
An oldie but a goodie, join Rachel and Irene as they welcome Rachel’s old pal Tina Fey to the show! After chatting about their days together in the Chicago improv scene, Tina shares some woo woo tales of her own - ghost stories from the little town of Cape May, NJ. And to Rachel’s delight, Tina will tell them in the local accent!
Loading summary
A
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.
B
When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom's 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn more@WhatsApp.com.
C
Welcome to Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch, the podcast that explores the unexplained with humor and curiosity. Hello and welcome to Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. We are doing an encore presentation, as they say.
D
This week we are re upping our episode with Tina Fey, the Ghosts of Cape May. Oh my gosh, I love hearing Tina do a Philly accent or South Jersey, whatever. They sound the same to me, but I'm no dialect expert. But that features prominently in this episode.
C
It really made me laugh. Anyway, please enjoy Tina. You know, I just did Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang and we talked about Woo Woo this podcast at the end there and I thought, oh, maybe, you know, everyone listens to Good Hang.
D
Maybe we'll get some people some new listeners from that. So then I thought, oh, who better to share than the Tina Fey episode the SNL Lady Love is strong.
C
So hence here's Tina.
D
And then also, you know Kevin Cahoon.
C
Who'S my dear friend who appears at the beginning of the Good Hang pod as my pal.
D
He did our very first episode of Woo Woo. He's our very first guest. So please go back and listen to that one.
C
After you listen to Tina.
D
If you're looking for another episode, he has a great ghost story and we have a ton of laughs in that one. I think it's another good one to check out.
C
And then there's more. There's more eerie ones.
D
Like there's definitely a few episodes here.
C
That have really changed my entire worldview.
D
I think I'm going to keep you in suspense. And then next week when Irene is by my side, we'll talk about our favorite, most mind blowing episodes in honor of our second anniversary of the pod.
C
In any case, if you've been listening.
D
All along, thank you, Loyal Listeners to anyone new, welcome to Woo Woo. And now, without further ado, here is Ms. Tina Fey. Hello, and welcome to Woo Woo. It's Rachel Dratch here with my friend and co host, Irene Bremis. And Irene, we have a very, very special guest.
E
I'm excited.
D
I mean, this is like, I don't know, we're in a list territory. Comedy, A list. Comedy a list. Please say hello to Tina Fey.
F
Hi, Rachel.
D
Hi.
F
Hello.
E
Hi, Tina.
C
Hi.
D
Hi, Tina. Thanks for coming.
C
Thanks for coming.
F
It's my pleasure to be here. You made a list of people?
D
I made a list. You're not a list. You're on a list.
C
Okay, so.
D
Oh, my gosh. Well, first of all, one thing is Tina is half Greek, and Irene, you're all Greek.
E
That's right. I'm 100%. That makes me 100% crazy. And she's just 50% right with the.
F
I mean, you see that we do basically look alike. People can't see us right now, but in the way that every. I know every Greek person, like from.
D
The middle of the fore to the.
F
Bridge of the nose, I think we all look alike. If you. Yeah, look me.
E
It's true.
D
Nevardalos, Amy, Sedaris. Oh, yeah.
F
All in here. It's all right here. It's.
E
It's the eyes.
D
Beautiful. Yep, you're all beautiful.
E
It's in the eyes.
D
Grecian beauties.
E
Well, I'll take it.
D
I mean, you're fluent in Greek, right?
E
I am. I am fluent in Greek. I had to go to Greek school. Did you have to suffer through that? I think you did, actually.
F
I didn't go to Greek school.
E
Oh, you didn't?
D
Neo went to Greek school.
E
Yeah.
F
Nia did. I'll tell you why. My brother, who's eight years older than me, he was sent to Greek school. And the first. The first day he was there, the teacher smacked one of the kids in the face.
G
Me, too.
E
I got slapped.
F
Not okay. Not okay. And my brother came home very, you know, traumatized by it and said, I never want to go back. And my parents said, that's fine. You never have to go. And so they never sent me. I probably would have, One, liked to have learned Greek and two, would have probably in some way been, like, on board with the authoritarian nature. I would have been like, yeah, well, what did he do to get slapped? That's what you have to know.
E
Yeah, yeah. It's not.
D
It's. Wait, Tina, do you know any Greek words?
F
I know, like, if I. I think to Irene, I Know how to say like if someone says something to me, I can say like. And I feel like, very nice. What does that mean? It just means like thank you very much.
D
Oh, okay.
F
If you're in a restaurant or what? And then people think I can speak and so they go. I was like, oh, no. All I know is that's all I. That's it.
E
But your dialect is perfect.
B
Really.
F
Thank you.
B
She.
D
Tina does amazing dialects. Okay, first of all, you don't even know. Tina's laughing really hard. She's so good at dialects. I mean, seriously, she's laughing self deprecating. But she is so good. Especially anything British, Scottish, Irish. I mean maybe it's just to me because I'm not from there, but she is. She has all the regions down.
E
I think you do. I think that is a gift.
F
More false confidence in my various.
D
No, no, you are very good at that.
F
Thank you.
D
I know one Greek thing. Calispera.
E
Calis. We all know the bad words. And what's horse.
D
What's better means lovely evening and what's good morning. Okay.
E
Yeah.
F
I think like a toddler. Like cat. Milk.
E
Yeah, milk. The basics. Yeah, yeah, the basics. But I'm sure you've been to Greece multiple times.
