9-17-10 "Laird Hamilton, Charles Busch, Julie Halston and the Secret Life of Lou!"

In case you missed it...

FALL, PETE'S NEW BABY, THE RABBI SHMULEY INTERVIEW DISCUSSED AND VACATION
Rosie and the crew discussed how Fall is in the air and summer is now (pretty much) over.  Rosie doesn't like the Fall but Bobby LOVES Fall and he loves Halloween and Christmas.  Bobby, Rosie and Shoshana hate winter though.  Pete joked that he is trying to get the doctor to induce his wife Barbara on Halloween so he can name their baby Elvira.  Pete's wife is due with their third baby girl on November 4th!  The names they are considering right now are Teresa (and call her Tess), Catherine, Jaclyn and Jean.  Pete has the ultimate say with which name they will choose but he has to live peacefully with his wife so he's not going to tick her off by naming the baby something outrageous.  Janette is generally opposed to nicknames and dared anyone to call her Jan. 

Rosie talked about yesterday's interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.  She said he was very easy to talk to and she got a lot of positive responses about the interview on Rosie.com.  She said he was very fascinating and made her want to know more.  Janette, Rosie and Bobby all expressed that they want to have him back on the show.  They discussed yesterday's interview and how Rabbi Shmuley talked of his relationship he had with Michael Jackson that ultimately failed because Michael didn't want anyone around him who would criticize him.  Rosie talked about the dangers of fame.  Janette said on the set of League of Their Own Rosie wasn't very well known at the beginning of the filming. It was her first movie and she hadn't done much other than stand-up.  She said at the beginning of the filming the crowd in the stands would roar when the big stars like Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna came out.  By the end of the filming they were cheering just as loud for Rosie because she would take the time to speak to the extras and really interact with them.   Rosie said that once fame really hits you in a big way it can be hard to maintain your equilibrium. 

She then started to discuss Lady Gaga who was in the news recently for being allowed to go through airport security with handcuffs on as part of her outfit.  No one in security stopped her and she was ushered right through security.  Rosie asked the staff if they thought that was appropriate and whether or not they thought Lady Gaga should have gone through the same security as everyone else.  Janette said she gets searched (and frisked!) almost every time she goes through security!  Pete has gotten scissors through security because he has kids with him, he thinks.   Shoshana has never been stopped and can get lotions and liquids through no problem.  Bobby understands why they sped Gaga through security because it keeps the traffic flowing and it could have caused a safety issue for Gaga and the people around her.  He appreciates that they do that at airports and at Broadway shows because he does not want to be kept waiting because of the hoopla that is created when a celebrity is around. Pete read that handcuffs are not on the list of banned items from the TSA.   

Rosie went back to discussing Rabbi Shmuley and talked about his Friday Family Night idea.  Pete and Shoshana had dinner at the table with their families every single night growing up.  Rosie had that too when her mother was alive and remembered siblings being in trouble if they were late to dinner.  She said all that changed and chaos ensued after her mother died however.  Rosie said that there's something stabilizing about doing that routine dinner together although it's more difficult for her family now because of sports and being split from Kelli.  Shoshana said her TV was on during dinner every night except during Shabbat dinner on Fridays.  Pete didn't have a TV most of his childhood so his wasn't on.  Rosie said that whenever they go to a restaurant with TVs on the walls (like a sports bar) she never talks to her kids because they are always watching the TVs no matter what is on.

Janette said that Rabbi Shmuley said  a lot of brilliant things, and Rosie said she felt a warmth from him and thought she would like him to be her Rabbi.  Shoshana said that he is very "live and let live" and is always looking for the values that would make the world better.   Shoshana also said his books are very readable and easy to digest.  Rosie called him the "Supernanny of relationships."  Rosie also loves the respect and admiration he has for his wife.  Janette agreed and said how much she loves that in a man and said that she likes it when Brendan and Pete talk about their wives lovingly.  She thinks it's charming.   They mentioned his book The Broken American Male And How to Fix Him.  Pete liked how he talked about  struggle as the human condition.  Rosie agreed and said that "easy" is not always fulfilling.  She admitted she always wanted "easy" growing up but said "easy" is not always satiating. 

