This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:12] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila.

[0:15] Bruce Gotlieb: I am here with Bruce.

[0:17] Eila Mell: Hello there, Bruce.

[0:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, that was Emma Stone and Ben Stiller.

[0:22] Eila Mell: Yes, that was the first time Emma was ever at an Oscar award. So she was, she wanted to do a bit. She wanted to have her moment.

[0:30] Bruce Gotlieb: True.

[0:31] Eila Mell: You know, just was like, they just want the award. They don't want this.

[0:35] Eila Mell: Well, Emma Stone, you know, got everyone talking this past Oscars because she came with this pixie cut. And now we know why, because it's for, she had to shave her head for this movie, Begonia.

[0:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[0:46] Eila Mell: Which, you know, applies to her because not everybody would do that.

[0:50] Bruce Gotlieb: No.

[0:51] Eila Mell: And she probably didn't have to do it. You know, she probably, she's a big enough deal that she could have said, I'm not shaving my head, but she did. She was committed.

[1:00] Bruce Gotlieb: And I'm sure it looks way better than having a bald cap on.

[1:03] Eila Mell: I'm sure. But you know, if somebody were to do a bald cap for Halloween, you know, the bald cap that she's getting from these, you know, professionals that the work, some of the work that these Hollywood makeup artists do is.

[1:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Otherworldly.

[1:15] Eila Mell: No, absolutely. But still, maybe she just didn't want to sit and have it put on every day. Who knows?

[1:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Maybe.

[1:21] Eila Mell: I appreciate the commitment though. Who knows? But you know, she has a good face. She can pull it off.

[1:27] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[1:28] Eila Mell: Exactly. Not everyone looks as good bald.

[1:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, and not everyone can pull a pixie cut off either.

[1:34] Eila Mell: That's true.

[1:35] Bruce Gotlieb: That is true.

[1:36] Eila Mell: I've never had a pixie cut.

[1:38] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, it's never too late to try.

[1:40] Eila Mell: Yeah. I'm a long hair person.

[1:42] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[1:43] Eila Mell: All right. Well, yeah. So I would like to segue because, um, you know, my hair length is not really that important. Um, but I did see a really great play. I got to see our pal Kara Young in Gruesome Playground Injuries, and it's actually written by our guest Rajiv Joseph, not our guest today, but our former guest.

[2:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[2:03] Eila Mell: It's Kara and Nicholas Braun, who most people know from Succession.

[2:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[2:08] Eila Mell: He was wonderful in that.

[2:09] Bruce Gotlieb: He was, and he's so very different in this. They play two lifelong friends. They meet when they're eight years old and it takes them up to 38.

[2:16] Eila Mell: So it's 30 years.

[2:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[2:18] Eila Mell: And each scene is a different point in time. And sometimes we repeat certain ages and it's really interesting.

[2:24] Bruce Gotlieb: So what's funny and, you know, I noticed it right away is that Kara is teeny tiny.

[2:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[2:30] Eila Mell: Maybe she's five, two, maybe.

[2:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Right, right, right.

[2:33] Eila Mell: And me too. Same thing. And Nicholas Braun is, I looked it up, six foot seven.

[2:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[2:38] Eila Mell: He's a tall guy.

[2:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[2:40] Eila Mell: So thankfully, um, there was a little platform when they had to, you know, be sort of matched height wise that helped, but their chemistry is so good. They really work well together.

[2:48] Bruce Gotlieb: Amazing.

[2:49] Eila Mell: Yeah. You know, you believe that they're the same age. They probably are. I have no idea how old either one of them is.

[2:55] Bruce Gotlieb: It's called Gruesome Playground Injuries. And the first scene, it's not a spoiler because the play starts with this, but they're in a school nurse's office.

[3:03] Eila Mell: Okay.

[3:04] Bruce Gotlieb: And one of them has an injury.

[3:06] Eila Mell: Got it.

[3:07] Bruce Gotlieb: And it's sort of their injuries throughout the years. And his are more external and hers are more internal.

[3:12] Eila Mell: Interesting.

[3:13] Bruce Gotlieb: And their friendship, they become best friends, um, from this one meeting at eight years old. So Kara plays an eight year old so believably.

[3:21] Eila Mell: Well, it was really, you know, we've had adults playing children on Broadway for whatever reasons. And it, it often works this. She actually looks like she was eight and, you know, and she's womanly in her normal everyday, you know, her regular persona, but she's such a good actress that she just really is so masterful.

[3:39] Bruce Gotlieb: And then, um, Nicholas Braun, my favorite age for him was 13. He was so good. He just captured like the energy of a 13 year old boy and the awkwardness. And, you know, I think his height worked for him in that because he, he was able to play into just being sort of lanky and maybe physically awkward.