F
I've been a few times, yeah. And I took my family in 2019, my daughters and my husband. And they really liked it. I. I knew they would. I knew that it was in their blood to like that kind of.
B
Yeah.
F
Life.
E
I mean it's.
D
Who doesn't like.
E
It's so beautiful. I love Greece. And last question. Where is your family from or what side is. Is it your dad that's Greek or your mom? That's your mom, right? Your mom.
F
Sorry, have you seen those that show about the blue zones and stuff?
D
Yes, yes.
F
My mom. My mom's dad is from. Was from one of those places like he was from Icaria, which is one of those places where people live to be a hundred longevity tiny.
D
Oh, see, okay.
E
I love you right now because that's what I talk about when I. I recorded my special that they. My family lives to over her family 100 and they go very long. Very long.
F
Where are they from in Grace?
E
They're from kios. They're from kiosk.
F
My mother's cousin actually I have like a ancestry.
C
Guys are related.
E
Oh, hello cousin. How are you?
F
Anyway, I bet you're related.
D
I'm going into the ancestry.
F
That's where gum comes from. Gum.
E
That's right.
F
Gum.
E
We've contributed.
F
All right.
E
That's our Contribution to the world.
C
Gum?
E
Really?
F
Yeah, like Chiclets.
D
Oh, Chiclets. Okay, well, this is a whole other.
F
I didn't know another podcast. I didn't know that stuff about my side of the other side of the family being from kios until I did that finding your roots program.
D
Universe. I want to defining your roots universe. Okay. So, Tina, it's funny to have you on this woo woo show because when I think of like, who of my friends is really into woo woo stuff? Like, you are not someone that I think of as being super woo woo because you're, to me, you're a very rational lady, you know?
F
Thank you.
D
But then I was sort of asking around, trolling for guests, and so I asked you if you have a story and lo and behold, not only do you have a woo woo story, but you have a ghost story, which I did not expect from you.
F
Yes, I do have a ghost story. And I'm not the most woo woo. I don't really, you know, believe in astrology so much. Although my cousin in Greece, maybe you should have her on sometime. Is an astrologer on the line.
C
Okay.
E
Oh, we must have her on.
F
Person with a beautiful Greek accent is doing your chart. It seems, it seemed like, well, you understand. It's like legit.
C
It's much more real.
F
You're Greek.
D
It, you know, you know, Anna Gastar's aunt is an astrologer too.
F
That is the least thing I've heard all day.
D
Yeah, I know, she's very. Okay, but go on. So you have a cousin who is an astrol. Has she ever done your chart or anything?
F
I think she did send me a chart, but I'm, I was like, everyone, it always hinges on them asking you what time you were born. And I don't really know when I ask my mom and my mom's like, I don't know. I had twilight sleep. I don't know when she thinks. But I am not the most woo woo. But I am, but, but I'm not. I, I when it comes to ghosts and, and sort of a permeable border between life and death, I do, I'm open to believing in it, you know?
C
Okay.
F
I don't spend a ton of time thinking about it, but you know, like, if you do now, yeah. If you read like Lincoln and the Bardo or something, and you're like, yeah, maybe there's a bunch of souls who are, you know, trying to get where they're going and. Should I start telling you my story?
D
Well, no, actually, hold on one second because before you go in your story, sometimes what we do on this is talk a little about our comedy origin.
F
Oh, yes.
E
I love that.
D
So I mean, just to give the background on when I. When Tina Fey crossed my path, because that's what we've done that with a few.
E
Yes, I love it. I love to hear comedy beginnings.
D
But anyways, so this is kind of funny, but. So I was in Chicago, and Tina was there, too, but I didn't know her yet. I was in Second City, and I had done one show on the main stage.
C
And then.
D
Now, this is kind of funny because when we had Amy Poehler on, I realized that I remember the moment that I met Amy Poehler, which is. That's kind of rare that you know the moment you met someone. But, Tina, I think I might know the moment that I met you too. Maybe I might be remembering Sean. But I think it's because we were doing the next Second City show, and then Second City had always been four men and two women, all, like, since the dawn of time, that had been broken up down like that. And so then they decided, revolutionary. We're gonna make it three and three. And so then they're like, we're bringing Tina Fey into the cast. And I'd heard very good things about Tina, but I don't think I'd met you. And then you came and joined.
F
You know, I was John Glazer's understudy for Pinata Bees. There was a show pinata full of Bees.
D
So I had. So then I'm remembering this wrong.
F
No, but I. Because I came on a couple times, at least once as his understudy. And, you know, the credit. Some of the credit for the neutralization of the gender of those casts goes to John Glaser because his unique comedy style is kind of genderless. Like, he. He's just like this impish, absurdist kind of taste in sketches. And it was possible for me to understudy his parts because it wasn't like, I'm a guy on a date. I'm the dad of the family. It was weird stuff. You know, it was like, I'm a beatlayer and a thing, and it was. And I'm an audience plant who, you know, got to be in the show. So somehow I understudied Glaser, and I definitely went on at least once for Glaser.
D
Okay, so then I remembered this totally wrong. But maybe. Maybe what I'm remembering is the first time you came and, like, did improv with us. That's what I remember. So maybe that was in anticipation of you understanding. But I do remember that you came in and you were just like this really funny improviser. And I was just like, oh, my gosh, she's so funny. Like, she's so nice. You were hilarious.
F
Amy and I do this tour show that sometimes Rachel shows up at, but we.
D
Sometimes I surprise the audience.
F
Surprise and delight element.
