May 2, 2023 • 44 mins
Broadway legend, Chita Rivera, speaks with Rosie to celebrate the release of Chita: A Memoir. She's lived a life full of family, love affairs and accomplishments unlike any other.
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hey, this is Rosie o'donnelld, co star of Sleepless in Seattle. Now,
come on, that's not nearly as funny as Star the Flintstones?
Is it Star the Flintstones? It just rose if your
tongue co star of Sleepless n s actol too many syllables,
you know what I'm saying. So, how are you doing
well in the world. I'm doing okay. I'm excited. I'm
(00:34):
listening to a whole bunch of new podcasts which are
very interesting. I have to say. There's such a wide
range to choose from. Write anything you're interested in, any topic.
You can really, you know, google it up. I mean, listen,
go into a you can go into a deep dive
in the podcast world about UFOs, which I started to do,
(00:58):
which really is interesting to me. And I did some
true crime ones, and you know, I'm getting into the
podcast world. People. It's pretty interesting. But then again, you
know that you're listening here and you knew how to
download it, so points to you. My friend points to you.
There's new shows I'm watching on TV too. I don't
(01:19):
know if you guys are caught up or not, but
I was reading about the woman Melanie Lynsky, and she
is on Yellow Jackets, and she also was on the
Last of Us. And I found out from People magazine
that she's married to John Ritter's son. And they were
so adorable on this TV show where I saw him
(01:42):
talking about getting sober and then meeting her and thinking, God,
you know, she deserves the greatest guy in the world,
and then started to realize me, maybe I could be
the great you know. And he as he was working
through his sobride it was so beautiful and he started
while he was telling this story, and then she started
(02:03):
crying and it just was like Kisman, and I'm like,
I'm gonna watch our show. Now. I have to admit
that I have been getting the show Yellowjackets, which is
on Showtime, and Swarm, which is not confused. So I
did not watch Yellow Jackets because I thought it was
a horror show. Come to find out, it's about a
(02:27):
plane crash twenty years ago where a team of soccer
playing high school students have to survive for nineteen months
before they get rescued, and it cuts between current time
and then back when they were plane wrecked or shipwrecked.
Do you say plane wrecked when they were, you know,
(02:49):
after the crash and trying to survive. They thought it
would only be a couple days, but it turned out
to be nineteen months. So anyway, I've started watching the
show and it's absolutely brilliant. I hate when a show
comes out and for whatever reason, I miss it and
then it's like season two and all the actors have
won the awards and the writers have won awards, and
you're like, I got to get in this. So Yellowjackets
(03:13):
was what I did this week. And also another show, Barry,
which is on HBO, and that is starring Bill Hayder.
He's from SNL and he's absolutely brilliant in this. What
a wonderful concept for a show, really well done, well written,
great acting, and what a lead character. I mean, I
(03:37):
understand why everybody was saying it was beyond the beyond,
and it kind of is. And so that's my other
suggestion is that you binge and get caught up with
that show Barry. And also somebody somewhere the Bridgid Efforts
series season two is up. Now you can start right
(03:58):
with season two, or if you haven't seen season one yet,
jump in there and get caught up and we can
all watch it together. So those are my three show
recommendations for this week.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
People.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
That's why I'm here to help you, to help you
take care of all of your television consumer needs. That's me,
Rosie o'donnald. Anyway, we have a wonderful, wonderful interview today
with one of my favorite people in the world, the
one and only Cheeta Rivera. She turned ninety years old
(04:31):
just recently and she is just outstanding. She has won
so many awards. In nineteen eighty three, she won the
Tony for the Rink. She did that show with Liza
Minelli and I saw it about ten times. And then
in nineteen eighty four she also won the Drama Desk
(04:53):
for the Rink for Outstanding Performance, another Tony in ninety
three for Kiss of the Spider Woman, and then the
Kennedy Center Honors in two thousand and two, the first
Latina American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. How about that?
And in two thousand and nine, President Obama gave her
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Imagine that. Helen Hayes Award
(05:18):
for Outstanding Lead Actress and the Visit in two thousand
and nine and Lifetime achievement Tony in twenty eighteen. She
is a star of stage and screen. She has known
everyone and worked with everyone, and fallen in and out
of showbiz, love, romance. It's beautiful. There's a book about
(05:40):
her life, Cheetah, a memoir, and it's out now anywhere.
You get your books by this one. Pick up the
audiobook and get to hear it from her mouth. Cheeta
Rivera is here. Take a listen. Hi, honey, how are you?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
My gosh, I'm so good. I'm sitting here in the beach.
Are malible looking at the waves?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Dirty dog?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I know? Can you believe I did that for myself
when I turned sixty, Cheetah, I said, I'm taking a
year and going to the beach and it's about up
and I've had the greatest time.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Well, that's the best thing you could do for yourself,
the best, totally.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Immerse myself in nature, and I've been immersing myself in
your book and I loved it so much. Even though
I know a lot about you, there was a lot
I didn't know. And the way that you talked about
every I mean, first of all, the biggest award that
(06:50):
you can get in the United States, right, the Presidential
Medal of Friend. Yeah, that's what you little cheatah, little
cheetah dancing the kitchen table you got from President Obama?
What did that feel?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
It felt like an out of body experience.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I mean it was just not real it it was
it felt like it was somebody else that was getting it.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Not me, And that was not Obama.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
That was you know, that was leading over me, putting
this metal on me. I mean, looking like he was
about to say, what time tonight?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Oh boy? You know, well, he is kind of tall
and dreaming is odd?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Is he ever? Is he ever?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
And you were never one to sort of walk past
a gorgeous man and not give it a second look.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
It's exactly right, It's exactly right. Yeah. But I'm glad
you liked the book.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I love the book. Yeah, I love And I know Patrick.
I felt him for a very long time. And what
a great writer he is, and he's such a huge fan.
I don't know anyone who loves Broadway as much as
you and me besides Patrick Pachenko.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
He had all the qualities that I could respect and
could relate to, you know, I could relate to his
religion I could relate to his sense of humor. I
could relate to his writing. I mean, for God's sake,
that writing is such a craft.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And and it was like a conversation really, you know,
it was like we were conversing with one another, and
we came upon some good subjects, you know, right, you know?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
And were you the one who chose them? Did you?
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Did he know about you and Joe Allen? And because
the Joe Allen stories were part of my favorite part
of the AH, I love that crazy old ghook. He
was a great guy, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Well, yeah, I mean there was that wall, and whoever
would have dreamt he'd had a wall like that, you know,
a wall round flops.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
You know, right, And you better not put me on
that wall.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
That's funny. I said the same exact thing to him.
I said, if I see taboo up on there, I'm
going to come in here and get that chicken cutlet
and rub it on your bald head.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I was so worried that when he died that the
restaurant wouldn't stay. You know who was in COVID.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, yeah, so was I.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
But he has such a reputation and he built an
empire there, oh yes, and it's a place where we
feel comfortable and it's never going to change.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's always going to be him right, and what he
stood for.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I so agree. He got so mad at me, Cheetah
when I had the show and I kept talking about
it on the TV show. He first he was happy that,
but they didn't ever need the business. So all of
a sudden, he has all these housewives from Long Island
go and Rosie sent me for the cage of chicken sandwich.
You know, it's like O'Donnell's shut your mouth.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
That's funny.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Yeah, you know, hous Lisa doing your daughter. I know
that she is your best production and I love her
so much and she's been so great to have as
a friend for me.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Well, Lisa is in California right now. She left yesterday
and she'd be out there for two weeks and I
miss her so much.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I mean no, she went not to see her.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Friend who is not feeling well, and so I'm missing
her right now.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I love how close your whole family is. I love
that I can identify your siblings without you being in
the room. You know, It's like you know, that's how
you know when people say to me, how do you
know if you're really friends? And I said, can you
identify their family without them being there? More? With Cheeta Rivera.
