Kathie Lee Gifford may be unused to the morning grind now that she's no longer half of "Live With Regis," but she'll pull herself out of bed to talk Thumbs with Rosie O'Donnell. The Rupert Holmes mystery comedy began world premiere performances March 9 for the Helen Hayes Theatre Company in Nyack, NY. In Thumbs, continuing to March 24, Gifford plays "a delightfully devious diva" who once had a thriving career in films, then slumped, and is now making a comeback in television. The other major character, played by Diana Canova (of "Soap" fame), is a female Sheriff in the small Vermont town where the play is set (there is an isolated cabin involved, rest assured). The Sheriff is on the trail of a serial killer, whose perverse predilection — he cuts off people's thumbs — gives the play its title.

"The Rosie O'Donnell Show" airs at 10 AM on WNBC-4 in New York City. Check your local listings for time and channel in your area.

— By Christine Ehren
and Robert Simonson