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[0:09] Robert Bannon: Welcome to The Roundtable. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World over here on the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, and Spotify.

[0:15] Robert Bannon: I'm born in 1983, so I can remember a little TV show that I was singing and bopping and dropping and doing it and waiting for it to be on television. It may have been called California Dreams. You know it, you know it, you know it. The '90s has had such an incredible resurgence that people have discovered this show and the career of our next guest. She's coming to our neck of the woods in New York City. She's returning to the stage. Andrew Keegan and her are going to take us to the next episode. I call them episodes because they write them and pump them out as fast as can be of this incredible New York murder mystery evening of incredible theater. Fun, funny, clever theater that you need to get a ticket and see. The one and only Diana Uribe is here on The Roundtable. Welcome to the show.

[1:02] Diana Uribe: Well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

[1:04] Robert Bannon: But you didn't break out into the song. Aren't you gonna do Surf Dudes with Attitude?

[1:08] Diana Uribe: Dude, uh, I know it. I well, I don't know it, but I know it. But I know you don't want it. I know I've had so much fun hearing people talk about that show and hearing people talk about it, the reunions, the cast, where are they, how's it going? People finding the show. What's it been like for you that this that you have now become the new generation has discovered the show for again?

[1:32] Diana Uribe: It's being a bit back as a hit.

[1:36] Diana Uribe: Yeah, I mean, amazing to be honest with you. I just crawled out of my rock in 2023, so only less than three years ago, and that was for the New York reunion show. And it has been a whirlwind. It's been so fun to see the reception of, you know, previous fans that loved the show and then meeting new fans has been really incredible. And you're right. The '90s is super in right now. I mean, it's, you know, nostalgia's in, and I'm really excited to be a part of it, to be honest with you.

[2:09] Diana Uribe: I was a little sad because I was in New York and I was listening to WCBS, which is the oldies station, and they played Britney.

[2:16] Diana Uribe: Britney Spears is not an oldie, Diana. Nothing about anything I grew up with is an oldie.

[2:22] Diana Uribe: I hate to break it to you, Robert, but we may officially be in the oldies era. I am so sorry to break it to you.

[2:32] Robert Bannon: When you say crawled out from under a rock, what do you mean?

[2:36] Diana Uribe: So I left the business. I left the business for 20 plus years, you know. I just I went to raise a family and do the normal, I guess the quote unquote normal stuff. And then Jenny Kwan and the cast found me because I don't do social media. And apparently I had some messages from like a couple years back of people reaching out and trying to find me, and then I reconnected with the cast and they're like, hey, do you want to do a reunion show? And I asked my family, I'm like, what do you guys think? And they're like, oh my gosh, yeah, do it. And I said, All right, jumping back in. And I'm excited. I really kind of want, I really, really want to come back full force and see what's out there and what opportunities are there.

[3:22] Robert Bannon: So when you left and had your beautiful family and became a mom and took care of your home, was it always something did the family know about it? Is this something you've talked about? Is it something you just put in the back of your mind as another chapter? How did you think about your legacy and your career?

[3:38] Diana Uribe: It's funny. For me, it was a chapter, but for the rest of my family, my dad in particular, my dad recorded every single episode on VHS tapes. Now I know you remember VHS tapes.

[3:51] Diana Uribe: See, that makes you officially the oldest. I'm so sorry. But for all of us that remember VHS tapes, my dad taped every single episode on VHS. And when they would take care of my kids, they would play it. And they're like, Mom, we're so confused. And I'm like, yeah, that's what I did. It's another chapter. And I worked a normal job, a corporate job, and my friends knew, the coworkers knew, and then all of a sudden, you know, this new chapter came about in 2023, and all the timing's right for me to just kind of jump back in.

[4:32] Diana Uribe: And I'm really excited to do this play with Keegan and Andrew Christie, the producer, because it does talk a little bit about, you know, going away, doing things, the reason I'm back, you know, meeting people that say, you know, Latin representation was so super important, and very early on in the '90s, having my character in California Dreams was kind of one of those first characters that represented, you know, Latinas and speaking Spanish, and you know, like the band practicing in my loft. It was just it was all this great, great representation that happened back then, and to hear from fans now, really excited to kind of bring it back. And then Andrew Christie, the producer, wrote it into the show, so we're excited.

[5:26] Diana Uribe: He's so good at that, he makes the jokes, everybody. Firstly, he's a little raunchy. This one is a lot raunchy. Disclaimer.

[5:38] Robert Bannon: Sounds fun to me. Look, it's a Friday and Saturday night, the 27th and 28th in New York City. You gotta be at an adult age, 16 and older to be at the show. It's a grown show. Take your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, bring your family. Not your family like your kids, but like, you know, bring a cousin or your sister and come have a good time. People are always looking for something to do in New York City. This is what you should be doing. This is it. This is what you should be doing next Friday and Saturday is coming to see our show.

