WWDTM: Instant Nostalgia Edition

0:01This week on Up First, from Minneapolis to Venezuela to the Federal Reserve, one of the biggest stories of the year so far is how the Trump administration is using presidential power. We're following every angle, so you start each day knowing what's happening, what's true, and what isn't on Up First. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:28From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me the NPR News Quiz. I'm the man whose voice sticks to your ribs. I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, Illinois Peter Sagal. Thank you Bill. Thank you everybody.

0:54Thank you so much. We are off for the holiday which we used to call Columbus Day to celebrate the European discovery of America and we now call it Indigenous People's Day to celebrate the people who you know were actually living here. Personally, I call it Columbo Day to celebrate our heritage of rumpled detectives. No matter what you call it, we're going to celebrate with some of the best interviews we did during the past year, plus some other special treats for you. Chapel Rhone got her first record deal after posting cover songs to YouTube, and then went on to release a debut album that made her a superstar.

1:31Now, I'm going to be honest, when I was told she was going to be our guest, I had no idea who she was. But by the end of that week in April of this year when she joined us, I had become a huge fan. So you can imagine how great Peter felt about making her uncomfortable right off the bat. Kaylee Rose Amstutz was a teenager who became a local celebrity in her hometown of Missouri, singing her songs at festivals and on YouTube. But then Kaylee created the persona of Chapel Roan, and Chapel Roan's first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, became a monster hit. And now she's become one of the biggest pop stars around.

2:09Chapel Roan, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you. You're welcome. What a crazy intro. It is. I mean, is it not true? I mean, you're pretty big time, Chapel. I'm like a random girl. I don't feel like any of the things that you said. It was so off-putting that you said my full name. Oh, I'm sorry. No more of that. No more of that. We shall not... Well, I won't mention that name, but the story I told, I hope is true, that you were performing under your own name, and then you became Chapel Rome. And can you tell me... Well, can you tell me why? Like, who is Chapel, and how is she different from that other person who I won't name?

2:53I mean, Chappell's just the drag version of me, I would say. She's quite outgoing and has no issue being loud and proud. It's quite exhausting, to be honest. Really? Who are we talking to right now? Like, who is... Just so we know, who is it? I'm going to say 60-40. 60-40. 60-40. 60-40. Cool. So, like, when you're done being chapel for the day until some dumb radio show wants to talk to you about it, what do you do? Do you just, like, change your clothes? Do you put chapel away? Is there, like, a ritual you do just to say, okay, I'm not chapel anymore? How do you keep it separate if it's so exhausting to be chapel?

3:36Yeah, I just scream into my pillow and then take off all my makeup and watch Drag Race. Yeah, sure. But other people do drag for a while. Can you, did you have to come out as chapel to the people who knew you? Because you were very young when chapel first sort of was conjured up, right? Well, I thankfully wasn't very successful as Kaylee Rose. So nobody really knew the difference, to be honest. And I stuck pretty quickly. Were you inspired by anybody? Well, let me ask you about your musical influences. Who were you listening to as a kid when you started to make your own music? I was listening to Christian rock music only, and I found Kesha.

4:27And I was like, oh my God. Okay. All right. So you said you were listening to Christian rock exclusively. And then, and then like, how did you come across Kesha? It's cool. Right. People are talking about it. Right. They're singing. I was in seventh or eighth grade. And all these girls were like, like, they're like, oh, do you know the song Blow by Kesha? And I was like, no, what is it? And they're like, blow. And I was like, oh, holy crap. Holy crap. Like that. Nice save there. Nice save there. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. And like, is that when it all, so your brain sort of went into, like, I feel like it was like going and when Dorothy Lenz in Oz and it's in color, right?

5:16You sort of saw the world differently. Yeah. It was like glitter and like freaking stockings ripped up the sides. Like just, it's just insane. I loved it so much. We heard a great story that, that when you signed your first record contract, they announced it at your high school over the PA. yeah that's true what do you remember were you there were you listening when they said it yep what did they say well first they said like there's like a senior football player that got signed to mizzou which is in missouri it's like missouri university yes they're like congratulations forrest just signed to mizzou f1 football a lot and everyone was like whoo And they're like, oh yeah, congratulations, Kaylee Amstead's signed with Atlantic Records.