Right after this, tell everybody your full name. I love
(11:21):
when you say it. It's so doable.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Dolorus Concita Figueroa del Rivero. Then Monteesuco flow nineteen Connie
Maco de Fluente, that is the fault name. But Dolorus
Concita Figueroa del Rivero. And how do you like me
discovering Dolores?
Speaker 1 (11:43):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, I mean we all have these other personalities. We
sometimes recognized them, sometimes don't. And through Patrick I really
recognized her and she can't be quieted down.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Dolores. Is she She's the one that made me who
I am?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yes, yeah, for sure. She's the one that was dancing
on the kitchen table when you were a little.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Girl, exactly by she's the one that went through the table.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, she's She's the dag gone it Rosie. You really
get it all.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
You do, honey. You know, I mean it's probably hard
for you to hear it because you hear it from
so many people, but you know, you were so formative
in my growing up. Cheetah. I was like, I couldn't
believe that not not only did I see you in
a movie, but I could see you sweaty coming out
of a stage four And it was like, this is
what I want to do, This is what this is it.
(12:47):
It's right in these streets. Yeah, you know, Broadway for
me was always the destination. But you know, I didn't
let that little problem I had of not being a
good singer or dancing.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Well, you were a comedian, you were inventive, you were creative,
you were you were super with words, I mean, and
you knew what was funny. Yeah, and uh, god knows,
that's what we need more of today.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
We need more, isn't that? My God? We need more humor.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yes, it's such a tough time. It's such a divided country.
It's have you ever felt anything similar to this in
your lifetime? Is this like another error that you remember now?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
No, this is like all by itself and it's kind
of scaring me me too.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It's dark times. Yeah, and but I have to say
that I felt tremendous relief once Donald Trump was held accountable.
And now he'll have a try. Yeah, but at least
where we're on the road to saying what behavior will
not be tolerated by US as a nation.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I hope so, you know, I hope so.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I think so, because boy, what's been happening. The overt racism,
the anti trans legislation and the anti gay wow, the
women's right to choose cheetah. Can you believe this happened?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
I can't believe it. I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
No, I can't believe it either. In my lifetime, I
thought if they ever did that, women would take to
the streets and not leave. Yeah, you know, but you know,
the anti Semitic stuff going holy yeah, god, oh my god. Yeah,
And I feel like it was unleashed by you know,
not just one person. It was unleashed by years of
(14:43):
negativity and hostility and lack of progressive banking. And yeah,
scares me really, and I don't like to think about
it so much. You know. I stopped watching the news.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yes, so did I. So did Lisa and I. We
have on Channel six under it and we listen to
it and then we gough, no, it's the same thing
every time.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Let's every day be afraid be very afraid things are bad.
You gotta watch what you jist. Yeah, because it could
it could be harmful. You know, it's funny my little
Dakota who's ten years old. Now, it's hard to believe, Cheetah,
that little baby that you held is ten years old.
My last one. Please God, I'm sixty one. I don't
(15:32):
need another infu. But boy, when I see one, Cheetah,
it's so hard.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I see a baby in the street and I have
a moment of I watch the baby on the TikTok
and I go, oh God, just one more man.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
You no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm You're done,
You're done.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
But ten years old.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
She's ten years old, and she's so funny with knowing
who she is in a way that was so new
for me, you know. And I'm also an only she's
an only child. I'm like the mother of an only
child because my four ones are so big and off
on their own lives. So now I have this baby
all the time with me, and as she'll tell me,
she's not a baby. But she's made me feel so
(16:16):
young still and vibrant, and I think she's helped me
so much like, look at the world through a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, she's she's your savior right.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Now in many ways, Sheta, she is absolutely. Yes. People
often say, you know, oh, you're such a good person
for adopting you save those kids. Always go no, no, no,
they saved me. I didn't, says it's vice versa. Totally.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I can't believe just this last time that you are
sitting at the beach.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I'm gonna turn around and show you look, here we go.
That's my that's my view.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It is literally on the water. You walk out the
back door and you are on the beach. It's how
I dreamed that people could live, but I never thought
it was realistic. And you know, when I turned sixty,
and I know that age is just a number, but
I really thought, how did I get to be sixty?
Because you know, in my mind, who's sixty is Vivian Vance?
(17:23):
Oh yeah, right, Ethel. You know I'm Ethel now I'm Ethel.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Pretty I don't know how I've reached the age I
have reached. I mean, I don't know how that happened.
It just happened.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
And I'm covering up the mirrors, but uh, gradually.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Oh no, come on now, you're still studying. God, you
really are. Those pictures of you getting the Presidential Medal
of Freedom in that beautiful dress with the wonderful neckline
and how the metal laid on there. I thought if
Bobby Pierce made that, he's very happy because it was
a it was a perfectly designed dress. You look stunning.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Bobby Pears where is?
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Don't you love him? He's around, he's doing Broadway stuff.
He's good. Yeah, he's doing good.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
It's good. That's good.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
And he has beautiful flowers and I'm sure you've been
to his apartment.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Ye, no, I haven't.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Okay, Well, there is a shrine to Cheatah Reven. Like
everything that he's ever made for you, he made a
replica copy smaller And yeah, this is my friend, Bobby Pearson,
Cheetah's good friend, Bobby Pierce, who is a Tony nominated
costume designer and he's a wonderfully talented man. And he
was originally my dresser on my first show on Broadway Greece.
(18:45):
That's right, that's how I met him, and he adored you.
I mean, what it must feel like for you to
have like a whole slew of men like that who
are so devoted to you, you know, like just adore you.
I mean, you're Cheata Rivera. I know you don't think
that because I know you, but you are you cheat
her Vera, you know, and it's somewhat intimidating for all
(19:07):
of us.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
More mere, mortal, please please please?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Did your parents live to be very I know my.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Father lived only until I was seven years old. Daddy lived, honey,
I didn't mean until he was forty one. Mother lived
in her seventies, so she, you know, she saw some of.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Her work really operate, you know, she really right.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
She got me out of that living room and into
that ballet class, and she you know, made me tow
the line and taught me so much. So mother, thank god.
And she dedicated five kids to her life. I mean
(19:56):
she she never married again, and she was available to
come up to New York whenever, and available at any
phone call I would make and ask her her advice.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
You know, she was she was really something.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I've got her picture up here on the wall, and
she sits on one shoulder.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I understand completely. Yes, how do you think she would
feel about your success?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
She would be thrilled beyond belief. She would just see.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
She would sit back with her legs crossed. She had long,
gorgeous legs, and she would just quietly chuckle, just chuckle, and.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Be very very pleased, thrilled.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, over the moon. I love how your siblings show
up when you're anywhere doing anything, at the theater, watching performing,
no matter what. I see your family there, And how
wonderful to have that kind of support. And you know,
you and Lisa are like my dream mother and daughter relationships.