[6:06] Robert Bannon: So how'd they come to you? How did Andrew write these shows in like five minutes? He's very funny. He's very good at what he does. He's created such a great series that has been this is like the umpteenth one that they've done. So how did he come to you? How did he approach you? And what did you think about returning to the stage?

[6:23] Diana Uribe: Well, we met in the reunion show in New York in 2023, and we just connected really well. Him and his partner Carlos, just great people, super down-to-earth, fun. Carlos and I danced the night away after our reunion show. We both love to dance, you know. Obviously, I still love to dance. And you know, he helped us again with the LA show, and then we did a con in New Jersey. Oh my gosh, I'm so bad. So he's been around and then he just kind of called me up and he's like, Hey, Diana, I've got this idea for a play. I want to base it on Quentin Tarantino's, you know, a mishmash of various Tarantino films. I think I've got Andrew Keegan to come on board. Would you be interested? And I'm like, just tell me when and where and I'm there. Done.

[7:18] Diana Uribe: Done. And she's there. And now it's coming. And Andrew Keegan spoke about you and spoke about how important it is the same as you about Latin representation in the '90s and early 2000s and the work that you all have done. It meant a lot to a community of people out here who did not necessarily see themselves on television. Was it hard to break in the business for you? Are you gonna be one of those annoying people that just booked this show out of the blue?

[7:43] Diana Uribe: Oh my gosh, you just set me up for failure right there.

[7:47] Diana Uribe: She just booked a gig and called me old on my own show. No, go ahead.

[7:52] Diana Uribe: Oh my gosh. So I did start doing commercials. It's funny because I was listening to Keegan talk about his career in one of our other interviews. And I think we actually started very similar in the sense that I started in commercials. He did his first commercial when he was four. I did my first commercial when I was six.

[8:09] Diana Uribe: I even remember it was a Kellogg's Raisin Bran commercial. And I did speak Spanish. My big claim to fame on that commercial was Quieto Más Mami. I want more.

[8:45] Diana Uribe: I was on Days of Our Lives. I just, you know, these episodic gigs and opportunities. But California Dreams was a series regular. And then I did a couple of things after California Dreams. Again, you know, single episodes, recurring roles. I did a small short film. And then fast forward to being pregnant with my first daughter.

[9:09] Diana Uribe: That was basically I remember going to an audition, driving from I live in Southern California, the what's called the South Bay, Redondo Beach, driving into Hollywood to get to an audition. And I remember sitting in my car after having done the audition, about seven to eight months pregnant, and they actually wanted a pregnant actor. And I just thought to myself, I don't think I can do this. I just I don't think that in this point of my life, having my first child being married, driving from Redondo to LA to make these auditions is gonna make sense for me at the time. And I was working full time, so I just I called up my manager and I said, I can't do it. I gotta step back. And she was great.

She's like, I get it, I totally understand. Give me a call when you're back. But that was you know, over 20 years ago, so I didn't have her number anymore. But I don't even know if she's still in the business, but yeah, it's it didn't make sense at the time, but man, does it make sense now? Well, she's back 20 years later. You're she's back, and now you have the chance to be up close and personal and see you do what you do live and in person. So, what is the feeling about returning in front of an audience and getting up and acting again? Is it like riding a bike? Are you your lines are down, you're ready to go to rehearsal in New York City and put on a show? Or is there a little trepidation or what are you feeling?

[10:31] Diana Uribe: Um, definitely trepidation. I like saying that word over, you know, anything else. I read something that you just have to keep saying that you're excited. So I keep saying that I'm excited. Excited. But my butt there's butterflies in my belly, not gonna lie. I've got about half the script down. Don't tell Andrew Christie, our producer, but I've got a couple more days. But it's scary. It's scary. I also saw a Good Morning America interview with another actor that was doing a stage show. I think it was a one-man show, and I cannot remember the actor's name, but he was talking about how I think it was the night before they opened. He was sitting kind of on stage or off to the side, and the director came up to him and said, Hey, how are you feeling?

And he didn't really say anything. And the director is a female director, she said, Are you trying to figure out how to get out of this? And he said, Yes. And he goes, and she goes, Great, that's exactly where you're supposed to be. And knowing that it's completely normal to have, you know, your throat closed up and the butterflies in your belly on overdrive that it's completely normal. I'm just gonna embrace it. It's completely normal to feel the way I do, but I'm really excited.