6:06We are having pizza for lunch today. No pizzas. And it was like that quickly. And I was just like, oh my god, why? Literally, why did they do that? And then people thought I was lying, which is valid. There's a video for one of your songs, Hot To Go, which I love. Again. And in that video, Chapel goes back to Missouri in Springfield. And it opens with you teaching the Hut to Go dance to your grandparents. And I have two questions, which is first, how did they do with the dance? And secondly, what has your hometown felt about Chapel now that you've gone pretty big? I mean, you're playing Coachella.

6:57You're opening for Olivia Rodrigo. my grandparents did their best and then my hometown my hometown I was prepared to be run out of town because I don't know it's pretty wild what I'm bringing to the table but it has brought out all these queer people and like people I've never met or seen and to come to my shows and it's made me appreciate my hometown so much more and realize like oh my god they were here this whole time I just didn't know you refer to chapel as drag and you love drag performers in fact many of your shows open with drag performers right have you ever had the thrill of seeing a drag performer, hopefully a good one, do one of your songs, like lip sync to you?

8:00Well, I love bad drag, first of all. Okay. There's no bad drag. There's good drag, bad drag. It's all great.

8:09I've never seen someone in person do it, but I've seen videos, and they're always, I mean, they serve. They're incredible. Well, Chapel Roan, it is absolutely a thrill to talk to you, but we have some business to do. we've asked you here to play a game that this time we're calling Hot Food to Go. So one of your big hits is Hot to Go, which inspired us to ask you about takeout food. Answer two or three questions about takeout and to win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might like from our show. Bill, who is Chapel Roan playing for? Ten-year-old Gordon Draper of Des Moines, Iowa.

8:47Okay. So you're playing for a 10-year-old. That's unusual. That's unusual for us. Here we go. Here's your first question. Food carts, of course, a great way to get food to go. Which of these is a real food cart you can get food from somewhere in the world? Was it A, cicada barata, which shows up whenever a cicada brood emerges and serves them deep fried with, of course, cheese. B, Kitchen of the Unwanted Animal in Amsterdam, a cart that exclusively serves stew made from geese killed by cars. Or C, Sewer Softies, which serves soft ice cream through a sewer grate below the curb on Yamhill Street in Portland, Oregon.

9:34I think... B! B is real. Your fans here think it's B. I think it's B. It is B. Everybody's right. Yes, B. And they say it's pretty good goose stew. So if you're next time in Amsterdam, stop by. Your next question, you're doing great. Plenty of fast food lovers dream of trying the options from other countries, including those served in Scotland, where something called the munchie box is a popular takeout item. What is a munchie box? A, it's the Scottish equivalent of a Happy Meal, except instead of a toy, kids get a side of Haggis. B, it's a single box stuffed with kebabs, fried chicken, a whole pizza, chicken tikka masala, samosas, onion rings, chow mein noodles, naan bread, garlic bread.

10:19And for the health conscious, coleslaw. Or C, the munchie box is something we are not allowed to say on NPR.

10:33B? B is right. Yes. It's everything you've ever wanted to eat at once. All right, last question. American fast food restaurants are banned in Iran, but business owners in that country have found a workaround. They just create restaurants with similar menus and names, but they're changed slightly. So which of these is a real ripoff of an American fast food restaurant they've got in Iran? A, mash Donald's, B, pizza hat, or C-K-F-D. Oh, my God.

11:15B? B, you're going to go for B. You're right. They're all real. They're all real? They're all real. They're all restaurants you can go to in Iran. Pizza hat. Pizza hat. Oh, let's go down to Pizza Hat and get a pizza. That's what they have. Bill, how did Chapel Roan do on our quiz? Brilliant. She's gone to the top of the Michelin list. Chapel, congratulations. You got them all right. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So Chapel Roan's new single is Good Luck, Babe. Her album is the rise and fall of a Midwest princess. Chapel Roan, what an absolute joy to meet you. Thank you for everything you've done and everything you're going to do.

11:57And thanks for being on Right, Right, John Thelma. Give it up for Chapel. When we come back, we talk to comedian and actor David Allen Greer, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, reveals her secret pastime. That's when we come back with more Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR.

12:20From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, of Illinois, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Bill. We are taking this week off to celebrate those brave adventurers who risked it all to create the idea of long weekends. Here's to you, daring authors of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968. And while we do that, we thought we'd bring back some of our more interesting interviews of the year. In January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen came to Chicago to make an important policy speech.