[3:58] Eila Mell: Sure.

[3:59] Bruce Gotlieb: And he wasn't that way when he played the character older, it was really very interesting to see them age.

[4:05] Eila Mell: Yeah. Neil Pepe directed it. What he chose to do was have them change on stage. You, there were, you could see the wings, not the real wings, but there was like wing space sort of on each side of the stage and each had their own side. And they each, well, I don't know if they each had a sink, but he had a sink with running water because he, he needed to clean up the injuries and then apply new injuries.

[4:30] Bruce Gotlieb: And we got to see that.

[4:31] Eila Mell: So we saw, yeah, we saw them sort of age into a different point in time with their characters. And also, you know, put on the injuries and she would help him sometimes bandage him up or, you know, apply the makeup he was using for blood. It was really very thought provoking, very interesting, different from a lot of stuff that I've seen.

[4:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay. So, it's at the Lucille Lortel Theater. Every seat is a good seat. The crowd was so enthusiastic. Wendell Pierce was there the night I was there.

[5:00] Eila Mell: Oh, how fun.

[5:01] Bruce Gotlieb: You know, from my beloved Elsbeth.

[5:03] Eila Mell: Yes.

[5:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Plus, you know, obviously his stage work, but well, of course.

[5:07] Eila Mell: Yeah. And lots of friends in the audience. So that was nice. So everyone should head to the Lortel Theater and check it out, I think.

[5:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. It's very different.

[5:16] Eila Mell: Yeah. It's so good. 90 minutes, no intermission.

[5:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Excellent.

[5:21] Eila Mell: Okay. And to add a bonus, I went to the snack counter and I got freeze dried strawberries, which were incredible. So I'm giving them a good review too.

[5:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Today we have a special.

[5:32] Eila Mell: Well, for you and I may be more special, but we know there were fans out there that feel the same way we do.

[5:38] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, it's so universal. I think for maybe people of a certain, I don't know, a certain age, but maybe not. I mean, people just love Annie. We have one of the Annie's, Rosanne Sorrentino was Annie in the third national tour.

[5:53] Eila Mell: Is that right?

[5:54] Rosanne Sorrentino: That's right.

[5:55] Eila Mell: And then she was Pepper in the movie.

[5:57] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh my gosh.

[5:58] Eila Mell: So, I mean, she has all kinds of just really fun stories about the process for her, her time with all of the people. So let us not tell you what she's going to tell us. Let's just bring her out.

[6:09] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, here comes Rosanne.

[6:12] Rosanne Sorrentino: Bruce, if you know anything about me, you know, I mean, what do I love more than almost anything in the whole world?

[6:18] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, you love Annie almost as much as I do.

[6:21] Rosanne Sorrentino: I'm just so much. I will be. I will admit it. I was telling Rosanne off air before we started recording that every day after school, when I was little, me and my best friend at the time, Rita, we would, whenever a parent was picking us up and taking us back to whosoever's apartment in Queens, every day after school, we would sit in front of the TV and we will watch Annie. We knew every word, every line.

[6:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: I love that.

[6:46] Eila Mell: For me, I would go home and listen to the original cast album. So, you know, that's, that's the difference between us first. But anyway, let's welcome to our show, a former Annie, Rosanne Sorrentino.

[7:00] Rosanne Sorrentino: Hello.

[7:01] Eila Mell: Hello.

[7:02] Rosanne Sorrentino: Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be joining you both.

[7:06] Bruce Gotlieb: So you're Annie, but also Pepper in the movie.

[7:09] Rosanne Sorrentino: That is correct. I did. When I aged out of the role of Annie, then they cast me as Pepper in the film.

[7:15] Eila Mell: Is that stressful worrying about, you know, when you're going to age out?

[7:19] Rosanne Sorrentino: It wasn't as a kid. I mean, I did, I did the touring company, the third national tour for a year and a half. And I would have done another six months. And they were like, Oh, you have boobs.

[7:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[7:30] Rosanne Sorrentino: I was like, damn it. So, so I had to leave. And, but at that time they were starting to cast for the film.

[7:36] Eila Mell: Oh, perfect.

[7:37] Rosanne Sorrentino: It, it, the timing kind of worked out really well. So I was happy about that.

[7:42] Bruce Gotlieb: Did you still have to be then part of that? I'm assuming could have been, had to be like a cattle call process for the movie, or did you have a little bit of an in because of playing Annie?

[7:52] Rosanne Sorrentino: Well, I did have a little bit of an in while I was touring for Annie Garrison, true, who was the casting director for the film came to see me perform. And he wanted me to be Annie in the film. But by the time they started making it, I was too tall.

[8:06] Eila Mell: So I know only time in my life I've ever been too tall.