D
Okay, so Tina and Amy are doing the show Restless Leg Tour, and it's touring around the nation. So check your local listings on that. It's hilarious.
F
We improvise in it sometimes. And I. To the. We've been doing it for months and I'm still like, wait, what was improv? How did we know?
D
Okay.
C
Okay.
D
Funny you should say because now. Tina, back in the day, improv was our life.
C
Right.
D
It was our. It was everything.
C
It was.
D
We moved to Chicago to do improv. Tina, you came from.
F
I came from.
D
Did you come right from college?
F
Right from college. I graduated the University of Virginia in 1992 in the spring and in the fall of 92, I moved to Chicago.
D
And you knew Chicago was like, where it's at for improv. Basically, you wanted to join Second City. Yeah, like, that was the goal. Okay.
C
Same.
D
Same with me. And so then we would start. We were improvising all the time. It was just. It was like our lifeblood.
F
You would find to do it. You would go to any weird open mic night. You would take classes. I. So my job was at the YMCA. I'd get up at. I worked from 5:30 in the morning till 2:30 in the afternoon. I would like, go home, take a nap, go to class from 7 to 10.
C
Whoa.
F
And then, like, take the. The L back uptown, get home at like 11:30, go to school. Oh, my God, it was. And get bored. Yeah.
D
Okay.
F
And then. Yeah. And then just would also would just go to any improv thing and just as much as you could. Yeah.
D
And then it became our social life and everything.
F
It is a cult.
C
And a cult.
D
It is a cult.
C
Yeah.
D
And then so back to you saying you forgot to improvise. Whatever. Like. Like it was such a part of my life that there. I could not imagine that there would be a time in the future where I wasn't improvising every day. Yeah. And then now here it is. I. If I had to improvise tomorrow, I'd be very nervous about it. Like, because when you. When you do it over and over, you lose your fear.
E
You're not getting up as much to practice all the time, of course, and.
F
You lose Your fear of failure.
E
Yeah.
D
Right. So in any case, Tina and I went on to do two shows together on the main stage, Citizen and then Citizen Gates, Paradigm Lost. And. And then Tina got hired as a writer for snl.
F
Yes. I left.
D
She left. And because Tina always had. I'm speaking for you. But when I met you, like, you always had a writer goal as well as an actor.
F
That was. I knew that was kind of my actual strength and that I was getting to do the other stuff because I could bring ideas, you know, like performing was. I was sort of a scam that I ran to be like.
D
Well, I would argue against them as well. No, of course you should. So anyway. But Tina got hired at snl. Blah, blah, rest is.
F
Yeah.
D
I remember one time I met Tina.
E
Fey with through you at the Pit once when you were doing direction.
C
Oh, yeah, Tina.
D
So then she got. She was writing. She was right, actually.
E
Sorry, not the pitch.
D
Tina was writing. And then I had left Second City, and then I got to audition for SNL, but didn't get it that year. And then Tina and I teamed up to do this two person sketch show called Dragon Fay. That was super fun. It was. And that was it.
E
Yeah.
D
I love ucb and. Yeah. And then Tina got Weekend Update and I got hired. And then we were all there together at snl. And that is our comedy history. And then, I mean, obviously, like, your credits are too numerous to even name, but.
F
And not. I'm not interested.
D
You do it all. I think they're interesting and inspiring, but everyone knows Tina's fabulous work. So anyway, I don't know. Where am I going with this?
F
Well, I guess I came here for comedy.
D
Okay, People came here for the ghosts.
E
That's right. Let's segue into the ghost. Now.
C
Everybody knows there's things they can do to reduce monthly costs and improve their finances. But who has time to go through all their expenses and decide what to trim? Well, with Rocket Money crunching the numbers for you, leveling up, your money game just got way easier. A lot of people aren't aware how much they spend each month. I mean, do you know how many subscriptions you're paying for? What about how much you spend on takeout or delivery? It's probably more than you think. But there's an app designed to help you manage your money better. Rocket Money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Rocket Money shows you all your expenses in one place, including those subscriptions you forgot about. And if you see a subscription you no longer want, Rocket Money will help you cancel it. Right there. That's saving me hours of time. Their dashboard lays out your total financial picture, including bill due dates and paydays, in a way that's easy to digest. You can even automatically create custom budgets based on your past spending. Oh, and here's something. Rocket Money will even try to negotiate lower bills for you. The app automatically scans your bills to find opportunities to save and then goes to work to get you better deals. They'll even talk to customer service so you don't have to ha.
D
No more.
C
Agent, Agent. Agent. Rocket Money's 5 million members have saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, with members saving up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium features. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com woo. Today, that's RocketMoney.com woo.
H
At Blinds.com, it's not just about window treatments. It's about you. Your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. Because@blinds.com, the only thing we treat better than Windows is you. Visit blinds.com now for up to 50% off primetime deals and free professional installation rules and restrictions apply.
D
Now, first of all, I take it like you, you've never seen a ghost before this happened. This was like year one.
F
And I shouldn't say.
D
Have you had brush?
C
Okay.
F
I didn't see a, you know, a lady in white. I didn't see a three dimensional figure. But I did have an ex.
D
We hadn't had a. You hadn't had a ghost experience before prior to this?
C
Okay.
F
No.
C
Okay.
F
No, I had.
D
Okay. So set. Set the scene. Set the scene.