You know, you're so close, you're so entwined in each
(21:13):
other's world in the most beautiful and caring way. It's
you know, from a motherless kid, it's a wonderful thing
to watch.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Well, it's wild being in the house with just her
because she's divorced and she has no interest right now
of pursuing a male partner. But I really think Lisa
(21:42):
first and then myself, you know, as you know, she's
my she's my partner, she's my partner in, my roommate,
and my best friend and.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
My daughter.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
And isn't that beautiful that you get to say? Yeah,
So many people I know have no contact with their parents,
and sometimes it's justified. I understand but you know, sometimes
you have to save yourself first and then go try
to repair what you can, you know. But it's such
a testament to you both. I just want to say that,
(22:17):
thank you, thank you, You're welcome. Hey, tell everybody about
the new Cheetah rivera awards that are coming up. Oh
there in May that there were awards for choreography and
Broadway and dancers and film. And the award is named
after you.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, it was named after fred Astaire.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
But I can't you know, how dare me even say
that his name in the same sentence as mine?
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Come on, come on now.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
But it's an honor to wear his award.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
And yeah, and the book Cheetah, the memoir is fantastic.
It's got stories of love and romance and might I say,
Sammy Davis Junior, I love that part too. Come on,
those were stories where our epic the stories in there,
the people you know you've loved, the love affairs, everything,
(23:17):
the dancing, the winning of awards, the it's just a beautiful,
beautiful book. And what a testament to your phenomenal life.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Well, you know what I really am acknowledging is with
every romance, with every experience, I've had with awards, with shows,
They've all ended up.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
On the positive side. You know, I've never let a
lover go with a bad feeling, you know, a brand. Yeah,
I really try to have it as a good relationship.
(24:04):
And so far and oh and that this is as
far as it gets.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
So so far, it's it's worked out. I mean, it's
worked out with with Sammy, with Greg with there's only
one person that that is incomplete and right, and I
just let him go, you know, And and and that's
(24:35):
that's cool, that's cool, that's okay too.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah, I had a pretty intense relationship before I had
children with the woman and we didn't speak for twenty years,
and then she called and then then we were talking
again and we were friends. And so you can you
can't have a give up hope, you never know, you
know what I mean. And and we didn't get back
together or in any way as a couple, but we're
still in each other's world.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
We meant the law time, absolutely, and he is the
only one that exists that I don't have any kind
of I mean, it's been twenty years since I've seen him,
and if I saw him, it would be fine, it
(25:20):
would be fine, but not like a trauma. Absolutely, oh,
absolutely absolutely right right.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
The Judy Garland story about Liza seeing you, can you
tell everybody that one, because that really blew my mind.
And what that must have done to you, was that
the first time you met her?
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Or no, well, the first time I did her show
Louis and I was on that show. He was so great,
and god, what was his name? The guy that managed
the Beatles, Brian Epstein.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
There you go, that's it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
And we were at his house and we were at
a party and she decided to go into the room
where all the dancers were hanging out, and she sat
on the floor and she became one of us, and
I'll never ever forget that. And then Freddie and John
(26:30):
called me and said they just finished.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
The Rink.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Yeah, and they said it was the Rink and they
said would you like to star in it? And I went, yes,
of course, And you have to have a co star,
and how would you like for your co star to
be Liza Manelli?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
And I went yes, of.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Course, yes, of course.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
So we have always wanted to be a part of
a showding other, and we've always wanted to play opposite
one another and play girlfriends, And there was this deadly
silence on the other end, and Freddy said, well, it's
not exactly girlfriends, Cheetah, Oh well what is it.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It's mother and daughter. And then I went who plays
the mother?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, but look at what you did it? And look
what you got didn't get you your first your first wife.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yes, it did, it did And it was a fabulous experience,
the ups and downs of working with Liza. And because
I've always been a fan of hers and Mitya and
a great friend.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
She never really has a mean thing to say about anymore.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
She doesn't.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
She's one who never never tries to put anyone else down.
I love that quality about it. And she she saw
you and bye bye bird, that's right.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
And she and Liza and when she left the theater
she said to her mother, that's what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Wow, you know?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And it's yes.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Not only did she get to do it, she got
to do it with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cheeta Rivera.
Che believable. It's a big do.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
But he says my name like you, Cheeta.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Revera, Cheeta Rivera. She's the best in the world. But
I want to thank you for so much that you've
done for our little theater school that we have there
in New York, Rosie's Theater Kids, And uh, You've done
so much to help and inspire and encourage these young performers.
It's it's so amazing. You were really the Broadway celebrity
(29:01):
that stepped up when we opened twenty five years ago
and brought the talent and the love and the encouragement
for these kids who live below the poverty level here
in New York.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You know, you've been doing this for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Have you seen any new shows that are out Broadway now?
Have you seen any? Did you see Shopped or any
or the New Sweeney Time?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
And I haven't seen anything. I mean, I'm looking out
at these beautiful blossoms on the trees and the quiet
of the neighborhood. And you know, when I'm not doing
one of these, then I stay home.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I stay home.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Yeah, yeah, I'm a stay at home or two ye
yeah yeah. My kid says to me, She says, Mommy,
you don't even socialize anymore. I'm like, well, honey, I'm
home with you. That's just as much fun, right. Can
I ask you about some of your best girlfriends? Like
I love the fact that you and be Arthur were
(30:06):
so close.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, Beattie was.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
She was like my best friend, you know, she was.
She was the big of it and I was a
little little of it.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
She she had a protective thing about her with me,
and I wanted to be like her, you know. And
Elaine Stretch was the same way before she got crazy stretching.
Of course, yes, you know Nancy do so, I mean, yes,
(30:39):
I haven't seen Nancy in so long, but I missed
Nancy terribly.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I used to love when she would appear on all
those shows that I used to watch.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Absolutely nobody could sing like Nancy.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Oh I didn't know she was.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
Oh my god, she's a heck of a singer. Karen Morrow, Wow,
you know, I know.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
How about Gwen Verdon, I know you two are very close.
She was your good daddy too.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
She was you know, you dream of an idol and
all of a sudden years later you're standing next to her,
you know, and you're doing a numberical two dancing is one.
Of course, there's a Bob Fosse in there. So, but Gwen,
(31:27):
she was an extraordinary woman and she was really one
of my best friends.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, and that's a really strange feeling. I know in
my life it's happened too that the people like you
and are in my world like the people that I
grew up going oh my god. Yeah, but in some
way I kind of knew. Isn't that weird? Did you
know too? Like when you were a little kid and
you were watching Gwen Verdon or you were, you know,
(31:56):
looking at her art, going I'm going to know her.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Oh No, I know, ever ever got that, never ever
thought that, And I don't know all the time.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
All the time you see is that you know, reason
why you're you and I'm me, you know, right? But
it worked with me. It worked with me, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
You You've credited a lot of your magical thinking to
surviving hard times. In the book you talk a little
about that. And do you think that that's always who
you were? Somebody was a little bit of an optimist. Oh,
even when when times.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Were absolutely absolutely I was a positive an optimist all
the time. I never I never realized that anything could
go bad until it did. And then I made it good, right,
you know?
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And then you made it yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Yeah, and yes, then I just did.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I'm so much of an optimist.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
No, I love to laugh, and you have a great,
very distinguishable I.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Love it absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
You have heard me laugh many a time, and I
can turn on the TV and watch comedians all day long.
I kind of hide out behind my comedians.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, and they're speaking for so many of us now
when the time where it feels like freedom of speech
is being challenged as well. Absolutely good for the comedians
right out there shaking things absolutely well. Cheata Rivera. I
want to thank you so much. I love you, Cheetah.
You're one of the best people I know, and I
am forever in your debt. Just to get to be
(33:44):
in your life and world as made mind so much better.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh well, thank you, Rosie, and I adore you.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
I adore you. A memoir is the book Cheetah Rivera
Patrick Pacheco, and you should all buy it and thank you,
Thank you, Bye bye, love you see Annie, I love you.
