@Overkill Sorry, I'm on break at work, so I'm just jotting down memories, forgive the formatting and probable grammatical errors.
I really enjoyed the show. When they first announced it, it was said that the show would be much more similar to the Oprah model. . one guest/topic per hour show.
Apparently that idea is gone, because the format is almost identical to the original Rosie O'Donnell Show.
The show opened with Rosie doing standup in front of a red velvet curtain. She wasn't at her desk or doing a typical monologue. . they dressed it to look like a nightclub, and she leaned on the mic stand. Then, she took questions from the audience ala Carol Burnett (she gave credit where credit was due.)
After that came the guests, Nora Ephron and her sister discussing "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" and working with Rosie on Sleepless In Seattle.
Richard Marx was next as the musical guest. He lives in the Chicagoland area, so it wasn't much of a surprise to me. He played guitar and sang a new song, and no one really cared.
A stand up comedian was next. She was okay, not really my cup of tea.
Lastly, there was a game similar to "Name That Tune" where two contestants bid to see who could name the most characters from a classic TV show.
All in all, it was very interesting. Rosie was incredibly gracious and sweet to the audience. A lot of people were being a little rude and interrupting her with questions and comments, and she answered each and every one with a lot of grace. I was really impressed by her patience.
She mentioned Broadway quite a bit, during her monologue, and during the Q&A portion. Someone asked her what her favorite musical was and she said "Les Miz." She said she was so obsessed with the show that she knew all of the little interludes by heard, and started to sing some of the show. People clapped and she said "Don't encourage me, or I'll spend the rest of the segment singing from Les Mis."