13:02At least, that's what she told people. We know she really came to town to join us on stage because, hey, even economists like to have fun. She joined us along with guest judge and scorekeeper Chioki Ianson. What is it exactly that you do? Because honestly, I don't know. We just assume that like you write the checks, like when we buy a missile. I honestly don't. That is one of our responsibilities. Really? And to make sure that our debt is safe and liquid and attractive to Americans and all around the world. All right. More questions about your job. Inflation. Was that you? Not me. Are you kidding?

13:44Not my fault. No, no, not you. That's a fence job. That used to be you. So interestingly enough, I was watching an interview you did about a year ago where you were asked about all the predictions at that time of a recession. And you said in that interview that you did not think that would happen by this time. You, of course, were correct. So would you like to take this opportunity to spike the ball? Well, I said I told you so. Exactly. For example. And it was right. Listen in to her, Larry Summers.

14:25Now, we wanted to get a little bit back into your background. We were told that one of your secrets to your success is that you always over-prepare, including a story we heard about how you prepared to smoke dope for the first time in college. can you please inform us how you prepared for that particular challenge well you know i had never smoked marijuana before it was the summer before i was going to college and my roommate said she had some marijuana and we should have a party and smoke marijuana this of course was us this renowned party school, Yale.

15:12Well, you know, I worried about that because I had never smoked anything in my life. You know, as you said, I like to be prepared. I always try to prepare when I can. And I thought, how can I prepare for this experience? Well, why don't I buy a pack of cigarettes and try to smoke them and see if I can inhale, because I was told you can't really enjoy marijuana unless you inhale. So I bought a pack of cigarettes. I started smoking them. Horrible. It was a horrible experience. I couldn't inhale. I was coughing. I thought, well, I'm not prepared. I have to work harder at this. So I bought some more cigarettes.

15:55And all week, preparing for this party, I smoked cigarettes. Well, then I went to the party, smoked a couple of marijuana cigarettes. Well, I never did that again. But you know what happened to me was within a couple of months, I was up to three packs a day as a smoker. Really? Wow. It took me a decade to quit. We are also reliably informed that among your enthusiasms, in addition to a macroeconomic policy, is mobile games. There is some truth in that. There is some truth in that. Okay. Specifically, in case everybody wants to know, Candy Crush. I know. Yes. Well, Candy Crush is a new game I've taken up only a year or so ago.

16:43Right. Somebody was writing a book about me, and they heard that I was interested in games. And they said, did you play Candy Crush? And I'm like, Candy Crush? Are you kidding? I wouldn't play a game like Candy Crush. Well, maybe you're like, a woman of my distinction played Candy Crush? Something as silly as Candy Crush. Please, please, don't you know who I am? And then, exactly. And then I thought, well, you know, maybe I should just look and see what the thing is. Sure, what's the arm? Have a puff. You're not going to get addicted. I'm not going to get addicted. You know, I'll just play a couple of levels.

17:20Sure. This morning I hit level 6 ,180.

17:31Do you have a secret for Candy Crush? You have marijuana cigarettes. Yeah. If he gets stuck, it always helps. I know, yeah. Well, Secretary Yellen, it is an honor for us to be able to speak to you. We're very glad you took the time, particularly because we have asked you here to play a game we're calling... It's not quite treasure. It's treasury. That sounds like a good game for me. There you are. Yes. Maybe this will be your next addiction. You're secretary of the treasury, of course. So we're going to ask you about Antiques Roadshow. That is, of course, the very popular TV program where people bring their things that aren't quite treasure, but they're treasury.

18:14Right? And they get them professionally praised, and they hope they're worth millions. You ever watched that show? Many times. Many times. So you know the idea. Okay. You get two of these three questions right, you will win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Chioki, who is the Secretary of the Treasury playing for? Joe Sylvester of Merrimack, New Hampshire. All right. For people who bring potential treasures onto the roadshow, nothing is more disappointing than finding out that it is a fake. but there are many versions of the show around the world and on the Chinese version of the show, what occurs when that happens?

18:51Is it A, the item is used for another separate show called sell a fake artifact to a westerner? B, the owner of the item who brought the thing to the show is arrested on charges of attempted fraud? Or C, the host of the show immediately smashes the fake item with a hammer? I would try C. You're going to try smash it with a hammer? You are correct. Yes. The host of the show roams the set with a hammer, and when something is discovered to be a fake, he comes over and bam. Okay, next question. Appraisers are not always right on the show, amazingly enough, which was the case for a glass expert named Andy McConnell, who on the British version of the show took a sip of what he thought was a 150-year-old port out of an antique bottle.