Stick around more to come. And now we're back with
(34:28):
some questions from you. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Hi, Rosie.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Is it Rosie. It's Katie and Bridget from Michigan, and
our question for you and you only it is do
you like are you happy with how the L word ended?
As far as your character was concerned. Do you feel
like there's more story to tell? You really liked you
(34:55):
on that show. You're definitely the high in the last season,
and so I just to get your thoughts. Thanks for
taking your question.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Nice well, thank you L Word fans. Yes, I you know,
I was a fan of the original L Word. It
was the first time you saw lesbians portrayed as whole
people and relationships, and it was a groundbreaking series for
many reasons. I liked my character. I liked her in
(35:24):
all the scenes with Finley. I think that, you know,
the mothering thing of a mentoring thing in the gay
community is a real thing. And you know, older lesbians
kind of taken younger ones under their wing and his
sisterly or motherly kind of family feeling, not not in
(35:46):
any way as lovers or any capacity. And you know,
friendships in the gay community are are strong and are
often life long, and I wanted to show the reality
of that part of lesbianism as well. So I was
sad that the show got canceled, and I wish that
there would be a show coming on to replace it.
(36:10):
You know, I wish that queer storytelling and gay storylines
and lesbian drama which is what the L word was originally.
You know about lesbians, and I think maybe that niche
like perspective was missing on the on the reboot. Thank
you for asking and I'm glad you enjoyed my performance.
(36:31):
Hi Rosie, this is Kimberly.
Speaker 6 (36:33):
I'm calling from outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I don't
have a question, but I wanted to explain why I
always tell people you're part of our family. My grandmother
passed away two weeks to the day after my sweet
sixteen and it was pretty devastating for our entire family,
but of course it was most devastating for my grandfather.
(36:56):
My Grandpap was a big, strapping Irish mick who worked
most of his life in the Homestead steel mills, and
as he got older, he was continually getting hard of hearing,
and in the late nineties he developed Alzheimer's. He developed
dementia and Alzheimer's and it was very frustrating for him.
He had, as most people do. He had his good
(37:18):
days and his bad days. But your talk show was
pretty big at the time, and he found a lot
of solace in your talk show. You were his friend.
You became his friend that he would see every day,
and he would always ask is rosion or when is rosion?
And you anchored him when he was in unfamiliar places.
(37:39):
You made him smile, you made him laugh a lot.
I think he felt a kinship with you because you
sort of resemble physically his side of the family. And
so you know, in some of his darkest, darkest times,
you provided love and laughter for him, and we all
just appreciate it so much, And so I just wanted
(38:01):
to tell you that and tell you that you are
forever a part of our family, and thank you so
much for the joy you brought not only to my Grandpap,
but to millions of other people throughout the world. Thank
you bye.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
You know that is so touching. I can't even begin
to tell you what it means to me to hear
to hear you say that story about your grandfather and
losing your grandparent was tough.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Boy.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
You know, I didn't ever meet my grandfathers, but both
my grandmothers were alive and in our lives pretty prominently
until you know, I went away, my sister went away
to college. I was already in college, and then my
grandmother died. So I was a sophomore. She was a
freshman in college when my grandmother died, and it was very,
(38:47):
very tough, it really was. And I'm so glad that
I provided some comfort to your father, your grandfather or other,
and that I'm considered part of the family. And listen,
I know that look he's talking about that big headed
Irish thing, you know where you look like. You know,
you were probably peeling potatoes in the back kitchen and
(39:08):
your ancestry. You know, on twenty three in me dot
com there's a picture of you pulling out a potato
from a field somewhere. You know, those traditional Irish washer
woman bodies. That's what you know. That's what I think.
I know what he's talking about. But thank you so
much for leaving this sweet, sweet memo. I really do appreciate.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Hey, Rosie, this is Tim. I have been following you
and loving you since your days on star Search, and
I was wondering if you ever think about that and
whether or not you think star Search helped your career
or or your career or maybe it had no effect
at all. But yeah, just talk a little bit about
star Search days. Okay, love you, Thanks Tim.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Star Search was really fun. It was nineteen eighty four,
I was twenty two and I was in a comedy
club in my hometown of Huntington, Long Island, and a
woman came over and said, my dad is Ed McMahon,
and I'm gonna book you on the show. I'm one
of the talent coordinators. And I didn't think she was
telling the truth, and so I gave her my number,
(40:11):
which was my dad's house because that's where I was living,
and the next day got a phone call, and two
weeks later I was in LA and I was on
the TV show Star Search, which at the time was very,
very popular. It was, you know, one of the first
successful competition shows on TV at that time, right, so
(40:39):
you really didn't have a chance of getting on the
Tonight show if you were a woman stand up comic,
you know, and there were very few places where you
could go to be seen. And this show really opened
that up for me in a major way, and I
got national attention, and whereas before I had only been
an opening act or a MC at local clubs, I
(41:00):
got booked as a headliner. Afterwards, I won like five episodes,
I think, and like twenty something thousand dollars and I
bought a car, and I rented one room studio apartment
furnished in Sherman Oaks, California. And the car that I
bought was a Mazda six two six stick shift, which
I didn't know how to drive with no air conditioning
(41:23):
in Los Angeles, California. So that's what happened with my
Star Search money, and I think it helped my career tremendously.
I mean, everything that I've done on TV has helped
my career. I can't think of one thing that I
would say I shouldn't have done that. You know, I'm
grateful for all the opportunities, and thank you for the
question and the last memo we got. Let's hear hi, Rosie.
(41:47):
This is Cindy from Fullerton, California. To this very day,
I miss your daytime talk show. I used to record
it every day and watch it as soon as I
got home from work and get caught up on all
the TV and Broadway news. It was on your show
that I saw the cast of The Lion King for
the first time, and I remember an episode where the
entire cast of Titanic came on. They purchased a postcard
(42:09):
being sold by a young man to raise money for
his friend's mom going through cancer treatment. I still cry
every time I tell people that story. One of my
favorite parts of your show were your interactions with John
mcdee and I've been thinking about him a lot since
I've been listening to your fantastic podcast, and tonight I'm
watching the Carol Burnett ninetieth Birthday special and there is
John mcdee. Oh, it would be fantastic if you were
(42:32):
a guest on your podcast. I will look forward to
listening to your podcast as much as I enjoyed watching
your talk show. Thanks again, Rosie, take care, bye bye, well,
thank you. That is so nice of you to say.
And John McDaniel and I are still close. We're good
friends and we always will be. And I was so
proud of him too, and the Carol Burnett special that
(42:53):
he did all the musical direction, and you know, he's
so talented, He's won so many awards and all of
people who work with him adore him, including me, And yes,
I will have him on the podcast Lick at his Split.
Let's put that down on the list, and I'm sure
he will say. Yes, he's in Florida a lot of
the time, and he's got a cute little dog and
(43:15):
a cute little guy, and you know he's happy, and
I'm happy for him, and let's book that for sure.
Thank you for that suggestion. Listen, if you want to
leave me a voice memo, you got a question, you
got a suggestion, you got just something you got to
get off your chest. All you gotta do is go
to Onward Rosie at gmail dot com. How do you
(43:36):
make a voice memo? People say, well, I can only
tell you. If you have an iPhone iPhone type in
voice memo, little microphone comes up, Go press the button,
record it. Then it says where to say mail Onward
Rosie at gmail dot com attached file. You're done. That's it.
And if you have an Android, tough luck. I don't
(43:56):
have anything to say to help you. Really it just
sketchit it, maybe just shake it. Join me next week,
won't you, when our guests will be the one and
only uber talented Cameron Mannheim. So don't miss that one.