Rosie said it's so shocking to her that they're going on another two week vacation from 9/20 to 10/1.  She then asked everyone what their plans were.  Janette is going to Sanibel Island in Florida to look for sea shells by the sea shore for a week and is excited. Bobby's going to be working on two shows - Virtually Me and Venus Flytrap.  Pete, Bobby, Rosie and Shoshana will also be attending the RBKids Gala on Monday, 9/10.  There are still tickets available so if you're going to be in the New York area next week click HERE for more information!    And if you cannot attend the event now through 9/29 you can bid on exciting experiences on CharityBuzz.com.  All proceeds benefit Rosie's Broadway Kids! 

LAIRD HAMILTON

Rosie then introduced big wave surfer and co-inventor of tow-in surfing Laird Hamilton who called in to talk.  Laird is promoting a new book entitled The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey.  Rosie told him he was one of the best surfers she's ever seen as well as one of the most beautiful people who ever lived!  Laird and his wife, professional volleyball player, Gabrielle Reece, have three daughters ages 3,7, and 14.  Laird and Rosie talked about the challenges of raising teens with hormones and all that it does to parents. Rosie saw the movie Riding Giants and loved it.  She said a goal on her bucket list is to be on the back of the jet-ski that tows him in!  Laird said he could probably make that happen for her!  

Rosie asked Laird how he came up with the idea for tow-in surfing.  Laird said she came up with it out of boredom.  He said they were playing behind a boat one day, bored because there weren't many waves.  He caught a little wave and they implemented the technique and it's now revolutionized their ability to ride huge waves.  Laird said that riding the huge waves is an unbelievable feeling.  He said there is no time, no beginning and end and each ride like a continuation of the last.  Laird said that a lot of riding waves is instinctual and there is an extremely intense feeling of accomplishment afterward.  Laird said there is no room for distraction in big wave surfing.  They discussed the death of professional surfer Mark Foo briefly.  Laird said it just reminds them of their own mortality and that what they do is dangerous and that they need to always remember to be on their guard at all times.

Laird's father was a surfer and he was influenced by watching him. His father also rescued him a bunch of times out on the water.  Laird talked with Rosie about the meditative and spiritual aspect of surfing and being in the ocean.  Laird said that he trains hard for his sport and he always wears a flotation device and is never too proud to come into shore if the elements don't feel right.   

Rosie asked Laird what is the highest wave that has ever been ridden?  Laird wasn't sure but he said he's personally ridden a wave that was 80-100 feet!  He said in the new book The Wave by Susan Casey, she documents the biggest wave he ever surfed in Hawaii. 

Laird grew up on the island of Kuaii and has lived for the last 20 years on the island of Maui.  Rosie asked Laird if he's ever seen sharks when surfing and he said YES!  But for the amount of hours he's spent surfing, he's only seen a handful of sharks in 40 years.  He's felt them around him though and has swam to shore after that.  He's seen a 20-foot Tiger Shark and large Hammerhead sharks.  Laird has also surfed with dolphins and had an incredible dolphin experience in California where he was riding a wave with 20-40 dolphins riding with him!  Laird called The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean a "piece of art" and Rosie recommended listeners pick one up.  Rosie told Laird what a crush she has on him and thanked him for calling in.  

EVERYTHING PETE DIDN'T LEARN IN KINDERGARTEN AND THINTERVENTION IS SCARY
Pete declared that he cannot help his kindergartner with her homework.  She had a worksheet where she had two pictures and she was to circle the item that began with the letter "c."  The first one was easy it was a train and a car.  The second one was a dog and a cat.  The third one was what looked to be like a chef's hat and a cowboy hat.  Then he wasn't sure if it was a fedora or a baker's hat or a chef's hat?  He told his daughter she had to choose because he couldn't figure it out.  One time Parker had a tough homework question from school and Rosie literally got out little plastic farm animals to recreate the word problem in real life.  She still couldn't do it.  That was about the same time they decided to send their kids to Waldorf where there is no homework.