[8:09] Rosanne Sorrentino: I'm four 11 and three quarters.

[8:12] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh my God.

[8:13] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. So I'm not, I'm not breaking any records in the height department.

[8:17] Eila Mell: I would think you could play Annie with that height, but...

[8:20] Rosanne Sorrentino: One would think, but Albert Finney had to be short. Cause my daddy wore bucks was six, four.

[8:26] Bruce Gotlieb: You had hard to press now, right?

[8:29] Rosanne Sorrentino: I did. I did. I saw him when I saw the show on Broadway. He was amazing.

[8:34] Bruce Gotlieb: He was amazing. And then of course, everyone fell in love with him in Fargo.

[8:38] Rosanne Sorrentino: Of course. Yes.

[8:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. Oh, it was, he was the, I mean, what a great experience for your first time out ever.

[8:44] Rosanne Sorrentino: But sure. So then when, when the casting for the movie came, they got my agent and everything, and they got me an audition with John Houston for the role of Pepper. And so you didn't.

[8:56] Eila Mell: Oh, I don't know why, but I figured everybody auditioned for Annie and then they sort of went in different directions.

[9:02] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah.

[9:03] Eila Mell: No.

[9:04] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, okay. I did. I specifically, and that was actually a very funny process because I'm sitting in the waiting room to audition and this woman comes out and she's like, Roseanne Sorrentino. And I like right here. And she goes, okay. And what role are you auditioning for? And I said, Pepper. And she said, Oh, Oh no, Mr. Houston will never give you the role. You're too pretty. And I went, Oh, all right, well, let me audition anyway. And I got the role. So I was like, maybe I'm not too pretty for the role. I don't know. That was probably one of the other mothers trying to set me up.

[11:51] Eila Mell: Welcome back to Behind the Awards. Today, we have a very special guest, Rosanne Sorrentino, who is known for her role as Pepper in the film Annie and has had quite an incredible journey in the entertainment industry.

[12:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, Rosanne has an amazing story to share, from being a child actress to her recent work in film and stand-up comedy. We're excited to dive into her experiences.

[12:49] Eila Mell: Absolutely! Rosanne, can you tell us a bit about your early days in theater and how you got started?

[13:09] Rosanne Sorrentino: Sure! I started at a very young age, and my first big role was playing Annie in the third national tour. It was such a pivotal moment for me, and I loved every second of it.

[13:34] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s incredible! And you also played Pepper in the movie alongside some legendary actors. What was that experience like?

[13:59] Rosanne Sorrentino: It was surreal! Working with Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, and Tim Curry was a dream come true. I learned so much from them, and it really shaped my career.

[14:24] Eila Mell: It sounds like you had some amazing mentors. Did you have any memorable moments on set that stand out to you?

[14:49] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, definitely! I remember one day when we were filming a scene, and Carol Burnett made everyone laugh so hard that we had to take a break. Those moments of joy really made the experience special.

[15:14] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s fantastic! And now, you’ve transitioned into stand-up comedy. How has that journey been for you?

[15:29] Rosanne Sorrentino: It’s been a lot of fun! I’ve been performing stand-up for the past four years, and it’s a different kind of thrill. I love connecting with the audience and sharing my stories.

[15:54] Eila Mell: Speaking of stories, you mentioned meeting the President. Can you share that experience with us?

[16:19] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes! I had the opportunity to meet President Obama during a charity event. It was such an honor, and I was so nervous! But he was incredibly kind and down-to-earth.

[16:32] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s amazing! And I hear you’ve also had some fun playdates with Sarah Jessica Parker?

[16:57] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes! We had trampoline playdates with our kids. It was such a blast, and it was great to bond over parenting while having fun.

[17:22] Eila Mell: That sounds like a wonderful experience! Now, let’s talk about your recent projects. You’re in a new film called Called To Duty, right?

[17:51] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes, I am! It’s been exciting to reunite with my Annie co-star, Toni Ann Gisondi, and work alongside Joseph Baena. The film is available On Demand, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

[18:20] Bruce Gotlieb: We’re looking forward to it! And how has your experience been transitioning from acting to education and back to performing?

[18:49] Rosanne Sorrentino: It’s been a journey! I recently retired from 30 years in education, and now I’m focusing on performing again. I love meeting my fans and sharing my experiences with them.

[19:18] Eila Mell: That’s wonderful! It’s clear you have a passion for both teaching and performing. What advice would you give to young performers starting out today?

[19:47] Rosanne Sorrentino: I would say to stay true to yourself and never give up. The industry can be tough, but if you love what you do, it will shine through.

[20:16] Bruce Gotlieb: Great advice! And before we wrap up, can you tell us about your favorite memory from your time in theater?

[20:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: One of my favorite memories was performing on stage in front of a live audience. The energy and connection you feel with the audience is indescribable.