[11:55] Robert Bannon: The audience is gonna be in your pocket, though. Cast is gonna be so excited, people are gonna be jumping for joy to see you on stage and be able to be a part of. And this show is gonna be so much fun. So, no spoilers, but who do you play in it?

[12:08] Diana Uribe: Uh, so I play O'Nelia Somerset, and Christy, again, the producer and writer of the show, took bits and pieces of both Keegan's and my life and wrote it into this play, which is really cool. Um, she makes reference of the person I met that talked about, you know, her seeing me on TV and just being so grateful that there was again representation on TV back in the 90s, and that's written in. Um, it's a little bit of a murder mystery. It's a mishmash of Tarantino films. There's familiar-ish characters based on Tarantino films. It's chaotic, it's funny, there's violence. Um, it's you know, just like you said, a little risque here and there. A little language, a little fun, a little adult. A little language.

It's Tarantino. You need it's Tarantino. I know you can't get away with, you know, not. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which I know is an homage, is there's an homage to this movie in this. Oh, it's such a good movie. It's so juicy for this kind of murder mystery setup. You gotta, you gotta get it. People, there's not gonna be any tickets next weekend, so you just gotta buy a ticket and just go get a ticket and see the show.

[13:28] Robert Bannon: What's it like when you meet people who you're gonna meet people at the show who have watched you and has meant something to you and they have their best memories of you know running home and watching you on television? What's it like? You know, when you did 90s con and the reunions and all of these things, what has it been like to hear from people and know what the work you've done and how it matters to them?

[13:48] Diana Uribe: It's endearing. I mean, it's endearing and it just there's a lot of humility to it because I didn't realize that a TV show could have impact on people's lives. I think I it sounds super cliche, and I really don't mean to be cliche, but it is really about fans and about people that attach themselves to your character and your careers. Um, because for whatever reason at that point in their life, maybe it helps them, maybe it calls to them. Maybe it's just because you were you were like incredibly funny. Um, but I have met those people. I've also met people that have torn at my heart saying that they were going through really difficult points in their lives and had some really difficult situations in their lives, and the levity of the show and the just silliness of it just helped get them through those days.

I again, I know that sounds a little cliche, but it's absolutely true that I've heard from people in that way. And it just warms my heart. It's the reason I do it now. It's the reason I go to New York and because I want to meet more people and I want to entertain and it's just it's the best feeling. It really is.

[15:10] Robert Bannon: I'm so excited for you to get here. So what's the plan? When are you here? What's the story? What are you gonna do? Are you gonna have a New York moment?

[15:19] Diana Uribe: No, I don't. I mean, again, I we're flying in. Keegan and I are flying in on Monday. Um, we have been doing Zoom rehearsals with an amazing cast. That is another thing that we are surrounded by these wonderful talented people that have been nothing but supportive and you know, talent just talented in their own right. Just really great group. We fly in on Monday. We were Keegan and I were supposed to start blocking on Tuesday, but we both tried to book flights that would get us in early enough so we could be there with the cast on Monday. So I'm hoping we make it in time. Um then we block Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and we we hit it hard, and then we hit the show Friday, Saturday only, don't miss it.

Friday and Saturday only, don't miss it. Look, the link for tickets is below. Don't miss your chance to see a ticket and then may and you're gonna have such a good time. They put on the best time, the best people, the best shows, the best cast, the people you know, the people that are up and coming that you don't know but will know. And these are the type of people that are a part of this show.

[16:27] Robert Bannon: So what do we expect for? So we're gonna see more Diana. We're gonna see more Diana. You're back, you're in the biz.

[16:34] Diana Uribe: I am back. I am back. I am definitely back. So yes, and I appreciate your time and you making the time to speak with me because I really, really appreciate your support. You know, your support is what's going to help me get back into the business. And I really I appreciate beyond.

[16:56] Robert Bannon: We need you. We need good actors that are out here to entertain and to give joy. The world is so crazy and people are going through so much everywhere. We need to remember that art and artists and actors and people who create stuff live on stage and on screen make the world go round. They make you smile, they give you your best memories, they give us something to look forward to. So thank you for sharing a part of your heart and your life with us.

[17:21] Diana Uribe: Thank you. Thank you, Robert. I appreciate that. Get your tickets! How are you gonna get your tickets? Come out and have fun. You need to see Andrew. You need to see Diana. You need to come see this cast. You need to guess who did it. The cast. Yes, you need to see the craziness on stage. Um, you know, there's guns, there's little clothing, there's interesting monologues, there's all kinds of entertainment. This is my kind of show. I'm so grateful to be able to spend some time with you. Congratulations. Welcome back. Thank you for being here.

[17:54] Diana Uribe: Thank you so much, Robert. I appreciate it. And hello to everybody. I hope to see you all there. Go get your tickets.