxi" and "Evening Shade" — as well as her uncanny ability to remember every day of her life — will share fun stories about her life and career as the subject of "An Intimate Evening" on Friday at Oscar's Palm Springs.

The performer will be interviewed by local NBC correspondent Sandie Newton. The interactive event will include film and TV clips as well as questions from the audience.

Located in downtown Palm Springs, Oscar's is home to a number of weekly events, including Oscar's Cabaret, Sunday's Bitchiest Brunch and a Sunday afternoon T-Dance. Owner Dan Gore said providing entertainment is his way of making the job fun.

"After acquiring the restaurant and realizing that it's really not much fun to operate a restaurant, I tried to find a way to make it exciting," he said. "And for most of my life, I've been infatuated with Hollywood and celebrities."

Beginning with Sandra Bernhard in 2019, Gore has been bringing celebrities he admires to the desert to perform concerts or standup or be a part of the "Intimate Evening" interview series. The latter, he said, has become one of the restaurant's most popular events.

Henner, 69, who is currently touring the country with a one-woman show, will talk to Oscar's patrons about her career and her life and the fact that she is one of approximately 100 people in the world who have been diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), a condition that allows her to remember in vivid detail an abnormally large number of life experiences.

Gore hopes to bring Henner back to Oscar's in the future to mount her one-woman show.

Coming later this spring for intimate evenings are singer Belinda Carlisle and impressionist Rich Little, though dates have yet to be finalized. On Gore's celebrity wish list is U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. "I'm just waiting for his term to expire," he said.

"An Intimate Evening With Marilu Henner" will take place Friday at Oscar's on the outside patio. The show begins at 7 p.m. and doors open at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit oscarspalmsprings.com/event/2904.

Henner spoke with The Desert Sun about her appearance at Oscar's, her latest Hallmark movie and why she'll gladly answer any question.

How did the Oscar's appearance come about?

I've been doing my one-woman show, which has singing and dancing, production numbers and everything. I've been doing that all over the country. Then they asked me to do this little intimate evening. It's always fun to do a Q&A and share stories. I always say: "Listen, I had my baby on national television, so I don't have any secrets. You can ask me anything."

You had a baby on national television?

Yes. I did it as a special for ABC. Dick Clark called and asked me to interview celebrities at different stages of pregnancy. I had just had my son Nick. I interviewed Annie Potts, Kim Alexis, Anita Baker, Roger Clinton and his wife and Mary Lou Retton. And then I called and back said, "Dick, I didn't do it on purpose, but I'm pregnant again." So, they came to my delivery. You can find it on YouTube on https://bit.ly/3haXcOp.

Does that mean you're open to any question?

Oh, yeah. I'm a talker, and I've got so many stories based on my life and people I know, and I remember a lot. In my show, there are certain high points of my life that get songs.

You say you "remember a lot," but actually, you remember everything. Isn't that right?

Yeah. I remember pretty much everything. For sure.

That's called hyperthymesia.

No, no. They don't call it that anymore. I can always tell when somebody did their research on Wikipedia, because they still call it that on Wikipedia, and they shouldn't. It's called HSAM, Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. I sing a song about it in my musical show.

Other than learning lines, where does that skill come in handy?

Oh my gosh. Well, first of all, you remember your whole life, so you're able to use your life to say, "Oh, this is a red flag. I remember that story." It's not the same thing as learning lines, because learning lines is two-dimensional. Mine is more three dimensional.

You know what's really fun? Sometimes, I'll put on an album that I loved at some point in my life and whatever year that the album came out, I'll go through every day of that year from memory.

You should put that in your act.

I do. I have a fish bowl in the lobby, and people can put a date in it. Then at some point, I pick out a couple of dates. I tell them what day of the week it was, what I was doing on that day and what song was popular then. It's kind of like my Oprah moment in the show, because I'm trained as a talk show host too, so I banter with the audience a bit as well.

Could I give you a date right now?

Sure.

What were you doing on Sept. 9, 2010?

Okay. That was a Thursday. I was working on my son's high school play. We went to the first rehearsal that day.

What was the play?

"The Matchmaker."

That is amazing. You've also written a book about this.

Yes, I have. "Total Memory Makeover." I've written 10 books.

And you have a new Aurora Teagarden movie coming out for Hallmark. This is your 18th.

Yes. Can you believe it? I've done 73 movies, 26 Hallmark movies. This is my 18th Aurora Teagarden. I'm excited. I think it's one of our best.

You've had a really diverse career. What's left on your professional wish list?

It's so funny. It's not on so much on my wish list, but people say: "You've done everything. You've done rock videos. You've done Broadway. What haven't you done?" I always say, "I've never done a soap opera." That's the only thing on my list, I think.

Clearly, you love to work.

I love my whole life. I love my husband so much and my kids, and then my brother and his two little children that I get to see all the time. I feel very blessed. I'm very, very grateful.

As the philanthropy and special sections editor at The Desert Sun, Winston Gieseke writes about nonprofits, fundraising and locals who give back. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Oscars Palm Springs hosts actress Marilu Henner, who has crazy memory