[21:14] Eila Mell: That’s beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us today, Rosanne. It’s been a pleasure having you on the show.

[21:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, thank you, Rosanne! We can’t wait to see what you do next.

[22:12] Rosanne Sorrentino: Thank you both! It’s been a joy to be here.

[22:41] Eila Mell: And to our listeners, make sure to check out Rosanne’s new film, Called To Duty, and stay tuned for more episodes of Behind the Awards.

[23:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Until next time, keep celebrating excellence in theater, film, and TV!

[23:43] Rosanne Sorrentino: Loved Annie. Loved it. And when I was touring, we were in Norfolk, Virginia, and the USS Nimitz was coming home with the soldiers, and the families were all waiting there. And me and Harv, and the dog, went to perform for the families. And then, all of a sudden, here comes a helicopter, here comes Secret Service, here they all come, and Jimmy Carter and Rosalind Carter get off the plane, and he sees me, and he goes, I know who you are, and arms out, and just hugged me, and Rosalind was lovely, and I was like, I'm meeting the President of the United States. And as I got older, I realized, I met the President of the United States, and he was excited to meet you. It doesn't matter what side you're on, what you think, or what everything, it's the President.

It's a big deal. Coolest, coolest thing. And then, I didn't meet Ronald Reagan, but years later, a bunch of the Annies, and the orphans, and stuff were invited to perform at the White House for the annual East Egg Roll. And so, how cool. Yeah. So, it's a lot of cool opportunities, and meetings have come my way because of it. I mean, I got to perform for Robert Goulet.

[24:55] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Robert, did you know who he was at the time?

[25:00] Rosanne Sorrentino: I did, because I love A Chorus Line.

[25:03] Laura Bell Bundy: Right.

[25:04] Rosanne Sorrentino: And I love that line, Robert Goulet, Robert Goulet, oh my God, Robert Goulet. So, you know, I did that line when I met him backstage.

[25:12] Laura Bell Bundy: And you must have loved it.

[25:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: He did, he laughed, he did. That's great. That's perfect. Yeah. Oh my gosh, the best stories.

[25:23] Laura Bell Bundy: I am Laura Bell Bundy, and Behind the Awards will be right back.

[25:27] Rosanne Sorrentino: So, now, let's talk about the movie. Sure. So, my friend is actually Carol Burnett, and so, I know that you must have had the best time working with her.

[25:35] Laura Bell Bundy: Wait, she's your friend?

[25:37] Rosanne Sorrentino: She's my friend. Yeah. Okay. Let me tell you something about Carol Burnett, that I'm sure you know everything, she's your friend. But, so, obviously, I wasn't old enough to watch the original Carol Burnett show, but I watched every single episode of the Carol Burnett show. I adored it. Yeah. When I found out that she was going to be Miss Hagen, I almost passed out.

[25:58] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah, no better choice.

[25:59] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right. So, then, I'm like, oh God, I hope she's nice. Because, you know, you don't know, right?

[26:05] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[26:06] Rosanne Sorrentino: She would hang out with us on the set. Yeah. She would talk to us like we were humans. At one point, we were waiting in between a scene, and they were doing something, and all the kids were around, and I said, I watched every episode of your show, every single one. She's like, you did? Because what was your favorite? And I said, well, I really liked Eunice. Yeah. And we started doing some stuff. Like, I was improv-ing with Carol Burnett, okay? I was 12.

[26:31] Laura Bell Bundy: Wow. Amazing, guys.

[26:33] Rosanne Sorrentino: It was like, blew my mind. And then, we were filming Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile, and I got very sick. I got like 104 fever.

[26:41] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh.

[26:42] Rosanne Sorrentino: And, of course, the show must go on. So, they were looking for somewhere for me to lay down, because they gave us, all right, this is how we were treated on the film, the kids, okay? All the stars got these nice trailers.

[26:54] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[26:55] Rosanne Sorrentino: With air conditioning, all the other stuff.

[26:57] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[26:58] Rosanne Sorrentino: Now, this is the summertime in Burbank, and they gave us these little mini, I called them a hot box, because they had no air conditioning, and it was literally this metal box.

[27:07] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, my God. Wow. Did you have to share it with any of the other kids?

[27:11] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, no. It was mine, but you couldn't go in it. You'd die of death in there.

[27:17] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, my God.

[27:18] Rosanne Sorrentino: So, they were looking for someplace for me to rest in between takes, and none of the other adults were too keen on letting the sick kid lay in their trailer, except for Carol.

[27:27] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, of course.

[27:28] Rosanne Sorrentino: And she even came in at one point, and did the typical mom thing, where she put her lips against my forehead to feel if I was pulling off. I mean, I will never, ever forget that.

