Welcome to Big Broadway Energy, the podcast with your host Steven Rudin. That's me. Thank you for being your podcast listener. That's you, boy. Do we have a fun one today? If you are a regular listener to BBE, you have heard some Easter eggs that this little podcaster has been laying about some exciting news coming down the pike.

Well, we are officially down the pike and I am excited to announce that there is a brand new theater company happening right here in downtown St. Pete, and today we are going to. Talk to the stars of the very first production of said theater company. And to get started, we need some introductions. So we're gonna get those outta the way.

The name of the theater company is Dead Canary Theater, and we will learn all about where that name came from in a little while. The name of the show is Venus and Fur, and we'll talk about. This incredible play and what it's all about and what audiences can expect in a little while.

But first, let's talk about my guests. They are not only the stars of the show, they're both local grown. One continues to be a community leader and a local actor, a good friend of the pod and a good friend of mine, and the other is a local gal who happened to make her way up to New York City and continues to.

Take Broadway by Storm and is back to help Dead Canary with, you know, a little industry cred for the first production. So please welcome my friends, Travis Moore and Rachel Prather to Big Broadway Energy. Welcome friends. Thank you. Hi, thank you. It is good to be here so you can be a little more excited.

Travis, it is so good to be here. Thank you. Oh my God, it's so great to have you both back in the studio, for a lot of reasons. Travis, you're back and Rachel, it's your first time, but I think. Let's first, you know, we have to let the cat outta the bag. You know, the cat that killed the canary as it were to tell listeners all about this new venture and how it came to be.

I, you know, full disclosure, am a huge part of this, of, of this operation. And I'm, I'm working with Travis, my friend. But Travis, why don't you tell us a little bit about how Dead Canary came to be? I think it really started when we were doing mothers and Sons together, so, that's the first time we knew of each other.

We were in the same circles, but we had never had the opportunity to really work together. Certainly, and cast in that show together as, spouses, we got to really know each other and trust each other. We started talking about, how, wonderful. Community theater is, and the mission and the place that has in the community.

But we were saying there needs to be another professional theater voice. And certainly something that is doing things that are thought provoking, obviously entertaining, but just a, a. There needed to be something different. And, I think at that, that was during those dressing room discussions, we were dreaming then.

Right. Right. We were dreaming. Yeah. And that was, it was during the pandemic. It was the first show back. So, it's been, I guess like five years now. That four years at least. It was this germination of a dream. And, and then we started just kind of, other people kind of got excited as well.

Yes. We started talking about the fact that our community is large and can certainly, support, more theater here. And from that is kind of where it all started. That's true. And we got our good friend Rand Smith to be involved as well. We had many wine nights about how we were gonna make this happen, and we started talking about the genesis of what we wanted to be.

I want to just do a quick quote from our mission statement. It's, on our website for generations, the canary has been a symbol of communication and awareness. When a Canary sings, it does so. To express many different emotions, joy, freedom, protection, concern, pleasure, hope. The canary teaches us how to experience the importance of life and how to use our unique voice to tell our unique story.

And when the canary has sung, its last, the message is clear, time is up. It's now or never, right? Therefore, dead Canary has risen and we'd always, we landed on the canary. Fairly early on. And it was just gonna be the Canary Theater kind of thing,

and then we thought, we need, we need an adjective. We need a descriptive term. And we were talking about how, you know, the canary in the coal mine, you need to listen to that voice. And then we thought, well, if the canary's dead, I mean, you've got a problem, we better start singing ourselves.

Right, right. And then it also was irreverent, kind of funny. And we started thinking about just the way it could look from a, logo or mech. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I went right to merch. Yeah. No, of course. You're the businessman for sure. I'd buy a T-shirt.

Right? Right. Exactly. And so that's how the, you know, dead canary came, came to be. Yeah. And so that's how a theater company sort of gets started. It starts usually from just a seed of an idea, but then like, fast forward and we'll talk about where we're gonna be doing our first show and hopefully many shows in the future.

But in my humble opinion, to get a theater company started, you need a splash. Not only do you need a show that's going to kind of wake people up and get 'em excited about what they're gonna see, not only in the first show, but in the future. But you gotta have a cast that's gonna be a memorable one, and.

Enter Rachel Prather. Now, I, I gotta say, I could talk about Rachel for the next hour. I won't because she's tired of hearing about it. But I mean, Rachel, to have you on this project is like a dream. Like it's a dream. Oh my gosh. Thank, thank you. It's a dream, truly, Steven. It's a dream to be here. It's a dream to get to do theater again in St.

