she performed a one-woman show last
night at the Tobin Center but before
that legendary comedian Carol Burnett
took time to talk with our Jessi degli
Otto about her child at home that is now
owned by a non-profit and used for
special events it was an exclusive story
seen on the case at twelve Nightbeat
here's a clip everyone wanted a picture
with the woman who former mayor Henry
Cisneros called the most famous person
from San Antonio
the legendary Carol Burnett the
autograph rollerskates a reminder of the
time sheet fall on the uneven sidewalk
until her grandmother told her you're
not gonna rollerskate in front of house
you're gonna rollerskate in the house
the skate marks proved it throughout the
now historic childhood home what a great
touch you know the fact that they left
the skate marks in the house they had to
- what was it like going into the home
and then sitting down with her and
visiting me I'm lucky well I was just
blessed I was blessed I was I was told
that I would be the only broadcast
reporter to have that opportunity and I
also heard that typically she doesn't
give a lot of interviews but she was so
gracious and so so open and yes it was
amazing to know that again this is where
she spent the first six years of her
life went to Crockett elementary thank
you very much she attended first grade
there and so she had some real happy
memories of her time but let me just say
that I was thrilled because I was able
to go to the Tobin last night oh you got
to see the show oh it was just fabulous
now during the interview she was very
like I said very gracious and funny but
somewhat subdued but boy was she took to
that stage she was the Carol Burnett
we've always known totally timeless
hilarious and the audience it was a
packed house forth and of course the
format was a QA the way she would do it
at the beginning for show alright so I
can't even imagine if I'm the lucky one
who gets to be the reporter how do you
decide what to ask her because there's
like a million questions you must have
had of course of course and then I was
trying to think of questions she hadn't
been asked before and we only had 15
minutes or less to do the interview
but I decided because again she was from
San Antonio born in San Antonio born at
the mix I wanted to really make it more
of San Antonio centered and I asked her
about the memories she had of San
Antonio and how was it for her growing
up on the west side even at that young
age and she still talked about San
Antonio a lot in her even in her older
years I mean is this something that she
reflects back on to us well her friends
and neighbors were she she sounded like
it because in fact the first thing she
said when she took the stage and was met
with a standing ovation of course she
said it's so good to be home and then
she gave a big shout out to American
sunrise and that's the nonprofit that
Mary Ellison Henry Cisneros founded and
what it is now the home itself is a
special of that Center but right across
the street they bought another house and
that is used as a school of after-school
program for at-risk children and so that
was especially touching for Carol
Burnett to know that her childhood home
is now being used to again as a basis to
help other children in the community
when you talked about that she was
emotional about that yes she was she got
a little choked up and right after that
I asked her I said how would nanny her
grandma her beloved grandmother who
raised her in that house and I said well
how would what wouldn't Annie think oh
she's so happy
I remember him watching her show growing
up it was a it was one of the funny
shows on television and her iconic
tugging at the oh yes oh yes oh yes in
fact she ended her appearance at well
both at the Tobin and at the American
sunrise with the famous tours and yeah
still has it 85 85 head around that
because she still has the same energy
that she is est'
like I say timeless timeless and and
everyone in the audience had so many
memories of growing up watching her and
one lady who raised her hand was was
sharing how she and her brother this is
a grown woman mind you my age probably a
little younger and she was saying oh
yeah my brother and I used to act out
your scenes with Carol Burnett
there you go we all did there you go but
that was a time when comedy was so
different back then and there was the
physical comedy where they were fallen
over the couches and oh and you know she
told the story behind the mrs. whiggins
walk what did she say well okay Bob
Mackie turns out the famous designer who
did all her gorgeous gallons every time
she walked out on stage design all the
costumes every costume on The Carol
Burnett Show that's fantastic I mean
thousands and thousands of costumes over
the years but she said that with the
with Miss Williams it fit but it felt a
little loose in the back and so she told
Bob Mackie but it's you have to fill
that up back there cuz I'm you know I
don't have it back there and he said
well what you need to do is just stick
your butt out as you walk and fill out
the dress and so then she did she makes
me want to go find him and watch them
all again oh and luckily they're all on
DVD and so they're all out there and I
you know and one quick note because
you're talking about how the comedy then
and you know just think about it but
back then it was a time when families
would sit around the television and
laugh yes and laugh as a family as a
family
there was no send your kids to bed you
can all watch it together right right
congratulations I'm glad you got to do
that in here's the best part
when I walked up to her backstage I was
honored to go backstage along with us
he's Nettles to her photos session and
and she and I walked up to I said thank
you so much for the interview
Jesse to hear her name her my name oh my
god genuine I want to hear this awesome
stuff yeah thank you so much and you can
see your whole story on case comm if you
didn't get to see it you'll love it
that's a great job