ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Sara Ramirez - Singer, songwriter, actress
Broadway and TV veteran Sara Ramirez challenges stereotypes even as she beguiles audiences.

Why you should listen

Sara Ramirez has been known to viewers for the past 11 years as orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres on ABC's drama "Grey's Anatomy." Prior to that role, Ramirez was seen on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot as Lady of the Lake, for which she earned both a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical and an Outer Critics Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

Ramirez graduated from the Juilliard Drama School. Shortly after graduation, she made her Broadway debut starring in Paul Simon's The Capeman. Following that, she starred on Broadway in Fascinating Rhythm and A Class Act, as well as Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues. For the past four seasons, Ramirez has been the voice of Queen Miranda in the Disney Channel animated series, "Sofia The First.," She has also appeared on "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order: SVU," "Third Watch" and "Spin City." In 2011, she captured a whole new audience when she performed the most prominent songs on the special music event episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and released her own EP on iTunes.

Most recently, Ramirez co-hosted and performed at TED Talks Live on PBS, and produced two films: Loserville (released in fall 2016 in partnership with the Pacer Foundation's Center for Bullying Prevention & Stomp Out Bullying) and the virtual reality film experience Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story, an Official Selection Sundance Film Festival and Lumiere Award nominee directed by Nonny de la Peña. Her next executive producing project is The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, a documentary by filmmaker David France of How to Survive a Plague about LGBTQ civil rights transgender pioneers Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.

In 2015, Ramirez was awarded the Ally for Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In addition to her role as a member of the True Colors Fund’s Board of Directors, she supports The True Colors Fund, Bisexual Organizing Project, NDLON, Mujerez De Maiz, The Task Force and The San Diego/New York/San Francisco LGBT Centers.

(Photo: Paul Gregory)

More profile about the speaker
Sara Ramirez | Speaker | TED.com
Michael Pemberton - Actor, singer/songwriter
Michael Pemberton is a New York-based actor and singer/songwriter.

Why you should listen

Michael Pemberton has been a working actor and singer-songwriter in New York City for over 20 years. He has appeared in numerous films, television and stage productions from regional theater to Broadway. The Michael Pemberton Band has appeared in many of New York's most storied venues including The Bitter End, Birdland, Joe's Pub and, proudly with his friend and collaborator Sara Ramirez, at Town Hall for Ted Talks Live. He is the lucky husband of Andrea, and proud Dad to Katie, Jared and Megan.

More profile about the speaker
Michael Pemberton | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Live

Sara Ramirez: "Rollercoaster"