I'll see you then. Take care,
Hey, this is Rosie o'donnelld, co star of Sleepless in Seattle. Now,
come on, that's not nearly as funny as Star the Flintstones?
Is it Star the Flintstones? It just rose if your
tongue co star of Sleepless n s actol too many syllables,
you know what I'm saying. So, how are you doing
well in the world. I'm doing okay. I'm excited. I'm
(00:34):
listening to a whole bunch of new podcasts which are
very interesting. I have to say. There's such a wide
range to choose from. Write anything you're interested in, any topic.
You can really, you know, google it up. I mean, listen,
go into a you can go into a deep dive
in the podcast world about UFOs, which I started to do,
(00:58):
which really is interesting to me. And I did some
true crime ones, and you know, I'm getting into the
podcast world. People. It's pretty interesting. But then again, you
know that you're listening here and you knew how to
download it, so points to you. My friend points to you.
There's new shows I'm watching on TV too. I don't
(01:19):
know if you guys are caught up or not, but
I was reading about the woman Melanie Lynsky, and she
is on Yellow Jackets, and she also was on the
Last of Us. And I found out from People magazine
that she's married to John Ritter's son. And they were
so adorable on this TV show where I saw him
(01:42):
talking about getting sober and then meeting her and thinking, God,
you know, she deserves the greatest guy in the world,
and then started to realize me, maybe I could be
the great you know. And he as he was working
through his sobride it was so beautiful and he started
while he was telling this story, and then she started
(02:03):
crying and it just was like Kisman, and I'm like,
I'm gonna watch our show. Now. I have to admit
that I have been getting the show Yellowjackets, which is
on Showtime, and Swarm, which is not confused. So I
did not watch Yellow Jackets because I thought it was
a horror show. Come to find out, it's about a
(02:27):
plane crash twenty years ago where a team of soccer
playing high school students have to survive for nineteen months
before they get rescued, and it cuts between current time
and then back when they were plane wrecked or shipwrecked.
Do you say plane wrecked when they were, you know,
(02:49):
after the crash and trying to survive. They thought it
would only be a couple days, but it turned out
to be nineteen months. So anyway, I've started watching the
show and it's absolutely brilliant. I hate when a show
comes out and for whatever reason, I miss it and
then it's like season two and all the actors have
won the awards and the writers have won awards, and
you're like, I got to get in this. So Yellowjackets
(03:13):
was what I did this week. And also another show, Barry,
which is on HBO, and that is starring Bill Hayder.
He's from SNL and he's absolutely brilliant in this. What
a wonderful concept for a show, really well done, well written,
great acting, and what a lead character. I mean, I
(03:37):
understand why everybody was saying it was beyond the beyond,
and it kind of is. And so that's my other
suggestion is that you binge and get caught up with
that show Barry. And also somebody somewhere the Bridgid Efforts
series season two is up. Now you can start right
(03:58):
with season two, or if you haven't seen season one yet,
jump in there and get caught up and we can
all watch it together. So those are my three show
recommendations for this week.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
People.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
That's why I'm here to help you, to help you
take care of all of your television consumer needs. That's me,
Rosie o'donnald. Anyway, we have a wonderful, wonderful interview today
with one of my favorite people in the world, the
one and only Cheeta Rivera. She turned ninety years old
(04:31):
just recently and she is just outstanding. She has won
so many awards. In nineteen eighty three, she won the
Tony for the Rink. She did that show with Liza
Minelli and I saw it about ten times. And then
in nineteen eighty four she also won the Drama Desk
(04:53):
for the Rink for Outstanding Performance, another Tony in ninety
three for Kiss of the Spider Woman, and then the
Kennedy Center Honors in two thousand and two, the first
Latina American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. How about that?
And in two thousand and nine, President Obama gave her
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Imagine that. Helen Hayes Award
(05:18):
for Outstanding Lead Actress and the Visit in two thousand
and nine and Lifetime achievement Tony in twenty eighteen. She
is a star of stage and screen. She has known
everyone and worked with everyone, and fallen in and out
of showbiz, love, romance. It's beautiful. There's a book about
(05:40):
her life, Cheetah, a memoir, and it's out now anywhere.
You get your books by this one. Pick up the
audiobook and get to hear it from her mouth. Cheeta
Rivera is here. Take a listen. Hi, honey, how are you?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (06:08):
My gosh, I'm so good. I'm sitting here in the beach.
Are malible looking at the waves?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Dirty dog?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I know? Can you believe I did that for myself
when I turned sixty, Cheetah, I said, I'm taking a
year and going to the beach and it's about up
and I've had the greatest time.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Well, that's the best thing you could do for yourself,
the best, totally.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Immerse myself in nature, and I've been immersing myself in
your book and I loved it so much. Even though
I know a lot about you, there was a lot
I didn't know. And the way that you talked about
every I mean, first of all, the biggest award that
(06:50):
you can get in the United States, right, the Presidential
Medal of Friend. Yeah, that's what you little cheatah, little
cheetah dancing the kitchen table you got from President Obama?
What did that feel?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
It felt like an out of body experience.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I mean it was just not real it it was
it felt like it was somebody else that was getting it.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Not me, And that was not Obama.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
That was you know, that was leading over me, putting
this metal on me. I mean, looking like he was
about to say, what time tonight?
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Oh boy? You know, well, he is kind of tall
and dreaming is odd?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Is he ever? Is he ever?
Speaker 1 (07:43):
And you were never one to sort of walk past
a gorgeous man and not give it a second look.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
It's exactly right, It's exactly right. Yeah. But I'm glad
you liked the book.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I love the book. Yeah, I love And I know Patrick.
I felt him for a very long time. And what
a great writer he is, and he's such a huge fan.
I don't know anyone who loves Broadway as much as
you and me besides Patrick Pachenko.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
He had all the qualities that I could respect and
could relate to, you know, I could relate to his
religion I could relate to his sense of humor. I
could relate to his writing. I mean, for God's sake,
that writing is such a craft.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And and it was like a conversation really, you know,
it was like we were conversing with one another, and
we came upon some good subjects, you know, right, you know?
Speaker 1 (08:44):
And were you the one who chose them? Did you?
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Did he know about you and Joe Allen? And because
the Joe Allen stories were part of my favorite part
of the AH, I love that crazy old ghook. He
was a great guy, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Well, yeah, I mean there was that wall, and whoever
would have dreamt he'd had a wall like that, you know,
a wall round flops.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
You know, right, And you better not put me on
that wall.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
That's funny. I said the same exact thing to him.
I said, if I see taboo up on there, I'm
going to come in here and get that chicken cutlet
and rub it on your bald head.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
I was so worried that when he died that the
restaurant wouldn't stay. You know who was in COVID.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, yeah, so was I.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
But he has such a reputation and he built an
empire there, oh yes, and it's a place where we
feel comfortable and it's never going to change.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's always going to be him right, and what he
stood for.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I so agree. He got so mad at me, Cheetah
when I had the show and I kept talking about
it on the TV show. He first he was happy that,
but they didn't ever need the business. So all of
a sudden, he has all these housewives from Long Island
go and Rosie sent me for the cage of chicken sandwich.
You know, it's like O'Donnell's shut your mouth.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
That's funny.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Yeah, you know, hous Lisa doing your daughter. I know
that she is your best production and I love her
so much and she's been so great to have as
a friend for me.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Well, Lisa is in California right now. She left yesterday
and she'd be out there for two weeks and I
miss her so much.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I mean no, she went not to see her.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Friend who is not feeling well, and so I'm missing
her right now.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I love how close your whole family is. I love
that I can identify your siblings without you being in
the room. You know, It's like you know, that's how
you know when people say to me, how do you
know if you're really friends? And I said, can you
identify their family without them being there? More? With Cheeta Rivera.