[27:39] Laura Bell Bundy: How can you?

[27:40] Rosanne Sorrentino: Her kindness, her genuine goodness as a person, she was wonderful. And I've never heard anybody say a bad thing about her, and people always ask me, is Carol Burnett nice? And I go, she is as nice as you think she'll be, and then nicer.

[27:57] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[27:58] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right. Her talent, which is bigger than almost anyone's, right, doesn't come anywhere near how nice she is, and what a good person she is.

[28:06] Laura Bell Bundy: Exactly. It's true. And I just adored the fact that I got to work with her. And with so many legends you got to work with. John Huston, oh, my gosh.

[28:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah.

[28:15] Laura Bell Bundy: John Huston, Anne Reinking.

[28:17] Rosanne Sorrentino: Anne Reinking.

[28:18] Laura Bell Bundy: Albertine Curry.

[28:20] Rosanne Sorrentino: Bernadette Peters.

[28:21] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, yes, Bernadette Peters.

[28:23] Rosanne Sorrentino: I know. It really was quite a star-studded cast. You didn't have scenes with all of them, but did you get to meet all of them and spend time?

[28:31] Rosanne Sorrentino: I did. The only one I didn't really have a scene with was Anne Reinking.

[28:35] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[28:36] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Otherwise, I had scenes with almost everybody. Tim and Bernadette, we had that one scene with them, and they were very nice. Not going to say they weren't. I don't think they were super kid-friendly.

[28:46] Laura Bell Bundy: Right.

[28:47] Rosanne Sorrentino: You know?

[28:48] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[28:49] Rosanne Sorrentino: But Ed Herman, amazing. Albert Finney.

[28:53] Laura Bell Bundy: Albert Finney, he would tell us all little jokes and riddles and stuff while he was in the makeup chair getting ready. Jeffrey Holder.

[29:00] Rosanne Sorrentino: Wow.

[29:01] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah.

[29:02] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right? I mean-

[29:03] Laura Bell Bundy: That's right. I forgot.

[29:05] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Everybody was super nice. Super nice. And who choreographed the movie? I don't remember that.

[29:12] Laura Bell Bundy: Arlene Phillips.

[29:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: Okay.

[29:15] Laura Bell Bundy: And she's from-

[29:16] Rosanne Sorrentino: She's also a director, right?

[29:18] Laura Bell Bundy: She might be now. She was from London.

[29:21] Rosanne Sorrentino: And so she was the choreographer. That just must have been a dream to get to work on that movie, because every kid auditioned for that. Any kid who had any interest in acting auditioned for that movie, and you got it. I mean, not a lot of kids got those main roles.

[29:35] Rosanne Sorrentino: No. And actually, when I think back on it now, the role of Pepper in the film was really a much better role than it was in the play.

[29:42] Laura Bell Bundy: I was going to say, you actually, your Pepper had a character arc.

[29:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. She was a bit of a bully in the beginning. Maybe took a minute to warm up to who she was, but by the end of the movie, she was like, she warmed up and she was like, taking care of her girls.

[29:56] Laura Bell Bundy: Right. Yeah. Yeah. Which is how I think she was in the play, but you really didn't get that. And they did so much more with her. They really showed her as the leader.

[30:05] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah.

[30:06] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah. And people will come up to me all the time and go, oh my God, Pepper was my favorite character.

[30:10] Rosanne Sorrentino: That's amazing. And you know, it's funny because I love TikTok. I go on TikTok all the time, but people share things with me, and then I've started getting tagged in things. And there's this whole Pepper underworld. They have Pepper montages, their screen names are, I love Pepper, and it's my picture.

[30:27] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh my gosh.

[30:28] Rosanne Sorrentino: I know. It's crazy.

[30:29] Laura Bell Bundy: That's incredible.

[30:30] Rosanne Sorrentino: It really is. It really, really is. And if I comment or like one of their videos.

[30:36] Laura Bell Bundy: Forget about it.

[30:37] Rosanne Sorrentino: Forget it. Forget it.

[30:39] Laura Bell Bundy: Wow.

[30:40] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. It's so funny. Do your kids appreciate how people love you?

[30:44] Laura Bell Bundy: They do. They do.

[30:46] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, that's nice. They actually have always told people, you know, like they would tell their friends in school if the subject came up, you know, and usually if the movie was on or whatever, you'd hear some kid go, oh yeah, I was watching Annie last night. And then they'd be like, my mom's Pepper.

[31:03] Laura Bell Bundy: And they're like, no, she isn't.

[31:05] Rosanne Sorrentino: She is. You know, so I'm not going to do it. But when was the last time anyone asked you to sing Tomorrow?

[31:12] Laura Bell Bundy: Probably yesterday.

[31:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: People ask all the time.

