As a gamer with a soft spot for behind-the-scenes stories of the Hollywood elite, I find myself utterly captivated by the tale of Katie Cazorla and Walter Afanasieff. Their journey from a casual encounter at a birthday party to a lifelong partnership, filled with successes in various fields, is nothing short of inspiring.
24 years ago, Katie Cazorla and Walter Afanasieff first met at Afanasieff’s birthday party. They were introduced by their mutual friend Darren Hayes, who was the lead vocalist of the band Savage Garden. At that time, Cazorla had recently moved to L.A., where she was known as a comedian with a sharp sense of humor and an uncensored style. She often hosted karaoke nights in various locations around town. Afanasieff, on the other hand, is a Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter who has produced numerous hits, such as “Hero,” “One Sweet Day,” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – all of which were No.1 hits for Mariah Carey early in her career.
Back in the day, Cazorla was the one who lit up any gathering, according to Afanasieff. And let me tell you, he had me hooked from the get-go. He was already taken back then, but fate has a funny way of working things out. Fast forward to 2017, and here we are, Cazorla and I, still going strong.
Over the past few years, Cazorla has ventured into multiple business endeavors, one of which was a nail salon that eventually became the backdrop for her own reality TV show on the TV Guide Network, titled “Nail Files.” This opportunity then led to her involvement in the brief reality series “Second Wives Club,” which aired on E! However, Afanasieff, who affectionately calls Cazorla Trouble, declined when she was offered a spot on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” According to him, “I’ve seen people do it. My friends David Foster and Harry Hamlin have done it. It doesn’t seem to improve one’s personal life.
A few years back, Cazorla openly shared her long-held ambition: operating and owning a comedy club, similar to how Mitzi Shore operated The Comedy Store. (Mitzi Shore, who discovered Cazorla early on and booked her in the Belly Room of the club, was her inspiration.) “Mitzi told me I reminded her of Roseanne Barr,” Cazorla recounts, “‘and that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,'” she adds.
Afanasieff embarked on realizing Cazorla’s dream. With their hit song “All I Want for Christmas” reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 every year since 2017, he had the resources to accomplish this. They discovered an abandoned steakhouse in the Hollywood & Highland shopping center (now known as Ovation) and turned it into the Kookaburra Lounge. This lounge, reminiscent of 1950s Havana, is LA’s fanciest comedy club – not a particularly challenging feat to achieve, considering the circumstances – featuring retro bird wallpaper, velvet booths, and tropical drinks.
Since its opening in September, the club has attracted some top-tier celebrities such as Tiffany Haddish, Craig Robinson, and Nikki Glaser, with the latter rehearsing her Golden Globes monologue there. Cazorla has also been busy decorating their Sunset Plaza home for the holidays, describing it as looking like a Michaels art supply store exploded inside. In the meantime, Afanasieff is navigating the awards circuit for Barbra Streisand’s “Love Will Survive,” the award-nominated song he produced for the Peacock miniseries “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.” According to Cazorla, this has been a successful year for them.
This story appeared in the Dec. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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2024-12-15 21:24