F
I grew up going to the Jersey Shore. And when I was a kid, we would go once, one week a year. Not every year, but when we could, we would go to Wildwood Crest, N.J. and then one night of that week, we would drive further down to Cape May, New Jersey, which was a nicer town that we could afford to stay in, and we would walk around and get ice cream and goat and then. And then drive back to Wildwood Crest. And so when I became an adult and I got some showbiz money. I said, you know what? We're all gonna take trip as a extended family. We're gonna go to Cape May. And so we started doing an annual trip with my immediate family, my brother and his family, my parents, my aunts would come in. It was. It was really. It's a really nice tradition that we've been doing for, like, gosh, I mean, 15 years with very few exceptions. And we go and we rent this beautiful house in Cape May, which is a very old Victorian seaside town. It's whatever, the nation' oldest seaside resort or something like that. And.
D
And sidebar. I got to go with you recently. And it's so cute there. I had never been, and I'd heard you talk about it, and it's so nice. And then I kind of got it, like, the whole. It does have this old vibe to it.
F
Yeah, There are lots and lots of old hotels and old houses. And so one of the things that we started doing every year as part of our trip is there is a locally run little quaint little trolley that gives different kinds of tours. And we would take the ghost tour every year in this lovely open air trolley. Since my kids were very little, since actually since my. Since I only had my oldest daughter, Alice, we would hold her on her lap and take these tours. And I've talk about dialects. I've told Rachel this story many times, but one of the things I love about it, it's like a warm blanket to me, is the volunteers who run the tour have the most fabulous kind of South Jersey Philadelphia accents. And I will do it only really just for Rachel.
D
It's amazing. I love it.
F
And you're cozy and it's like a, you know, a breezy June evening. And then a nice lady will come on and be like, welcome to the ghost tour of Cape May. Down Jackson Street.
C
Jackson Street.
F
Most haunted street in all of Cape May. This is where the Hotel Chalfont, where the nanny walked out into the ocean and drowned. Where were her children? The children she was caring for were never heard from again. Like, and it. To me, that accent is like the cool queen's English I could listen to. It's the crown to me. And so we always take the ghost door every year. And it's a little bit different every year. Take that ghost tour, honey. But the one year. So I was staying in this beautiful home and I was pregnant with my younger daughter. And at that time, because we would fill the house with so many people, we. Every bed was full and my older daughter who was five at the time, was sleeping in a cot at the foot of our bed in our room. And I was pregnant, so I wasn't sleeping that well. And I woke up the one night to Alice, my younger daughter, was, was like sort of pushing the foot of the bed. The Victorian like old wood bed. She was kind of pushing it, pushing it. And so I was sort of like going, honey, don't do that. You know, and she was just rattling the bed. Not, not like poltergeist level, but it was for sure moving. And I was like, don't. And then I finally, it was bothering me so I got, I stood up to ask her to stop and she was asleep and was not touching it. Okay, so then this is important. I mean, okay, scary timeline is important here. Then the next evening, the following evening, not the prior evening, we took the ghost tour. And one of the amazing ladies on the tour was saying like, you know, people notice the ghost presence in many different ways. Some people feel a cold tell other. And then she listen and then she's very specifically said. Some people have said it feels like someone pushing at the foot of their bed. And I was like, oh come on. Literally said that. And I was like, what now Charlie? What now?
C
So that fascinating, right?
F
And so, and then the remaining nights I kept kind of having that awareness. Then I was kind of open to wanting to see if I noticed or felt anything else. And I will say, and I was pregnant, so I mean, well I will say because I was pregnant. I was. There was not a drop of alcohol in my system, so it wasn't like I was having a white wine dream, but I wasn't sleeping great. And I do remember waking up subsequent nights kind of feeling in the upper corner of the room just like a little bit of light and a little bit of just energy that I remember being like sort of saying out loud to it. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. And so that was that for that year.
C
Ever wake up sweaty, freezing or just uncomfortable? The temperature in your bedroom can make or break your sleep. And I am always feeling like I'm not getting enough sleep. It's no way to get through the day. And that's why I switched to miracle made sheets. They're inspired by NASA technology and use silver infused temperature regulating fabric to help you sleep perfectly all night long. And thanks to their antibacterial silver technology, miracle made sheets stay cleaner and fresher up to three times longer than regular sheets. That means fewer odors, fewer wash cycles and way less laundry. All that hidden bacteria and regular sheets it can clog your pores and cause breakouts. Yeesh. Miraclemaid's antibacterial design helps you sleep cleaner and clearer night after night. And they feel just as good, if not better than sheets you'd find at a five star hotel, but without the steep price tag. Smooth, breathable and ridiculously comfortable. So upgrade your sleep or give the gift of better rest. Go to trymiracle.com woo to try miracle made sheets today you'll save over 40%. And when you use our promo code Woo, you get an extra 20% off and a free three piece towel set. They make an amazing gift too. And with a 30 day money back guarantee, there's no risk. So go to trymiracle.com woo and use the code Woo at checkout. Thank you Miracle Made for sponsoring this episode.
I
Get 40% off Abercrombie kids sweatshirts and sweatpants during their coziest sale ever. When sweats are all they want to wear. Stock up on sets that are both comfy and on trend. Shop in the Abercrombie Kids app online and in stores to save up to 40% off all sweatshirts and sweatpants offer valid in stores and online October 8, 2025 to October 13, 2025 in US and Canada. Excludes clearance Online price reflects discount.
D
Okay, wait. One thing about you and the energy. Like, because again like I, I think of you as super rational. So when you were looking up and like what was this energy feeling when you saw something?