19:42only to discover later it was what? A, a solution of opium and cocaine. B, Diet Dr. Pepper. Or a 150-year-old mix of human urine and rusty nails.

19:59I'll go with A. You're going to go with A, the solution of opium and cocaine. I understand why you would say that. They used to do that. Well, given your predilections, I guess. No, it was actually C. I knew it. That's what it was. I knew it. The appraiser, he said, well, this 150-year-old port, it turns out that more than a century before, someone had filled this antique bottle with what they hoped was a potion to keep witches away. Nice. There you are. There you are. All right. Now, you've still been lost. You have one more question. Fans of the program have created an antiques roadshow drinking game in which you drink every time what happens?

20:38A, whenever jewelry expert Jeffrey Munn breathlessly references Fabergé. B, whenever someone says, well, we'll still enjoy it after finding out their item is worthless. Or C, whenever an expert tells someone how much more their item would be worth if they hadn't had it refinished. I will go with C. You're going to go with C again. You're right, but they are all true. Those are all genuine. Antiques Roadshow. drinking games. Enjoy them all at once, why don't you? Of course. Shoki, how did the Treasury Secretary do in our quiz? She candy crushed it.

21:23Janet Yellen is the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America and among the top 2 % of players globally on Candy Crush. Secretary Yellen, we are so honored to have you with us. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Secretary of the Light. Thank you. Thanks so much. Secretary Janet Yellen, everybody.

21:47In March of this year, along with special guest judge and scorekeeper Andy Richter, we spoke to David Alan Greer, an actor and comedian who's done pretty much everything a performer can do and whose latest project was a movie called The American Society of Magical Negroes. In fact, he'd done so many different things, we didn't know which one we should talk about. I asked this question of a lot of the performers we have on the show, and I can usually guess the answer. In your case, I simply can't. When you walk down the street, you've done so many things for so many years in so many different genres.

22:18What are you most often recognized for? In living color, yeah, absolutely.

22:26And I, until this weekend, I started looking into it because I had myself known you from that and all the comedy stuff you've done since then. I did not know that you were like a serious theater guy. So how did a serious theater guy end up blowing up on this hilarious sketch show? You know, what happened was I met a comedian, an actor named Robert Townsend, when we did Soldier's Story. And I went out to L.A. He introduced me to Keenan Ivory Wayans. And the die was cast. But I was dissuaded by my agents. Nobody wanted me to do it. I didn't listen to them. And the rest was history. There you go, man.

23:05Yeah. You said a moment ago about being up for a role and your agent telling you not to do it. What's interesting about David Alan Greer is if you look for stories about David Alan Greer, they will often be about the roles you did not get. For example, you auditioned for the part of George in Seinfeld. Yes. I read with Jerry Seinfeld. I read this episode and I thought, well, this isn't funny. Jerry can't act and it will never go anywhere right yet again I was right on all counts it's horrible don't ask me if I tell you to go somewhere go the other way you were also almost in Forrest Gump right oh yeah now this is even better my manager sent me this script Forrest Gump I read it and I was like I am not if I'm going to play a mentally challenged character.

24:05I'm not going to be the mentally challenged sidekick. I need to be the mentally challenged lead. No, I will not audition. They kept sending the script. They kept calling. I said, no, I will not go in. About a year later, my manager and I were in New York City for something else. And she took me to the movies. And as the movie started, it was Forrest Gump. And I was weeping within seven minutes. And I turned to her and I said, why didn't you? And she He said, shut up. I sent you the script three times. So, yet again, I closed the wrong door. Oh, my gosh. I have to ask, this is because you, again, I don't know if people know this, Tony Award winning actor, right?

24:53Yes. Or, if I'm not mistaken, the Tony came for the second go-around with the soldiers play. Yes. When you were in that original cast of a soldier's play on Broadway with the esteemed actor Adolf Caesar, he gave you your nickname. He absolutely did give me my nickname. He came in the dressing room and he looked at me and said, dang, that's your name, boy. He sat down and put his makeup on and it stuck from there on through. Did he do that to everyone? Did he turn to like, you know, Francis in the corner and say, you're Denzel. And there he is. No, no, Peter. He never did that to anyone but me because I'm special.