"It was fun," she admitted. "I have done a little standup, but this is the first stage work I've done since I had my little baby." The wee one is 15 months, and Mom is happy to be back in harness again, doing the Rosie O'Donnell track in the show.

"You know — my lot in life, my second career," she shrugged helplessly, referring to her daytime TV show that filled a gap after Rosie shut off the TV lights. "I replace Rosie. I'm waiting for her to quit her radio show, and then I'll go and do that."

(For a refreshing change, O'Donnell will be replacing her next month when she returns to Love, Loss with Didi Conn, Fran Drescher and Natasha Lyonne.)

Rhea caught O'Donnell during the play's opening month. "She was fantastic, and I thought, 'This is a great piece. This would be so much fun to do.'" Her agents thought the same thing and asked if she'd like to do the show. They didn't have to ask twice.

Melissa Joan Hart, herself a new mom and Rhea's niece on TV's "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch," showed up for Love, Loss re-opening party at Marseille.

— Harry Haun