Right after this, tell everybody your full name. I love
(11:21):
when you say it. It's so doable.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Dolorus Concita Figueroa del Rivero. Then Monteesuco flow nineteen Connie
Maco de Fluente, that is the fault name. But Dolorus
Concita Figueroa del Rivero. And how do you like me
discovering Dolores?
Speaker 1 (11:43):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, I mean we all have these other personalities. We
sometimes recognized them, sometimes don't. And through Patrick I really
recognized her and she can't be quieted down.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Dolores. Is she She's the one that made me who
I am?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yes, yeah, for sure. She's the one that was dancing
on the kitchen table when you were a little.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Girl, exactly by she's the one that went through the table.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yeah, she's She's the dag gone it Rosie. You really
get it all.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
You do, honey. You know, I mean it's probably hard
for you to hear it because you hear it from
so many people, but you know, you were so formative
in my growing up. Cheetah. I was like, I couldn't
believe that not not only did I see you in
a movie, but I could see you sweaty coming out
of a stage four And it was like, this is
what I want to do, This is what this is it.
(12:47):
It's right in these streets. Yeah, you know, Broadway for
me was always the destination. But you know, I didn't
let that little problem I had of not being a
good singer or dancing.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Well, you were a comedian, you were inventive, you were creative,
you were you were super with words, I mean, and
you knew what was funny. Yeah, and uh, god knows,
that's what we need more of today.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
We need more, isn't that? My God? We need more humor.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yes, it's such a tough time. It's such a divided country.
It's have you ever felt anything similar to this in
your lifetime? Is this like another error that you remember now?
Speaker 3 (13:35):
No, this is like all by itself and it's kind
of scaring me me too.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It's dark times. Yeah, and but I have to say
that I felt tremendous relief once Donald Trump was held accountable.
And now he'll have a try. Yeah, but at least
where we're on the road to saying what behavior will
not be tolerated by US as a nation.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
I hope so, you know, I hope so.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I think so, because boy, what's been happening. The overt racism,
the anti trans legislation and the anti gay wow, the
women's right to choose cheetah. Can you believe this happened?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
I can't believe it. I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
No, I can't believe it either. In my lifetime, I
thought if they ever did that, women would take to
the streets and not leave. Yeah, you know, but you know,
the anti Semitic stuff going holy yeah, god, oh my god. Yeah,
And I feel like it was unleashed by you know,
not just one person. It was unleashed by years of
(14:43):
negativity and hostility and lack of progressive banking. And yeah,
scares me really, and I don't like to think about
it so much. You know. I stopped watching the news.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yes, so did I. So did Lisa and I. We
have on Channel six under it and we listen to
it and then we gough, no, it's the same thing
every time.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Let's every day be afraid be very afraid things are bad.
You gotta watch what you jist. Yeah, because it could
it could be harmful. You know, it's funny my little
Dakota who's ten years old. Now, it's hard to believe, Cheetah,
that little baby that you held is ten years old.
My last one. Please God, I'm sixty one. I don't
(15:32):
need another infu. But boy, when I see one, Cheetah,
it's so hard.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I see a baby in the street and I have
a moment of I watch the baby on the TikTok
and I go, oh God, just one more man.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
You no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm You're done,
You're done.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
But ten years old.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
She's ten years old, and she's so funny with knowing
who she is in a way that was so new
for me, you know. And I'm also an only she's
an only child. I'm like the mother of an only
child because my four ones are so big and off
on their own lives. So now I have this baby
all the time with me, and as she'll tell me,
she's not a baby. But she's made me feel so
(16:16):
young still and vibrant, and I think she's helped me
so much like, look at the world through a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Yeah, she's she's your savior right.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Now in many ways, Sheta, she is absolutely. Yes. People
often say, you know, oh, you're such a good person
for adopting you save those kids. Always go no, no, no,
they saved me. I didn't, says it's vice versa. Totally.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I can't believe just this last time that you are
sitting at the beach.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I'm gonna turn around and show you look, here we go.
That's my that's my view.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
It is literally on the water. You walk out the
back door and you are on the beach. It's how
I dreamed that people could live, but I never thought
it was realistic. And you know, when I turned sixty,
and I know that age is just a number, but
I really thought, how did I get to be sixty?
Because you know, in my mind, who's sixty is Vivian Vance?
(17:23):
Oh yeah, right, Ethel. You know I'm Ethel now I'm Ethel.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Pretty I don't know how I've reached the age I
have reached. I mean, I don't know how that happened.
It just happened.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
And I'm covering up the mirrors, but uh, gradually.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Oh no, come on now, you're still studying. God, you
really are. Those pictures of you getting the Presidential Medal
of Freedom in that beautiful dress with the wonderful neckline
and how the metal laid on there. I thought if
Bobby Pierce made that, he's very happy because it was
a it was a perfectly designed dress. You look stunning.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Bobby Pears where is?
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Don't you love him? He's around, he's doing Broadway stuff.
He's good. Yeah, he's doing good.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
It's good. That's good.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
And he has beautiful flowers and I'm sure you've been
to his apartment.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Ye, no, I haven't.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Okay, Well, there is a shrine to Cheatah Reven. Like
everything that he's ever made for you, he made a
replica copy smaller And yeah, this is my friend, Bobby Pearson,
Cheetah's good friend, Bobby Pierce, who is a Tony nominated
costume designer and he's a wonderfully talented man. And he
was originally my dresser on my first show on Broadway Greece.
(18:45):
That's right, that's how I met him, and he adored you.
I mean, what it must feel like for you to
have like a whole slew of men like that who
are so devoted to you, you know, like just adore you.
I mean, you're Cheata Rivera. I know you don't think
that because I know you, but you are you cheat
her Vera, you know, and it's somewhat intimidating for all
(19:07):
of us.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
More mere, mortal, please please please?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Did your parents live to be very I know my.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Father lived only until I was seven years old. Daddy lived, honey,
I didn't mean until he was forty one. Mother lived
in her seventies, so she, you know, she saw some of.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Her work really operate, you know, she really right.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
She got me out of that living room and into
that ballet class, and she you know, made me tow
the line and taught me so much. So mother, thank god.
And she dedicated five kids to her life. I mean
(19:56):
she she never married again, and she was available to
come up to New York whenever, and available at any
phone call I would make and ask her her advice.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
You know, she was she was really something.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I've got her picture up here on the wall, and
she sits on one shoulder.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I understand completely. Yes, how do you think she would
feel about your success?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
She would be thrilled beyond belief. She would just see.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
She would sit back with her legs crossed. She had long,
gorgeous legs, and she would just quietly chuckle, just chuckle, and.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Be very very pleased, thrilled.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, over the moon. I love how your siblings show
up when you're anywhere doing anything, at the theater, watching performing,
no matter what. I see your family there, And how
wonderful to have that kind of support. And you know,
you and Lisa are like my dream mother and daughter relationships.
You know, you're so close, you're so entwined in each
(21:13):
other's world in the most beautiful and caring way. It's
you know, from a motherless kid, it's a wonderful thing
to watch.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Well, it's wild being in the house with just her
because she's divorced and she has no interest right now
of pursuing a male partner. But I really think Lisa
(21:42):
first and then myself, you know, as you know, she's
my she's my partner, she's my partner in, my roommate,
and my best friend and.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
My daughter.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
And isn't that beautiful that you get to say? Yeah,
So many people I know have no contact with their parents,
and sometimes it's justified. I understand but you know, sometimes
you have to save yourself first and then go try
to repair what you can, you know. But it's such
a testament to you both. I just want to say that,
(22:17):
thank you, thank you, You're welcome. Hey, tell everybody about
the new Cheetah rivera awards that are coming up. Oh
there in May that there were awards for choreography and
Broadway and dancers and film. And the award is named
after you.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, it was named after fred Astaire.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
But I can't you know, how dare me even say
that his name in the same sentence as mine?