[31:16] Laura Bell Bundy: That's so funny.

[31:17] Rosanne Sorrentino: And I don't, you know, I don't ever, ever mind. But when did I sing it recently? I do some work with PG's Playhouse of New York City, which is an organization that helps families and children with Down syndrome classes and things like that. And every year they have a gala and they have a Broadway night, cabaret night. So the first time I did the gala, I sang Tomorrow and I had to lower the key, man. Now, that song is high.

[31:42] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah, it is.

[31:43] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah, high belt.

[31:44] Laura Bell Bundy: Yes, it certainly is.

[31:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: So I was like, oh man, it is. It's a different world when you get older and you try to sing that song. You know, people ask me sometimes if I do a cameo or something, people say, oh, can you sing Tomorrow? I'll sing a little bit of it.

[32:01] Laura Bell Bundy: Yeah, and whatnot.

[32:02] Rosanne Sorrentino: But yeah, I do get asked. It's so amazing because it's one of those movies that really is a classic. And so like generation after generation keeps discovering it. So it's, you know, that's nice to be part of something like that.

[32:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, when I was so I was an English teacher for like 20 years and then I became an administrator. And so what would happen is the music teachers would always show the classes. They'd show them Annie.

[32:27] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, how funny.

[32:28] Rosanne Sorrentino: That's for assistant principal. And so then they would come down to my office and they like peek in the door and true.

[32:36] Laura Bell Bundy: And I go, oh, wow. Did you ever bring pictures from, you know, from play and from the movie, like behind the scenes stuff to show the kids at school?

[32:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: I didn't have to. They all had phones. They Googled me.

[32:48] Laura Bell Bundy: That's true.

[32:49] Rosanne Sorrentino: I mean, all different worlds.

[32:50] Laura Bell Bundy: You're right.

[32:51] Rosanne Sorrentino: So they would be like, Miss, we Googled you last night. We saw your pictures. They were just they were really great. And actually, I was I was lucky enough on the 45th anniversary. My school wanted to do Annie Junior.

[33:05] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, wow.

[33:06] Rosanne Sorrentino: And they were like, will you be Miss Hannigan?

[33:09] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, perfect.

[33:10] Rosanne Sorrentino: And they said, twist my arm.

[33:13] Laura Bell Bundy: Well, I don't know if you know this. You probably do. But Bill gave us a bit of a scoop. And he said there may be a 50th anniversary production in the works.

[33:22] Rosanne Sorrentino: He did.

[33:23] Laura Bell Bundy: So, you know, for whatever it's worth throwing that information out there, maybe I'll get to come full circle.

[33:30] Rosanne Sorrentino: That would be amazing.

[33:32] Laura Bell Bundy: Oh, for what? Miss Hannigan, that would be.

[33:34] Rosanne Sorrentino: I know, right? What a great what a great part, though, too, right? It's just how much fun.

[33:39] Rosanne Sorrentino: It's it's really such a, you know, if I could go back for a minute, when we were doing the film, she was trying to, you know, Miss Hannigan's supposed to be drunk and everything. And we were in between.

[36:05] Rosanne Sorrentino: I'm writing movies now. That's right. You're the pro. Get that girl a director's chair.

[36:13] Bruce Gotlieb: So cool that she wasn't like, get out of here, kid. You're bothering me. Like, she's like, really? And I went, yeah. And she loved it. So she got a whistle.

[36:19] Rosanne Sorrentino: I just assumed it was, you know.

[36:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. Why would they eliminate that?

[36:25] Rosanne Sorrentino: I don't know that. You know, why sing tomorrow when she met the dog? These are questions I'll never have answers to.

[36:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. Exactly. Exactly. For me, the movie just couldn't be the play. I just wanted it to be exactly the play. And it wasn't. So, you know, there was a little of a, like my mind was blown that this isn't what I signed up for.

[36:36] Rosanne Sorrentino: Well, yeah. And, you know, I guess as I got older, I realized that when you go and you make a movie about something, you have to go a little bigger than life. But there were changes that they made that I couldn't get behind. And the two were, she did not sing tomorrow when she met the dog.

[37:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[37:02] Rosanne Sorrentino: And they made it 4th of July and not Christmas.

[37:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[37:08] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Christmas was such a part of the story.

[37:14] Bruce Gotlieb: It was. It was a new year, a new beginning, a new start.

[37:18] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right. Because a whole new deal for Christmas.

[37:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, exactly. In the lyric.

[37:26] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. So those are the things. And I don't know, would it have been as good if they kept it that way? I don't know. But, you know, definitely there were liberties taken.

[37:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[37:32] Rosanne Sorrentino: And like that. The best change for the movie was Anne Reinking getting her big number. That was great.