F
I remember trying to, trying to evaluate for myself whether it felt like it was menacing or not. And I tried to tell myself it's not menacing because again, my only information about ghosts come from this ghost tour. And they talk about how it's like, you know, it's souls return to the place where they were the happiest or they, you know, or they're stuck there looking for their dog or whatever. Like they're talking about. Okay, talk about. Yes, how being they claim that, you know, a lot of moisture in the air or being near water is a good place for ghosts to hang out. And so the seaside, especially ghosts like the beach and that, you know, between 2 and 4am I think she had.
E
Said is the, oh, the witching hour. That's right.
F
And it was definitely in those windows of time. And so I remember just sort of trying to talk to it thinking like, okay, you're displaced. You know, wait, don't bother me. And so that was, so that was that year. And then a couple years later we had upped our game and I had Contacted a man. So all of the ghost toys that you take, they're all based on a series of books by a guy named Craig McManus, who I could probably connect you with if you ever want to have him on this podcast. He is sort of ghost expert of Kate May, and turned out he was a cousin of a friend of mine. My buddy Denise Spain was like, he's my cousin. We'll come meet you at the shore, and he'll give us a specialized tour, because at this point, you know, we're junkies of ghost tour junkies over there. So this is a couple years later. And so. So I think in this one, the timeline was we did have the tour with Craig, who walked us around, God bless him, it was so generous. He walked us around Cape May on foot and showed us different places and gave more detailed stories. And the. The block that we like to stay on in Cape May are these houses called the Seven Sisters. Some guy built seven identical houses for his daughters in the Victorian times. And then they were some of them sold off or whatever. And there's one that's called the Red Cottage now that's a rental property. And we went inside the Red Cottage.
C
And the Red Cottage.
D
These titles write themselves very. Okay, yeah.
F
Ghostly. Craig had told us. Craig speaks normally, but he's still.
C
Well, can you.
D
For the sake of the story, can you make him be Scottish? Does a great Scottish accent. Or how about Liverpool?
C
How about north?
D
Can you make it from northern England? Please, Please. It's so good.
F
It.
D
Let's do one line of his.
F
Okay.
C
You can do them regular, but I.
D
Might make you redo it in northern England.
F
That. In the Red Cottage that he told story of, like, you know, guests who have stayed here in the Red Cottage have been known to find their children out in the hallway in the middle of the night to find a young child in the hallway. And they'll say to the kid, like, what were you? You know, why are you in Hobby? And they say, I was. Well, I was playing with a little girl.
E
Oh, God, scary.
F
And they said, what do you mean? I said, well, the little girl came and she wanted to roll a ball around with me. Said, so people have seen, you know, have had that experience with their children in the Red Cottage, and since they've heard, you know, a ball rolling down the stairs, blah, blah, blah. And so this, on this tour was just me and my daughter. I don't even think Penelope was with us because she was such a tiny baby. And my husband, that my extended family was not on this tour.
C
Okay.
F
And so we were staying a couple buildings down from the red cottage. So we were staying in a house a few doors down. And I got up one morning and my sister in law, who, her room was in the basement of the house and she came up to the kitchen because you know those Victorian houses that.
D
It'S like, wait, is this the one we stayed in?
F
Wow. No, but it's right in that.
D
Okay.
E
The basement seems like it has the most activity. Well, in these things. Yeah.
F
I think they actually say, say that the higher the floor, the more activity.
E
Oh, really?
F
Oh, wow. 18.
E
I've got to stop watching those movies.
D
Everyone knows that the higher the floor. Okay.
F
The way they've implied it on the ghost stories that the higher level they, they don't really want to be around us and so they'll kind of keep.
D
We're learning about their proclivities. Yes. Okay.
F
But my came up to breakfast and she said, were Penelope and Alice up late last night? Oh, so Penelope was born. There you go. She was born. And I go, no, no, no. And she goes, oh. Because I, I, I. Were they rolling a ball around?
C
No.
E
In the kitchen. And I was like, scariest thing.
F
What? She's like, I heard them. I thought I heard them rolling a ball around. And I was like, no, they were not rolling a ball. They were asleep upstairs. So that those were the two things that I was like, okay, okay.
E
Ghost explaining that nothing was scarier than giggling and balls rolling around.
D
Wait, I have a question. So your sister in law, where was. She was in the basement.
F
Her room was in the basement.
D
And that's. And she thought she heard them rolling.
F
Around like she, she heard kids rolling a ball around and thought like, oh, that's weird. Must be Penelope and Alice. And it weren't. It weren't.
C
I'm stunned.
D
My jaw is a gape.
E
Yeah.
D
In case you're wondering what the silence is.
F
Yeah.
E
I'm taking it in. That's frightful. I mean, I think it's also scary that bed shaking is traumatizing. After I saw the Exorcist, if any bed shaking happens, that's it. I'm soiling my. After that, you know, it's, it's just too much.
C
I was trying to think.
E
They're old school.
F
I was trying to think like, okay, is it the, you know, is the H Vac kicking in enough to shake the bed? But I didn't really, couldn't really put my finger on it.
C
Wow.
F
But yeah, if you ever want to have Craig McManus on he knows all the tales. There's also. There's a house further up. Or next time we go, you have to go back there with me, Rachel, and we'll take the ghost tour.
D
I have to go anyway.
C
Yeah.
D
Regardless of ghosts, but I want to go either way.