Rosie asked any of the staff members if they had seen Jackie Warner's Thintervention on Bravo.  Rosie described the show to everyone in the studio and said that tough thin women like Jackie Warner and Jillian Michaels scare her.  Rosie wondered if you can yell at someone to make them be fit and Deirdre said that you can because her personal trainer used to kick her butt!  They all decided they are going to watch this season of The Biggest Loser despite the fact that Rosie thinks they make the contestants work out to a degree that feels like they could be killing them.  They discussed the latest cast of Celebrity Rehab.   One of the cast members is addicted to pot and someone wondered if you could really be addicted to pot.  Rosie asked Janette how she's been doing since she stopped smoking pot and if she thought she was addicted to it.  Janette said that she's been doing fantastic since she quit and there's only been one night where she contemplated doing it but she did not.  Janette feels that she was addicted to it because she didn't feel in control of it.  Rosie said it was surprising to her looking back how many people were stoned or drunk on The Rosie O'Donnell Show.  She mentioned Farrah Fawcett, Bobby Brown, and Leif Garrett.  Deirdre said that Rosie was always brilliant at covering for the star that was under the influence.  Rosie said she just didn't feel like making a spectacle of the celebrity and making a big thing about it.  She admitted that everybody has bad times. 


CHARLES BUSCH AND JULIE HALSTON

Rosie then introduced Julie Halston and Charles Busch who were in the studio promoting their new play The Divine Sister.  Charles wrote the book  Taboo which was then made into a musical of which Rosie was one of the producers.  Rosie and Charles talked about how doing Taboo was a fun  experience despite the fact that it didn't do well on Broadway.  Steven Sondheim said it was one of the most underrated musicals of all time.  Charlies said he just watched several of the clips of Taboo on YouTube remembering the time they had.   Rosie said that there is no funnier play than Charles' play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife.   

Charles and Julie first met in San Francisco when she was doing a club act.  Charles was desperate for a leading lady for a play he was doing but everyone turned him down.  Julie was his last resort and he asked her to be in it.  The play ended up running for five years and that was when Charles was first able to make a living as a writer!   

Charles was raised by his aunt in Manhattan after his mother died when he was seven of a heart problem. He said he feels lucky that he had such an extraordinary woman raise him.  Rosie and Charles bonded over both losing their mothers at a very young age.  Charles said his aunt was a brilliant woman and she "got" him.  She cultivated and encouraged what interested him the most, which was theater.  He also grew up with no censor because of worrying what people thought of him.  He had many television and movie idols that he has emulated over the years but what he's realized is that by becoming the characters he creates he helps keep his mother and his aunt alive. 

Rosie, Charles and Julie discussed his new play The Divine Sister which is a homage to every serious movie that Hollywood has ever done about religion.  He said they figured out a way of doing it "on the cheap" and then they sold out the whole thing in a week on Facebook!  Now they're performing at The SoHo Playhouse for an "old-fashioned, off-Broadway experience."

Charles loves writing and is happiest when he is writing but he is also a huge reality television junkie.  He loves Survivor for example.  Rosie shared that she once came in first in a People magazine poll about which celebrity would do best on the show Survivor.  It was then that Rosie thought that the public really has no idea who she really is.  Rosie said she's too cantankerous for Survivor and the show would cause her too much panic. Charles also loves the shows Top Chef and Project Runway and said there are many lessons to be learned in reality TV.  For example, on a final challenge don't do anything you haven't done before.  He said that's a good life lesson.  He also said never throw anyone under the bus or you'll be the next to go. Charles admitted he's obsessed with Adam Lambert and Rosie said she would like to meet him too and she could arrange so that they could all have dinner!   