[37:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. Oh, my God. Watching her in that yellow dress. I mean.

[37:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: That changed Bruce's life, I think. He loves that. Her dance, the way she was just.

[37:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, I know. Effortless.

[37:54] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Yeah. She left her leg up in the air. I'd be like, I think about that now. And I'm like, my leg would snap up.

[38:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. And she couldn't have been all that young when she was doing it, too.

[38:08] Rosanne Sorrentino: No. So she was. Yeah. She made it just look like, can everybody do this?

[38:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And you got to be there for. I mean, that's amazing to me.

[38:20] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah, it was. It's pretty amazing stuff. You know, when I think about it and I went on to have my normal, dull, boring life, but I'll always have that.

[38:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Now, when you were done with the movie, did you consider doing more movies or doing more theater? What happened at that point?

[38:33] Rosanne Sorrentino: I did. And I continued to audition and it became it became a couple of things. It always came down to me and the other girl and the other girl always got it. And then it came to too old to play young, too young to play old.

[38:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[38:47] Rosanne Sorrentino: And for me, I was living still on Long Island. So every time my parents got divorced, my mom had to get a job. Nobody was able to take me into the city, you know.

[39:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[39:03] Rosanne Sorrentino: So all of these things. And then I said to myself, I said, you know, I need to just go to school. I can revisit this again when I'm 18.

[39:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure. Right.

[39:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: And then when I turned eight, of course, I did the school plays. I did every school play.

[39:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, right.

[39:20] Rosanne Sorrentino: And then when I turned 18, I gave it a hand part in attempt. And I said, you know, I have to have a plan B.

[39:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[39:32] Rosanne Sorrentino: I knew I wanted a family and I knew I wanted all of these things. And so, you know, I'm a performer, whether I'm on a stage in front of people or in front of a classroom. I did five shows a day to a captive audience.

[39:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[39:44] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. And if you wanted an A, they better laugh at my jokes. I mean, you know, so.

[39:50] Bruce Gotlieb: But it also sounds like and correct me if I'm wrong, but maybe acting wasn't your dream, but Annie was your dream and you got to do that.

[40:01] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes. And so then probably nothing would have matched that anyway for you.

[40:06] Bruce Gotlieb: I think you could be I think you could be right there. And, you know, performing is my passion.

[40:10] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah.

[40:11] Bruce Gotlieb: And when you're a teacher, you are a performer. And the things that my teaching career has given me numerous relationships, impacts on children, having children come back and their kids going, you are my mom's teacher. I was like, OK, say that again. I'm going to give you an F.

[40:27] Rosanne Sorrentino: But just meeting all sorts of people through my career and it was very satisfying. And I think as a kid to go in and so quickly get hit with that level of success.

[40:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[40:36] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right. And then to come home and kids are taking your hat and tossing it around the cafeteria and you're just a normal person and then you go to college and then your struggles here and struggles there. It took me a little while to realize that fame didn't equal success.

[41:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[41:01] Rosanne Sorrentino: Well, I think people think on the outside that it's going to be something that it never really is. Right. And I realized I could be successful in other ways. And how nice that you get to revisit it now and then you get that that little spark of magic again, the 40th anniversary, you know, 45th, whatever it might be, to just get that little Annie recharge.

[41:16] Rosanne Sorrentino: I have called Annie for years now and I'll continue to say Annie is the gift that keeps on giving because it has impacted my life in so many ways, just from being in the classroom when when I my friends and I'll meet their friends and they'll be like, can we tell them? Yes. And then people get excited and it just it opens a lot of doors.

[41:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[41:37] Rosanne Sorrentino: And just to meet people and build relationships and things. So so it's it's given me a lot. And now I go with the girl, Tony, and I play Molly and we do a lot of like comic cons and meet and greets.

[42:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, amazing.

[42:05] Rosanne Sorrentino: So nice. And it's really, you know, Bruce, so many people and so many men have said to me, I watched Annie all the time.

[42:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, I love the you know, and we get to hear all these stories from people about how Annie has impacted them one way or another. Some people, it was just a movie that they liked other people. It resonated with them. There was something about it. You know, it was their childhood.

[42:31] Rosanne Sorrentino: So those are just really cool gifts that I keep getting.

[42:36] Bruce Gotlieb: It's fantastic. You know, what's so great, right, is that you have, you know, this, you know, people know you when, you know, our friend Jackie, you know, we have a mutual friend, Jackie Martling. And as soon as he said your name, I knew who you are. I know your name. It's just if you like Annie, you know who was involved with Annie.

[42:58] Rosanne Sorrentino: But you also, you know, as someone who worked in education, you got to really, really impact people's lives in a way that an actor can. So you've touched so many people in different ways in different, you know, in your two different worlds really have gotten to help people. And that's amazing.