F
Further up the road, there is the house that was owned by the Ralston family and like the inventors of Ralston, and they had a million dogs, I guess. And I think there's a lot of ghost dogs, supposedly.
D
Oh, oh, okay. We've had experience with ghost dogs on the show.
C
Yes.
D
We've seen a picture of a dog goat.
E
Wow.
D
Dogs are ghosts in the canine world. I wonder what the dog ghosts of Cape May do.
E
I mean, there's a ball around play catch.
D
Interesting though, that they're rolling the like. Like, I'm picturing this, like, old Victorian.
E
I don't know, mentioned with all these.
D
Like crazy Victorian kids playing with hoops and balls and stuff like that. So.
C
Okay. Wow.
E
It's the joyful things that are, you know, terrifying for, like, children laughing and playing ball. It's lovely while they're alive, but when you think of it in terms of.
D
Well, it's really.
F
There's nothing more terrifying than if you have kids. Like what your. Your, your own child just appearing at the side of your bed in the middle of the night.
D
You're like, oh, yeah, yeah, that would be scary too.
C
I love to cook. At least that's what I tell myself. I mean, I remember my mom always made a good homemade dinner, even though she worked a full time job. How she did it. Well, like I said, I do love to cook in theory. And I hit the ground running pretty well at the beginning of the week. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, I'm hunting down ingredients, looking at recipes, really giving it my all. But then you. Yeah, things start falling off. I start ordering takeout, which is very expensive these days, or I can't be bothered with shopping for ingredients. Not to mention when all the effort.
D
Turns into a cooking fail. Yeah, I've had those too.
C
Well, I found the perfect solution to all of this, and it's Tovala. This podcast is sponsored by Tovala. Tovala is a smart countertop oven and meal subscription that works together to make cooking effortless. Tovala makes it so easy. You just scan the meal's QR code, pop it in the oven, cooks everything perfectly. Steams, bakes, broils automatically. Yeah, I tried it and I felt like I was in a kitchen of the future. I don't know if Anyone out there remembers the Jetsons, but I really felt like Judy Jetson. Wait, is that the mom's name? Anyway, I'll look that up.
D
You're probably a little too young to remember that.
C
Anyway, in any case, back on track. Dratch. Okay, Tovala Tovala's meals are chef crafted and taste just like homemade meals you'd make yourself. I'm gonna vouch for this. They really do. Only in my case, maybe they taste even better than that and without all the headache. Plus, all of Tavala's meals are made with real fresh ingredients.
D
The first meal I gave to my.
C
Son was the beef burrito bowl and he loved it. Since then he's been loving all the meals and. But wait, there's more. The Tavala Oven also serves as an air fryer and toaster for your own stuff. And here's a crazy bonus. Tovala Smart Oven isn't just for their meals. We tried this. You can use the oven to scan store bought groceries. Like we put a Trader Joe's pizza in there. You scan the little barcode. It knows exactly how long to cook for and it turned out better than any frozen pizza I've ever made. And that's for real. So with Tovala you can finally remove dinner from your to do list for a limited time. Because you're a Woo Woo listener. You can save up to $300 on the Tovala Smart Oven when you order six plus meals by heading to tovala.com woo and use my co code WOO. That's 300 off when you head to tovala.com Woo and use promo code WOO one last time. That's T-O-V-A-L-A.com and make sure you use my promo code WOO for 300 off the Tovala Smart Oven. Remember, with Tovala dinner is taken care of.
D
Oops.
C
And it's Jane Judson who's the mom.
D
Judy was the daughter for you trivia fans out there. But anyway, back on track. Tovala.com woo right now at the Home.
J
Depot shop fall savings and get up to 40% off select appliances like Samsung. Upgrade your kitchen this fall with the Samsung Bespoke four door refrigerator now featuring the dual Auto ice maker with Sphere ice only at the Home Depot. You'll have perfectly chilled drinks for every gathering. Don't miss fall appliance savings at the Home Depot offer valid October 2 through October 22 US only C store online for details.
E
I wonder Tina if also because you were pregnant, you were a little bit more open. You know how they say, like children and I wonder.
F
Yeah, maybe I know that. I do think that children are more open, which segues me to my story, which is that Penelope would tell you this herself, but she's on a field trip today. My daughter Penelope, who's now 12. When she was a baby, she. Her room in our apartment, I knew from when we first looked at and bought this apartment, I remember there was an old woman who had been living here. And I remember when we first looked at the apartment, that room seemed to have kind of a bed with a lot of pills around it. And I thought, oh, I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps this lady passed in this room. Like, that was in the back of my mind. And so we made it Penelope's bedroom. And she claims that she has always felt a lot of presences. Presence Presidency Presents I Present side Present time She's had figling when she's a baby. And she was telling me and Rachel previously that what she used to see would. She said she would see. What'd she say? Like dozens of squares of light floating and moving around her. But she said they were distinctly squares, which to my mind was like, well, that's probably some light coming through the panes of your window and moving. But she also. She had a lot of night terrors as a baby, which. And she was a very unsettled baby, which I think, you know, maybe was.
C
Blame the ghosts.
F
Yeah. And she was to say, like, when she first could talk, she would say, I see people.
C
What?
E
What?
F
Oh, gosh. I see people in that room.
E
Dead people.
G
Wow.
D
You freaked out by that, are we? You're just like, so tired. You're like, okay, I'm seeing them too. Yeah, I'm so tired right now. We all see people right now.
