New Details Leaking on Variety Show; McDaniel & Orchestra

Details are coming out fast and furious about "Rosie's Variety Show" as production ramps up. On Rosie's blog, she notes that John McDaniel will be coming aboard as Music Director along with a full orchestra. 

John McDaniel's credits include "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" (two Emmy Awards, Music Producer; five Emmy nominations, Music Direction/Composition); Comedy Central's "Friar's Roasts" ‘99, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02 (Arranger/Conductor); "A Rosie Christmas" (Arranger/Conductor); Tony Awards ‘97, ‘98, ‘00 (Arranger). Broadway: Grease! (Music Director/Arranger); Chicago (Conductor); Patti LuPone on Broadway (Arranger); Annie Get Your Gun (Music Supervisor/Arranger); Taboo (Music Supervisor/Arranger). Recordings: Patti LuPone Live! (Conductor/Arranger); Annie Get Your Gun cast recording (Producer/Grammy Award); three solo CDs: John McDaniel at the Piano: Broadway, Christmas and Compositions; John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub; The Maury Yeston Songbook (Producer); Taboo cast recording (Producer/Arranger). Guest pops conductor throughout the country, including San Francisco and St. Louis symphonies. BFA in drama from Carnegie Mellon.

The news recently broke that's been rumored for months, that Rosie O'Donnell is returning to television in an attempt to revive the variety genre with "Rosie's Variety Show".

A special will air live from New York on the night before Thanksgiving on November 26 at 8pm and is believed to be the kickoff for a 2009 regular launch.

The show, which is said to be modeled after traditional variety shows like Carol Burnett, Ed Sullivan and Sonny and Cher will include "celebrity guests, musical acts, comedy skits and a contest both for in-studio and at-home auds."

David Friedman will act as executive producer along with Rosie.

Variety also reports that "Details of the show were still being ironed out, but Plestis said a repertory cast will likely populate the show's sketches, and a house band is being considered. Other details, such as marketing partners, the primetime giveaway and celeb guests, will be unveiled later."

Rosie O'Donnell is a 13-time Emmy Award-winning American comedienne, talk show host, television personality, celebrity blogger, gay rights activist, film, television, and stage actress. She has appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof and Seussical! She also produced Taboo. Rosie O'Donnell is an often-advocate for New York theatre, featuring Broadway performances on her Emmy Award-winning talk-show "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," which ran 1996 to 2001. She was last seen as a co-host on the tenth season of ABC's "The View. She recently released her second book entitled "Celebrity Detox" with Warner books.

Photo Credit: Linda Lenzi