Filmed:
1,132,926 views

Singer, songwriter and actress Sara Ramirez is a woman of many talents. Joined by Michael Pemberton on guitar, Ramirez sings of opportunity, wisdom and the highs and lows of life in this live performance of her song, "Rollercoaster."
- Singer, songwriter, actress
Broadway and TV veteran Sara Ramirez challenges stereotypes even as she beguiles audiences. Full bio - Actor, singer/songwriter
Michael Pemberton is a New York-based actor and singer/songwriter. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
(Guitar)
0
1791
2559
00:30
(Singing)
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18058
1003
00:31
Rollercoaster,
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19061
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00:35
carousel.
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23151
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00:40
Where the highs are heaven,
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00:43
but the lows,
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31512
1109
00:44
oh, they can be hell.
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32621
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00:47
You can grab the ring,
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00:50
you can ring that bell,
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00:54
when the ride is over,
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00:58
you can never tell.
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1964
01:04
People tell you this one thing --
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52015
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01:07
will make your life complete.
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01:10
So you,
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01:11
you give it everything you got
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01:14
and you wind up on the street.
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01:19
Then one day you wake up,
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01:23
and they tell you "you're a queen,"
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71709
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01:27
but then you find that someone else
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01:31
is pulling on the strings.
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01:33
Rollercoaster,
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01:37
carousel.
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2560
01:43
Where the highs are heaven,
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91188
2817
01:46
but the lows,
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01:47
oh, they can be hell.
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2639
01:49
You can grab the ring,
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97720
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01:53
you can ring that bell,
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01:56
when the ride is over,
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02:01
you can never tell.
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02:06
The one you love,
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02:07
they love you --
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02:08
oh yeah --
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until the end of time.
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02:14
But lose your edge or lose your cool,
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they will drop you like a dime.
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02:21
Everyone is crowding 'round
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02:25
when fortune is your friend.
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02:29
When your luck is running out,
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02:33
you're all alone again.
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02:35
Rollercoaster,
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02:39
carousel.
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02:44
Where the highs are heaven
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02:47
but the lows,
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02:49
oh, they can be hell.
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02:51
You can grab the ring,
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02:55
you can ring that bell,
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02:58
when the ride is over
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03:02
you can never tell.
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03:08
Well, maybe I'm just cynical,
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03:12
and all these words are lies,
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03:16
but experience keeps telling me
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03:18
that the cautious one is wise.
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03:23
But caution makes you hesitate,
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03:27
and hesitate you're lost,
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03:31
so take your opportunities
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03:35
and never count the cost.
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03:37
Rollercoaster,
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03:41
carousel.
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3458
03:47
Where the highs are heaven,
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2684
03:49
but the lows,
59
217851
1370
03:51
oh, they can be hell.
60
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2268
03:53
You can grab the ring,
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221489
3462
03:56
you can ring that bell,
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224951
3486
04:00
when the ride is over --
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228437
2534
04:02
over, over,
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04:04
you can never, ever tell.
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04:08
Rollercoaster,
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04:12
carousel,
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04:16
rollercoaster,
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1815
04:18
yeah, yeah, yeah,
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04:20
carousel.
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04:24
Carousel,
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04:27
carousel,
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4050
04:31
carousel,
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3836
04:35
carousel.
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263797
8835
04:45
(Applause)
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04:48
Michael Pemberton.
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04:50
(Applause)
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04:53
Thank you so much.
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04:55
Thank you.
79
283685
1075

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Sara Ramirez - Singer, songwriter, actress
Broadway and TV veteran Sara Ramirez challenges stereotypes even as she beguiles audiences.

Why you should listen

Sara Ramirez has been known to viewers for the past 11 years as orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres on ABC's drama "Grey's Anatomy." Prior to that role, Ramirez was seen on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot as Lady of the Lake, for which she earned both a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical and an Outer Critics Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

Ramirez graduated from the Juilliard Drama School. Shortly after graduation, she made her Broadway debut starring in Paul Simon's The Capeman. Following that, she starred on Broadway in Fascinating Rhythm and A Class Act, as well as Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues. For the past four seasons, Ramirez has been the voice of Queen Miranda in the Disney Channel animated series, "Sofia The First.," She has also appeared on "NYPD Blue," "Law & Order: SVU," "Third Watch" and "Spin City." In 2011, she captured a whole new audience when she performed the most prominent songs on the special music event episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and released her own EP on iTunes.

Most recently, Ramirez co-hosted and performed at TED Talks Live on PBS, and produced two films: Loserville (released in fall 2016 in partnership with the Pacer Foundation's Center for Bullying Prevention & Stomp Out Bullying) and the virtual reality film experience Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story, an Official Selection Sundance Film Festival and Lumiere Award nominee directed by Nonny de la Peña. Her next executive producing project is The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, a documentary by filmmaker David France of How to Survive a Plague about LGBTQ civil rights transgender pioneers Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson.

In 2015, Ramirez was awarded the Ally for Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In addition to her role as a member of the True Colors Fund’s Board of Directors, she supports The True Colors Fund, Bisexual Organizing Project, NDLON, Mujerez De Maiz, The Task Force and The San Diego/New York/San Francisco LGBT Centers.

(Photo: Paul Gregory)

More profile about the speaker
Sara Ramirez | Speaker | TED.com
Michael Pemberton - Actor, singer/songwriter
Michael Pemberton is a New York-based actor and singer/songwriter.

Why you should listen

Michael Pemberton has been a working actor and singer-songwriter in New York City for over 20 years. He has appeared in numerous films, television and stage productions from regional theater to Broadway. The Michael Pemberton Band has appeared in many of New York's most storied venues including The Bitter End, Birdland, Joe's Pub and, proudly with his friend and collaborator Sara Ramirez, at Town Hall for Ted Talks Live. He is the lucky husband of Andrea, and proud Dad to Katie, Jared and Megan.

More profile about the speaker
Michael Pemberton | Speaker | TED.com