F
But she would have. She would wake up as a baby and be screaming, and we'd go to pick her up and picking her up. You know, when you pick up a kid who's having night terrors, it makes it worse. And I remember Jeff used to have to. At one point, one time it was so bad, he had to take her to the, like, living room wind in the middle of the winter and open the window so that the freezing cold air would like, hit her and wake her up. And so she would wake up. Wow.
E
Now, did she have the terrors, the night terrors for. Did they stop at some point? Or is she.
F
She.
B
They did still.
F
They do seem to have stopped. She was also. Was a sleepwalker when she was little.
E
Oh, I was gonna ask that.
F
Wow. And one time we were in like, a hotel in Orlando and I just heard, like, click, click. And she was just about to walk out into the. And I was like, oh, my gosh. Whoa. But I would. I'm inclined to believe her that she feels like she saw things.
E
She was smaller, so maybe she was playing ball. No, I'm just kidding. I had a sleepwalker circling back.
D
Just a. Oh, my gosh.
F
Went downstairs and played ball with.
C
Yeah.
G
It'S okay not to be perfect with finances. Experian is your big financial friend and here to help. Did you know you can get matched with credit cards on the app? Some cards are labeled no Ding decline, which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit scores. Download the Experian app for free today. Applying for no Ding decline cards won't hurt your credit scores if you aren't initially approved. Initial approval will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit score scores experience.
F
The other kind of slightly woo woo thing that I didn't have a crazy experience there other than I was very drawn to it and I loved it. There was. I was working this time last year. I was working in England for a few months.
D
Oh, yeah.
F
Have you ever been to Highgate Cemetery in England?
C
No.
F
Highly recommend it. It's this beautiful, beautiful old cemetery. I'm trying to remember all the people who are buried there. Carl Marx is buried there. George. George Elliot is there. George Michael is buried there.
E
But hello.
F
Greek, like, right. His real name is like, Yanis something.
E
Oh, is it? That's my father's name.
F
Yanis. Yanis.
A
It.
F
It's the most beautiful Victorian spooky cemetery. And I ended up going there three times. I ended up just keeping. Gravitated back there. And I had this. These old tombs. And like, we took a tour of it and got like, fascinating history of how it was. You know, they tried. They just had to really try to sell it to get people because it was outside of London, Old London. So that was. It was basically like they were selling it. Like, come to these new condos. Like, you want to be buried here. All these was just like graves on top of graves that just like falling over, whatever. And it was winter time and I was there and there were like frozen spider webs and. And just like the most picturesque. And I just had this feeling. I was like, I feel like I would like to be buried here. So. Wow. Can you be in charge of that?
D
Are you on. Are you on the A list?
F
I'm on a list.
C
You're on a list.
E
They've got a plot with your name on it, sweetie.
F
You're in.
D
I'm gonna get you into that cemetery. Let me make a few calls. You call up in your very authentic British accent, and you'll get in.
F
Really overselling my British accent.
D
I am, but I want to hear it.
E
I feel culturally, Tina, too, like, Greek people are so superstitious. Was your family very superstitious?
C
Yeah.
E
It's not that they believed in ghosts, but, like, the evil eye which I'm wearing right now, in fact, you're in Malakia, Mati. Yeah. Oh, see, you know that. Yeah, Matia. That's right.
F
Yeah. Yeah, I think, you know, I. Yeah, I think I grew up in a super Greek neighborhood, too, so I think, like, we were. We were almost, like, relatively Greek light.
E
Compared to the heavy duties. Yeah, you're lucky.
D
I wonder also, if it's like, the immigrant.
E
You dodged a bullet, sweetie.
D
What, like the immigrant thing? Like, like from the old country?
E
Yeah, with the.
C
They're more into superstition.
F
Very superstitious.
E
Yeah.
F
I became more superstitious, like, when I was just basically having like, like, sort of PTSD working at snl. Did you. Did you. When you worked at snl, Rachel? Did you get, like. I. I would get to the place where I'd be like, if I get off, if it's read through day and I get off the train, if I. If I don't go between these two polls, I'm gonna have bad read through.
C
No.
D
Oh, but now you're making me think I went through those two polls every time or whatever. I didn't. I didn't do the superstition.
E
Is it superstition?
A
Is it ocd?
E
What is it?
F
No.
D
If I've done all. All those things, I wasn't focusing on the. On the woo woo enough to control my destiny.
F
I. Like, that was where I must have been hitting, like, a mental health low, because that's so, like, me to be that way. And I remember hearing that other people had really gotten kind of obsessive like that.
D
Tina, like, what are you working on now? If there's anything you want to plug or whatever.
F
Amy and I are on tour different cities through the beginning of next year, through the beginning of 2024. We're going to be in Philly, Atlanta, Portland.
D
Atlanta.
C
Portland.
F
New York City.
A
Oh, yeah.
D
New York City in February.
F
Yeah. And Mean Girls musical is going to be in London in the coming year.
C
That's very exciting.
D
When does that open or do we know?
F
I think it's gonna open in the beginning of June.
D
Okay. Beginning of June in London for all of our British listeners. No, I don't know. I don't know where this is going.
E
Well, I mean, it's.
D
Once we get your Northern English.
E
It's a global podcast, sweetie.
D
Ramon from Highgate. And once we transl this whole thing into the British English, Tina's gonna read you everything in her British accent, and then they'll understand us. No Mean Girls, the musical on the West End.
F
Yep.
D
I want to try to see that out there. But Tina and Amy show is so funny.
E
I know. I want to see it.
D
Good and so funny.