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Come on, come on now.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
But it's an honor to wear his award.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
And yeah, and the book Cheetah, the memoir is fantastic.
It's got stories of love and romance and might I say,
Sammy Davis Junior, I love that part too. Come on,
those were stories where our epic the stories in there,
the people you know you've loved, the love affairs, everything,
(23:17):
the dancing, the winning of awards, the it's just a beautiful,
beautiful book. And what a testament to your phenomenal life.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Well, you know what I really am acknowledging is with
every romance, with every experience, I've had with awards, with shows,
They've all ended up.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
On the positive side. You know, I've never let a
lover go with a bad feeling, you know, a brand. Yeah,
I really try to have it as a good relationship.
(24:04):
And so far and oh and that this is as
far as it gets.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
So so far, it's it's worked out. I mean, it's
worked out with with Sammy, with Greg with there's only
one person that that is incomplete and right, and I
just let him go, you know, And and and that's
(24:35):
that's cool, that's cool, that's okay too.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah, I had a pretty intense relationship before I had
children with the woman and we didn't speak for twenty years,
and then she called and then then we were talking
again and we were friends. And so you can you
can't have a give up hope, you never know, you
know what I mean. And and we didn't get back
together or in any way as a couple, but we're
still in each other's world.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
We meant the law time, absolutely, and he is the
only one that exists that I don't have any kind
of I mean, it's been twenty years since I've seen him,
and if I saw him, it would be fine, it
(25:20):
would be fine, but not like a trauma. Absolutely, oh,
absolutely absolutely right right.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
The Judy Garland story about Liza seeing you, can you
tell everybody that one, because that really blew my mind.
And what that must have done to you, was that
the first time you met her?
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Or no, well, the first time I did her show
Louis and I was on that show. He was so great,
and god, what was his name? The guy that managed
the Beatles, Brian Epstein.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
There you go, that's it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
And we were at his house and we were at
a party and she decided to go into the room
where all the dancers were hanging out, and she sat
on the floor and she became one of us, and
I'll never ever forget that. And then Freddie and John
(26:30):
called me and said they just finished.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
The Rink.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Yeah, and they said it was the Rink and they
said would you like to star in it? And I went, yes,
of course, And you have to have a co star,
and how would you like for your co star to
be Liza Manelli?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
And I went yes, of.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Course, yes, of course.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
So we have always wanted to be a part of
a showding other, and we've always wanted to play opposite
one another and play girlfriends, And there was this deadly
silence on the other end, and Freddy said, well, it's
not exactly girlfriends, Cheetah, Oh well what is it.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
It's mother and daughter. And then I went who plays
the mother?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, but look at what you did it? And look
what you got didn't get you your first your first wife.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yes, it did, it did And it was a fabulous experience,
the ups and downs of working with Liza. And because
I've always been a fan of hers and Mitya and
a great friend.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
She never really has a mean thing to say about anymore.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
She doesn't.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
She's one who never never tries to put anyone else down.
I love that quality about it. And she she saw
you and bye bye bird, that's right.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
And she and Liza and when she left the theater
she said to her mother, that's what I want to do.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Wow, you know?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
And it's yes.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Not only did she get to do it, she got
to do it with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cheeta Rivera.
Che believable. It's a big do.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
But he says my name like you, Cheeta.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Revera, Cheeta Rivera. She's the best in the world. But
I want to thank you for so much that you've
done for our little theater school that we have there
in New York, Rosie's Theater Kids, And uh, You've done
so much to help and inspire and encourage these young performers.
It's it's so amazing. You were really the Broadway celebrity
(29:01):
that stepped up when we opened twenty five years ago
and brought the talent and the love and the encouragement
for these kids who live below the poverty level here
in New York.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You know, you've been doing this for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Have you seen any new shows that are out Broadway now?
Have you seen any? Did you see Shopped or any
or the New Sweeney Time?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
And I haven't seen anything. I mean, I'm looking out
at these beautiful blossoms on the trees and the quiet
of the neighborhood. And you know, when I'm not doing
one of these, then I stay home.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I stay home.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Yeah, yeah, I'm a stay at home or two ye
yeah yeah. My kid says to me, She says, Mommy,
you don't even socialize anymore. I'm like, well, honey, I'm
home with you. That's just as much fun, right. Can
I ask you about some of your best girlfriends? Like
I love the fact that you and be Arthur were
(30:06):
so close.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, Beattie was.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
She was like my best friend, you know, she was.
She was the big of it and I was a
little little of it.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
She she had a protective thing about her with me,
and I wanted to be like her, you know. And
Elaine Stretch was the same way before she got crazy stretching.
Of course, yes, you know Nancy do so, I mean, yes,
(30:39):
I haven't seen Nancy in so long, but I missed
Nancy terribly.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I used to love when she would appear on all
those shows that I used to watch.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
Absolutely nobody could sing like Nancy.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Oh I didn't know she was.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
Oh my god, she's a heck of a singer. Karen Morrow, Wow,
you know, I know.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
How about Gwen Verdon, I know you two are very close.
She was your good daddy too.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
She was you know, you dream of an idol and
all of a sudden years later you're standing next to her,
you know, and you're doing a numberical two dancing is one.
Of course, there's a Bob Fosse in there. So, but Gwen,
(31:27):
she was an extraordinary woman and she was really one
of my best friends.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, and that's a really strange feeling. I know in
my life it's happened too that the people like you
and are in my world like the people that I
grew up going oh my god. Yeah, but in some
way I kind of knew. Isn't that weird? Did you
know too? Like when you were a little kid and
you were watching Gwen Verdon or you were, you know,
(31:56):
looking at her art, going I'm going to know her.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Oh No, I know, ever ever got that, never ever
thought that, And I don't know all the time.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
All the time you see is that you know, reason
why you're you and I'm me, you know, right? But
it worked with me. It worked with me, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
You You've credited a lot of your magical thinking to
surviving hard times. In the book you talk a little
about that. And do you think that that's always who
you were? Somebody was a little bit of an optimist. Oh,
even when when times.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Were absolutely absolutely I was a positive an optimist all
the time. I never I never realized that anything could
go bad until it did. And then I made it good, right,
you know?
Speaker 1 (32:51):
And then you made it yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Yeah, and yes, then I just did.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
I'm so much of an optimist.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
No, I love to laugh, and you have a great,
very distinguishable I.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Love it absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
You have heard me laugh many a time, and I
can turn on the TV and watch comedians all day long.
I kind of hide out behind my comedians.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, and they're speaking for so many of us now
when the time where it feels like freedom of speech
is being challenged as well. Absolutely good for the comedians
right out there shaking things absolutely well. Cheata Rivera. I
want to thank you so much. I love you, Cheetah.
You're one of the best people I know, and I
am forever in your debt. Just to get to be
(33:44):
in your life and world as made mind so much better.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
Oh well, thank you, Rosie, and I adore you.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
I adore you. A memoir is the book Cheetah Rivera
Patrick Pacheco, and you should all buy it and thank you,
Thank you, Bye bye, love you see Annie, I love you.
