Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

Episode: Vanessa Williams: Ghosts, Pet Psychics, and Past Lives
Date: December 31, 2025

Overview

In this spirited and laughter-filled episode, Rachel Dratch and Irene Bremis welcome multi-talented star Vanessa Williams to dive deep into the mysterious, unexplained, and thoroughly "woo woo." Vanessa shares personal tales about haunted houses, ghostly encounters, pet psychics, and fascinating brushes with past lives. The conversation blends humor, heart, and eerie intrigue—perfect for listeners skeptical and seasoned in the supernatural alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vanessa's Career & Broadway Experiences

• Vanessa recounts her many stage roles—from her Broadway debut in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" to Sondheim's "Into the Woods" and the farcical "POTUS", which she performed with Irene.

• Memorable anecdotes include collaborating with legends like Cicely Tyson and Stephen Sondheim, and the creative chaos of last-minute lyric changes delivered by fax machine.

  “Whatever Steve says.” – Vanessa Williams on taking Sondheim’s wild suggestions (04:00)

2. Manifestation, Home Energy & the "Filofax House"

• Vanessa is praised as a "connector" who makes every space she inhabits calming and beautiful (09:01).

• She describes manifesting her dream home by writing a list of desired traits in her Filofax—and years later realizes her house matches it exactly.

  "I pulled up here and I'm like, oh my God, this is exactly what I had written down…" – Vanessa Williams (13:19)

3. Ghostly Experiences in Vanessa's Home

• The 1906 guesthouse has a history of unexplained happenings: flickering lights, phantom footsteps, and a child's voice.

• Vanessa's nanny once heard children playing in the middle of the night—only to find no one there (16:09).

• Vanessa's youngest daughter felt persistently watched, leading Vanessa to appear on the TV show The Haunting Of for an on-site psychic reading with Kim Russo.

  • Kim immediately senses the presence of Vanessa’s late father and uncle via two birds, spots a ghostly woman in old-fashioned dress by the swingset, and detects a possessive spirit named George (18:42 – 22:44).
  • Validation: Later research confirms a boy named Stuart (Stewie) once lived in the house and died nearby—a detail Kim had intuited (25:13).

"She said there was a guy who...got electrocuted, but this was kind of his beat...and his name was George. You got to get rid of him because he's very possessive." – Vanessa Williams (21:05)

4. Pets and the Supernatural

• Vanessa’s home is protected by her Great Danes, who sometimes bark at unseen presences (24:44).

• Vanessa consults pet psychic Barbara (Grayson, her late Dane, is now “pack leader” of a ghostly dog crew) (29:07).

  "She got in touch with Grayson…if the dogs bark, it's because they're all barking at all the dogs at once." – Vanessa Williams (29:10)

5. College-Age Hauntings

• Vanessa recalls strange phenomena in her Syracuse apartment: swaying plants and ties, objects moving by unseen forces, and neighbors holding a seance that explained a cleaning woman had hung herself in the basement (32:18).

6. Psychic Readings, Past Lives, and Broadway Witchery

• Vanessa is a self-described seeker and has sought guidance from various psychics:

  • Judith Light (called Broadway's "good witch") is her go-to for referrals (34:14).
  • Past life regression with “Kevin in San Francisco” reveals her past as an Egyptian noble and her ex-husband as a gladiator.
    • The session helps her make sense of relationship patterns (36:36).

  “He was a gladiator, I was a noble. I chose him and he bailed.” – Vanessa Williams (37:16)

• Endorsement of Roland Comtois (purple pages psychic), whose uncannily accurate messages comforted her and her mother after her father’s passing (38:31):

  “There’s no way he would know exactly what my dad would say.” – Vanessa Williams on Roland’s reading (39:02)

7. Showbiz Superstitions & Broadway Ghosts

• No whistling backstage (“It was a cue for sandbags!”) and never say “Macbeth” in the theater (45:34).
• Spooky venues exist—some theaters are considered jinxed or haunted (46:50).
• Vanessa shares lighthearted backstage rituals with Rachel, including a backstage talk show during "POTUS" (46:11).
• Leah Delaria cited as another famed Broadway ghost-believer with tales of a ghost attack (47:19).

8. Orbs, Omens, and Family Visitations

• Vanessa describes occasionally seeing unexplained “pin lights” or orbs in her peripheral vision—interpreted as messages from beyond (48:21).
• After her father’s death, Vanessa’s mother hears loud crashes and omens (like falling trees on his car), which Vanessa interprets as her dad trying to send messages (43:45).

9. Pendulum Reading (Live On-Air)

• Irene performs her signature pendulum prediction for Vanessa: Will she go to London for a new show? The pendulum says yes; Vanessa reveals she just received the offer and is considering it (52:20).

  “Well, you better pack your bag, sweetie.” – Co-host, after pendulum answers yes (52:24)

10. Upcoming Projects & Manifesting the Future

• Vanessa plans to perform with Norm Lewis at Carnegie Hall (Dec 22), is releasing new music (“Legs, which are the last to go”), and still manifests her next moves—sometimes with help from “purple pages” (49:08).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sondheim’s process:

  "Fax machine...with new lyrics that Steve is writing. And he's like, okay, the witch takes her bloody hand and suffocates the baby. Steve, she's not gonna kill the baby." – Vanessa Williams (04:10)

• On house manifestation:

  “Stone, glass, lots of light, ponds, winding driveway...Oh my God, this is exactly what I had written down in the back of my Filofax.” – Vanessa Williams (13:20)

• Ghost encounter validation:

  “They found a kid whose name is Stuart... he loved this house and that's why he's attached to this house.” – Vanessa Williams (25:28)

• On past lives:

  “He was a gladiator, I was a noble. I chose him and he bailed, and...became a monk.” – Vanessa Williams (36:59)

• On unexplainable omens:

  “After he died...a tree came down and hit front windshield, like, the next day...so I've got a lot of flat tires [as] omens.” – Vanessa Williams (43:55)

• On inviting ghost compadres:

  “Everywhere I go, there's always—I mean, I was in Egypt and someone said, 'Oh, I've got a woman in the other room. Do you want to have a reading?' I was like, okay.” – Vanessa Williams (42:57)

Key Timestamps

• Vanessa’s Broadway recap: 04:02–07:22
• Manifesting the dream house: 10:30–13:29
• Haunted house stories & psychic visit: 16:09–22:44
• Stewie, George, and house research: 24:44–26:15
• Pet psychic segment: 29:07
• College hauntings: 32:18–33:55
• Judith Light & past life reading: 34:14–37:16
• Family messages from beyond: 39:02–40:41, 43:45
• Pendulum reading: 52:01–52:39

Tone and Style

The conversation is honest, irreverently funny, and warmly open-minded. Vanessa’s delivery is grounded but playful, with Rachel and Irene riffing and relating throughout. Even as the stories get spookier, laughter is never far away—a signature of the "Woo Woo" podcast.

Summary

This episode is a woo-woo whirlwind: Vanessa Williams dishes on career highlights, psychic readings, paranormal home life, spectral pets, showbiz lore, and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways the unknown continues to tap her on the shoulder. For believers and skeptics—there’s something to ponder, laugh at, and maybe even manifest as you roll into the new year.

Listen for:

• Firsthand ghost stories
• The utility of pet psychics
• Pendulum predictions
• Advice on creating “woo” energy in your own space
• Backstage Broadway secrets
• A highly replayable blend of chills, laughter, and heartfelt wonder

Happy Woo Year!