F
Never know.
D
And the crowd. You never know who's gonna show up, but. No, but the crowd, it's like a. It's like a. I'm still really old. Right? It's like a rock concert. No, but it is. It's like. Like, it's like if the freaking Rolling Stones were playing. Like, that's how the crowd responds. And it's very, very funny. So if you can go see it in a city near you. Now, we also have a little reading that Irene does.
E
Oh, yes, I do.
D
So Irene does the pendulum reading. And I actually had the forethought to warn Tina about this so she could think of a question.
E
Okay. That's right.
D
So this is the pendulum.
C
Can you see. Yes.
E
Can you see the pendulum? It's just like a. An amethyst, beautiful crystal hanging by an.
D
Old witch lady who works at Amazon. Okay.
E
I ordered this on Amazon.
A
About all of our.
D
So, so now if you ask a yes or no question in your mind. Okay. Then you're going to reveal it afterwards.
E
Reveal it after. If it's clockwise.
F
Yes.
E
Counterclockwise, no.
F
Okay. Question repeatedly in my mind.
A
Mind.
F
I'm ready.
E
Okay.
D
It's looking like a yes.
E
A resounding yes.
C
It's a yes.
F
Yeah.
E
Resounding yes. Hold on, let me do a safety.
C
But the safety's always the same.
E
Well, we don't know, Rachel. Sometimes once or twice.
D
I've never seen this. Okay, what was the question? What was your question?
F
I asked it if I was going to be a grandmother in the next 15 years.
E
Yeah.
D
Yeah, 15 years.
F
Kids are big and, like, it's not out of possibility that I could be a grandma, right?
E
No, you will be a grandmother.
I
That's right.
E
In the next.
D
You already want, like, the little kids again. Yeah, yeah, Right. I know. Did you have another question? Not that you need to have another one.
F
Let's Ask it another one.
E
That's right. Stunning accuracy.
D
We can have a great. I hate to write about grandchildren in.
C
The next two years.
D
Okay, the next two years. Okay.
E
Are you ready?
A
Yeah.
E
Okay. That looks like another yes.
F
Wow. It's great.
D
It's good question.
E
Stunning accuracy, Tina.
F
I was like, I want to know if I'll ever win an Oscar.
D
Did you really ask that?
F
I did.
D
Oh, my God.
E
Okay, well, get ready. Okay. If we, if this, if this manifests, then we're done.
C
I know.
E
Drop the pen. It's like, drop the mic.
F
That it will be for lighting, writing design. I have to start learning writing design. It's not going to be for writing.
D
Oh my God.
E
That's a good question.
D
I like that you asked that question though. Wow, that's like.
E
I mean that, that scares me a little because we tell them not to ask anything so earth shattering. But like, it was a yes.
F
Well, it's like.
E
Yeah, well, you didn't think, but yes. Penny says yes.
F
Wow. Thanks, Irene.
E
Yeah.
D
Okay.
A
Yeah, you're welcome.
E
You're worth it. That was amazing.
C
Thank you so much.
F
It's been a wonderful time and I hope you come visit us down in Cape May.
D
I'm gonn those ghosts. I gotta come see those ghosts. Tina, we gotta go together, hun. Oh my gosh. I loved that all of your ghost explanations were in that accent. Tina, thank you so much.
F
That was amazing.
C
Appreciate it.
F
Thank you for my lighting design. Oscar, my grandbaby.
E
Yeah, keep us posted, sweetie.
D
Yes, keep us posted. Well, that one will know. And then the grandmother. I think I'll know by if you can. Grandmother too, too. So that update will be coming to you listeners in 15 years.
E
We do update our people.
D
All right, well, Tina, thank you.
F
Thank you.
D
Okay, bye.
C
And you can find me on Instagram at Ray Dratch. That's R A E Dratch. And you can find Irene at IreneBremis.
D
That's B R E M I. And thanks for listening.
C
Thanks for joining me on this journey into the world of Woo Woo. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe.
D
Wherever you get your podcasts.
C
Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch is a.
D
Q Code production executive produced by David.
C
Henning and Steve Wilson. Produced by Alexa Gabriel Ramirez Edited by Will Tendee.
Release Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Rachel Dratch
Co-host: Irene Bremis
Guest: Tina Fey
This special episode of “Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch” features comedy icon Tina Fey sharing her personal “woo woo” experiences—specifically, her eerie ghost encounters during family trips to Cape May, New Jersey. In addition to swapping Greek heritage stories with Rachel and Irene, Tina reveals her surprising openness to ghostly phenomena, despite her usual rational bent. The trio blends laughter, skepticism, and genuine chills as they dive into Cape May’s haunted lore, family tales of spectral encounters, and even mystical readings with Irene’s pendulum.
[03:24–08:05]
[08:10–09:52]
[19:00–24:00]
[26:57–30:52]
[36:30–39:16]
[40:12–41:50]
[42:02–43:40]
[43:44–44:43]
[45:09–47:36]
The conversation blends genuine curiosity and spooky storytelling with Tina and Rachel’s signature self-deprecating and observational humor. There’s a playful skepticism, a willingness to be surprised, and frequent tangents into family, superstition, and comedy-life reminiscences. Much of the episode features in-jokes about Greek culture, parenthood, and showbiz, always wrapped in warm camaraderie.
Summary prepared for Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch, Episode: “Tina Fey: The Ghosts of Cape May.”
For listeners seeking both laughs and chills—this one delivers both in true A-list style.