Stick around more to come. And now we're back with
(34:28):
some questions from you. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Hi, Rosie.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Is it Rosie. It's Katie and Bridget from Michigan, and
our question for you and you only it is do
you like are you happy with how the L word ended?
As far as your character was concerned. Do you feel
like there's more story to tell? You really liked you
(34:55):
on that show. You're definitely the high in the last season,
and so I just to get your thoughts. Thanks for
taking your question.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Nice well, thank you L Word fans. Yes, I you know,
I was a fan of the original L Word. It
was the first time you saw lesbians portrayed as whole
people and relationships, and it was a groundbreaking series for
many reasons. I liked my character. I liked her in
(35:24):
all the scenes with Finley. I think that, you know,
the mothering thing of a mentoring thing in the gay
community is a real thing. And you know, older lesbians
kind of taken younger ones under their wing and his
sisterly or motherly kind of family feeling, not not in
(35:46):
any way as lovers or any capacity. And you know,
friendships in the gay community are are strong and are
often life long, and I wanted to show the reality
of that part of lesbianism as well. So I was
sad that the show got canceled, and I wish that
there would be a show coming on to replace it.
(36:10):
You know, I wish that queer storytelling and gay storylines
and lesbian drama which is what the L word was originally.
You know about lesbians, and I think maybe that niche
like perspective was missing on the on the reboot. Thank
you for asking and I'm glad you enjoyed my performance.
(36:31):
Hi Rosie, this is Kimberly.
Speaker 6 (36:33):
I'm calling from outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I don't
have a question, but I wanted to explain why I
always tell people you're part of our family. My grandmother
passed away two weeks to the day after my sweet
sixteen and it was pretty devastating for our entire family,
but of course it was most devastating for my grandfather.
(36:56):
My Grandpap was a big, strapping Irish mick who worked
most of his life in the Homestead steel mills, and
as he got older, he was continually getting hard of hearing,
and in the late nineties he developed Alzheimer's. He developed
dementia and Alzheimer's and it was very frustrating for him.
He had, as most people do. He had his good
(37:18):
days and his bad days. But your talk show was
pretty big at the time, and he found a lot
of solace in your talk show. You were his friend.
You became his friend that he would see every day,
and he would always ask is rosion or when is rosion?
And you anchored him when he was in unfamiliar places.
(37:39):
You made him smile, you made him laugh a lot.
I think he felt a kinship with you because you
sort of resemble physically his side of the family. And
so you know, in some of his darkest, darkest times,
you provided love and laughter for him, and we all
just appreciate it so much, And so I just wanted
(38:01):
to tell you that and tell you that you are
forever a part of our family, and thank you so
much for the joy you brought not only to my Grandpap,
but to millions of other people throughout the world. Thank
you bye.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
You know that is so touching. I can't even begin
to tell you what it means to me to hear
to hear you say that story about your grandfather and
losing your grandparent was tough.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Boy.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
You know, I didn't ever meet my grandfathers, but both
my grandmothers were alive and in our lives pretty prominently
until you know, I went away, my sister went away
to college. I was already in college, and then my
grandmother died. So I was a sophomore. She was a
freshman in college when my grandmother died, and it was very,
(38:47):
very tough, it really was. And I'm so glad that
I provided some comfort to your father, your grandfather or other,
and that I'm considered part of the family. And listen,
I know that look he's talking about that big headed
Irish thing, you know where you look like. You know,
you were probably peeling potatoes in the back kitchen and
(39:08):
your ancestry. You know, on twenty three in me dot
com there's a picture of you pulling out a potato
from a field somewhere. You know, those traditional Irish washer
woman bodies. That's what you know. That's what I think.
I know what he's talking about. But thank you so
much for leaving this sweet, sweet memo. I really do appreciate.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Hey, Rosie, this is Tim. I have been following you
and loving you since your days on star Search, and
I was wondering if you ever think about that and
whether or not you think star Search helped your career
or or your career or maybe it had no effect
at all. But yeah, just talk a little bit about
star Search days. Okay, love you, Thanks Tim.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Star Search was really fun. It was nineteen eighty four,
I was twenty two and I was in a comedy
club in my hometown of Huntington, Long Island, and a
woman came over and said, my dad is Ed McMahon,
and I'm gonna book you on the show. I'm one
of the talent coordinators. And I didn't think she was
telling the truth, and so I gave her my number,
(40:11):
which was my dad's house because that's where I was living,
and the next day got a phone call, and two
weeks later I was in LA and I was on
the TV show Star Search, which at the time was very,
very popular. It was, you know, one of the first
successful competition shows on TV at that time, right, so
(40:39):
you really didn't have a chance of getting on the
Tonight show if you were a woman stand up comic,
you know, and there were very few places where you
could go to be seen. And this show really opened
that up for me in a major way, and I
got national attention, and whereas before I had only been
an opening act or a MC at local clubs, I
(41:00):
got booked as a headliner. Afterwards, I won like five episodes,
I think, and like twenty something thousand dollars and I
bought a car, and I rented one room studio apartment
furnished in Sherman Oaks, California. And the car that I
bought was a Mazda six two six stick shift, which
I didn't know how to drive with no air conditioning
(41:23):
in Los Angeles, California. So that's what happened with my
Star Search money, and I think it helped my career tremendously.
I mean, everything that I've done on TV has helped
my career. I can't think of one thing that I
would say I shouldn't have done that. You know, I'm
grateful for all the opportunities, and thank you for the
question and the last memo we got. Let's hear hi, Rosie.
(41:47):
This is Cindy from Fullerton, California. To this very day,
I miss your daytime talk show. I used to record
it every day and watch it as soon as I
got home from work and get caught up on all
the TV and Broadway news. It was on your show
that I saw the cast of The Lion King for
the first time, and I remember an episode where the
entire cast of Titanic came on. They purchased a postcard
(42:09):
being sold by a young man to raise money for
his friend's mom going through cancer treatment. I still cry
every time I tell people that story. One of my
favorite parts of your show were your interactions with John
mcdee and I've been thinking about him a lot since
I've been listening to your fantastic podcast, and tonight I'm
watching the Carol Burnett ninetieth Birthday special and there is
John mcdee. Oh, it would be fantastic if you were
(42:32):
a guest on your podcast. I will look forward to
listening to your podcast as much as I enjoyed watching
your talk show. Thanks again, Rosie, take care, bye bye, well,
thank you. That is so nice of you to say.
And John McDaniel and I are still close. We're good
friends and we always will be. And I was so
proud of him too, and the Carol Burnett special that
(42:53):
he did all the musical direction, and you know, he's
so talented, He's won so many awards and all of
people who work with him adore him, including me, And yes,
I will have him on the podcast Lick at his Split.
Let's put that down on the list, and I'm sure
he will say. Yes, he's in Florida a lot of
the time, and he's got a cute little dog and
(43:15):
a cute little guy, and you know he's happy, and
I'm happy for him, and let's book that for sure.
Thank you for that suggestion. Listen, if you want to
leave me a voice memo, you got a question, you
got a suggestion, you got just something you got to
get off your chest. All you gotta do is go
to Onward Rosie at gmail dot com. How do you
(43:36):
make a voice memo? People say, well, I can only
tell you. If you have an iPhone iPhone type in
voice memo, little microphone comes up, Go press the button,
record it. Then it says where to say mail Onward
Rosie at gmail dot com attached file. You're done. That's it.
And if you have an Android, tough luck. I don't
(43:56):
have anything to say to help you. Really it just
sketchit it, maybe just shake it. Join me next week,
won't you, when our guests will be the one and
only uber talented Cameron Mannheim. So don't miss that one.
I'll see you then. Take care,
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