[43:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah, it really is. I had a great career. I did retire two years ago.

[43:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Congratulations.

[43:21] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah, they pulled me back.

[43:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, I know.

[43:23] Rosanne Sorrentino: Working every day since September. I got they needed an assistant principal for a few months. I don't know how long it's going to last. But in the same district that I worked in, I love it. I get to go back now on my terms.

[43:32] Bruce Gotlieb: And yeah, it's a little easier that way.

[43:34] Rosanne Sorrentino: And I still see kids that I that were in sixth grade two years ago. Now I see them in ninth grade and and people that I worked with. And so it's it's it's fun. It's it's I've had a very cool life and a very fulfilling life. And I'm just very grateful for all that I have.

[43:59] Bruce Gotlieb: It's really it's very special what you've been able to do. This has been so brave for us. Thank you so much for joining us. This was such a thrill.

[44:04] Rosanne Sorrentino: And Isla, I don't know if you can make out what's over her if you've been staring at it or know what's over her shoulder.

[44:14] Bruce Gotlieb: No, I see a graduation picture.

[44:20] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, my God, I didn't see that. Oh, my God. So everyone, Roseanne tilted her camera and it's her Annie costume.

[44:27] Rosanne Sorrentino: Oh, my God. That is my original red Annie dress. My original shoes and the locket is hanging in there as well.

[44:32] Bruce Gotlieb: And oh, my gosh, because I know for so long, the dress got worn out and they had to make me another one. Well, they said that I could keep that.

[44:39] Rosanne Sorrentino: Wow. That's huge. That's a great memento.

[44:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[44:47] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Oh, my God. It's a conversation starter. Definitely.

[44:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah. Well, you always have a good story. Where do you have an Annie dress hanging in your house?

[44:57] Rosanne Sorrentino: You know, oh, my gosh. First of all, I'm very jealous that you got to be Annie because I always wanted to do something with Annie. But, you know, that wasn't happening for me at the time. But I'm OK.

[45:07] Rosanne Sorrentino: I'll do it my curiously for you. Roseanne, thank you so much. Come back and visit us anytime you want. This was fantastic.

[45:14] Rosanne Sorrentino: I would love to. This was great. Thank you guys so much for having me on.

[45:18] Bruce Gotlieb: And listen, who knows? Maybe maybe I'll get to be in the 50th anniversary revival. Right.

[45:26] Rosanne Sorrentino: Hey, that would be amazing. Why not? They should have like this started being like just a different guest star every night. Different have someone from all the different orphan.

[45:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[45:36] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yeah. Oh, my God. That's such a great idea. See, you should pitch that.

[45:40] Bruce Gotlieb: I like that.

[45:41] Rosanne Sorrentino: I will. I'll get in touch.

[45:43] Bruce Gotlieb: I was ending it, but I'm sorry. I have one more question. Did you get to see Annie live when they did it for TV a few years ago?

[45:45] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes. So I know that Martin Sharnon's daughter, Sasha, was very, you know, very protective of Annie and she was happy with it. And I just thought that that was, you know, a huge stamp of approval for that show.

[45:57] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes, she is. She's very protective of it. I know she does not care for the film.

[46:03] Bruce Gotlieb: OK, there was some stuff that went on behind the scenes. I think disagreements between Martin and Thomas Mann and Charles Strauss.

[46:16] Rosanne Sorrentino: And so I think that it left a bitter pill in her mouth for that.

[46:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure. Because it didn't have to be that way.

[46:24] Rosanne Sorrentino: Right. Well, it's always, you know, when when Hollywood gets involved, it just things get a little murky.

[46:28] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, exactly.

[46:29] Rosanne Sorrentino: I'm a real traditionalist. So if I see something one way, any deviation from it, you know, and it took me a long time to appreciate the film.

[46:42] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[46:43] Rosanne Sorrentino: So then when you come along and now you're trying to make a million different versions of it, I'm like, the original was fine.

[46:46] Bruce Gotlieb: I know the original is perfect. You can't you can't make it better than that.

[46:52] Rosanne Sorrentino: But, you know, but that one's that's that's that's that's that's that's you know, but that was 50 years ago now.

[47:02] Bruce Gotlieb: So as long as there are still versions of it, I'll be happy because it's a show that needs to exist constantly.

[47:07] Rosanne Sorrentino: Yes. Little girls all over the world still need to see the show.

[47:10] Bruce Gotlieb: And that's right. That's right.

[47:12] Rosanne Sorrentino: All right. Well, thank you.

[47:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Thank you for letting me extend that. That was very important. Thank you again, Roseanne. And we will see everyone next time on Behind the Award.

[47:19] Rosanne Sorrentino: Bye bye.

[47:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Bye.