Rosie and Charles discussed how obvious it is that Lady Gaga has been clearly influenced by Leigh Bowery, the performance artist that the musical Taboo was about.  They talked briefly about their mutual love of Cher and Julie said she's always been obsessed with the Beatles.  One night they were performing together and Paul McCartney came to a performance!  Charles told Julie just before that performance began that Paul was in the audience and she literally froze and was speechless.  Charles thought of slapping her and then picked her up and said "You're a Killa!"  She said they nailed their performance that night and they have pictures with him backstage.  Rosie once found out that Shirley MacLaine was in the audience when she was performing in Seussical and she said she danced that night like Chita Rivera!

They talked about the joy of doing live theater and when Rosie went on the Howard Stern show and talked about how wonderful it is to do 8 shows a week with the same group of people like a family.  Rosie said it's exhausting doing Broadway but it's the most alive she ever feels.  She said that every time a crisis happens in her life, theater is her life-raft.  Rosie said that she's doing a workshop of her book Find Me.  She said it's a solo piece and it's going to be directed by Dick Scanlin and Michael Mayor.  She's nervous because she's never exposed as much as she has in this show but she's excited too.   Rehearsals for it start soon.   

Rosie said she's going to be on T.V. in September 2011 but she's going to start doing a documentary series for OWN in January.  Rosie talked about how she'd rather work for Oprah rather than try to replace her.  She said that her show will hopefully be taped from The New World Stages or somewhere off Broadway so they can still have a Broadway feel to it.   

The Divine Sister opens on September 22nd so get your tickets now!

GAME - THE SECRET LIFE OF LOU
It has been discovered that there are many many stories about Lou that no one knows about so Brendan created a new segment: The Secret Life of Lou!  

During this game Brendan has a fact about Lou and they are going to go around the room and they can ask 20 questions to figure out what Lou's secret is.  Each player can ask a question and then they have an opportunity to guess the secret.  But if they guess it wrong they're out.  Each player gets 4 questions each. 

HINT: Two years ago Lou underwent a major medical procedure. 
Rosie asked if it have to do with his stomach. He said no. 
Shoshana asked was it cosmetic.  He said no.
Bobby asked if it required anesthesia. He said yes.
Janette asked if it caused him to have trouble peeing.  He said no.
Pete asked if it left a scar they can see.  He said yes

Rosie asked if it had to do with a limb.  He said no.
Shoshana asked if it had to do with his mouth.  He said no.
Bobby asked if it was due to an accident.  He said no.
Janette asked if the location of the surgery was on the neck or above.  He said yes.
Pete asked if it was a procedure that removed a skin cancer.  He said no.

Rosie asked if it involved tonsils or adenoids.  He said no and then asked what's an adenoid.  Then he said yes, in that area.
Shoshana asked if it was on his neck.  He said yes.
Bobby asked if it was on his vocal chords.  He said no.
Janette asked if it was structural or skeletal.  He said no.  Then she guessed it was his thyroid which it was not so she was OUT.
Pete asked if the doctors ever told him exactly what it was.  He said no. 

FINAL ROUND
Rosie asked if it involved a suspected tumor or growth.  He said yes.  She guessed Lou had a tumor or growth removed from his neck area.  That was CORRECT!

Rosie won.  Lou said that he had a benign mass the size of a grapefruit removed from his neck that grew to that size within a two week period.  He said one day it was not there and then it was!  The doctors told him it was an infected mass but that was all.   

Rosie was the winner so she got the sticker on the board.  Rosie is now tied with Pete and Shoshana.

Rosie closed the show letting listeners know that they will be off until October 4th.  Brendan said that for the next two weeks they will be airing the very first episodes of Rosie Radio for the first weeks they went on the air!  He said you're going to want to tune into Rosie Rewind!

and that's what you missed -kw