Pete and with you all, and to be a part of this inaugural production. I mean, it's a dream for all of us. This is to build theater from the ground up in our hometown. I mean, what. What more could you ask for? So, yeah. Thank you, it'ss. So true. No, it's true. And Rachel and I go way back. We're talking like 20 plus years.

I first met Rachel when she was in high school at St. Pete Catholic. I'd often go back and help out with productions, you know, long after I've graduated and.

Rachel was a freshman and I was there helping our old theater director, Joki, and I looked at her and I said to him, she's going to be on Broadway. She is something special. There was a light that just burst into the room when Rachel got on stage and boy was I right. So Rachel, tell us a little bit about your career, because just in a few short years, I mean, you have been.

So successful in the, in the Broadway community. Thank you. Um, yeah. Uh, so I made my Broadway debut back in. 2017 with a show called The Band's Visit. That was extremely special, not only because it was my debut, but because I got to build that role, and help build that show from the ground up.

We got started with a little reading. Then we did an off-Broadway production, in 2016 and then that following fall, 2017 we opened on Broadway I got to see this show blossom into what it was to be. Received so well by the New York community and visitors of New York.

And, we just, it was a really thrilling, and I was totally spoiled, first year on Broadway. And we won several Tony Awards and other awards as well that dress that you put, on stage, it still is with me. I love it so much.

It's like the joy coming outta every pore of your body is like so incredible. Thank you. And I remember when I saw it on Broadway, I teared up because I remember watching Rachel in, you're in town in Largo, Florida. Not, that long ago when you were in, in high school with Rand Smith.

With Ray, with Rand Smith. Right. Our, our co-founder and, and then it just hit me like. Like, like this had, this happened mm-hmm. And was happening for her. Mm-hmm. And, um, and the show. Yeah. It was just, it, it's such a special show. It's one of those where it, it, you know, so many things now with are, are based on, uh, they're just so big and splashy mm-hmm.

And there's so much stuff going on mm-hmm. And throwing all these effects at you. And a lot of times you lose the story and the humanity and this, the humanity is so present in that piece and, but I just remember. And my daughter, I had taken my daughter and she's like, dad, why are you, why are you crying?

Like, this isn't sad yet. I was crying too, and I, and I, tears were just flowing down. I was crying too, in the mezzanine. Right. But it was just, yeah. It was just really special to know somebody that, that I knew from just, you know, from Largo, from a Largo, Florida production is now doing, you know, really the, the epitome of what we would all wanna do, so.

Right, right. Oh, thank you. And I, I, I get chills every time I hear another. Local St. Pete person or Tampa Bay person has, has also made their way mm-hmm. Uh, to Broadway. And it's a, it's a little handful of us actually. Yeah, no, we have some representation up there. Yes, we sure do. And uh, and I don't know if Saint Pete knows it, but it's kind of, sort of a breeding grounds for performing artists.

Um, and anytime I come back here. Um, it, and I run into people that I worked with even in high school and, um, in local theater days. I mean, it's like, it's like, you know, we never left and we just, uh, pick it right back up where, where we, um, left off. It's so true. And then after band's visit,

my gosh, you did such a special thing that was like a special event, really, but you, the cast and, and what you got to do was really incredible. Yes, I did, uh, a Christmas Carol, it was an adaptation that was brought over from the West End and I played little Fan and the Ghost of Christmas future. And, uh, I, I got to perform every night with Haws who was Ghost of Christmas present, and Andrea Martin, who was Ghost of Christmas past, and Campbell Scott was our Scrooge.

So I was, and, and the rest of the cast was equally incredible, of course. Um, and a couple of familiar faces in there from, I did a national tour of once. Uh, so that was really special. It was just an incredible, um, limited run. Production that I, I just, I, it was one of those, one of those times that I just felt like, how did I get here?

Um, I know how you got there. No. Uh, so yes, it was, it was short and sweet because of course it was a holiday show we closed in January of 2020, and then, boy, you know. Yes. Uh, and then that year was, uh, the pandemic. But that, that time was, was just, I, I just. Enjoyed every moment. Uh, and on top of that, I found out I was pregnant with my first child in rehearsals.

What a gift. What a year gifts it was. It wa I can't, I'm like, how do I, how do I beat this? Uh, it, uh, it was really, really special. But getting to work on that adaptation with that cast and just these absolute. Legends in the theater and just kind of watch and listen to them. Uh, work was just a truly a gift for sure.

And then just recently speaking of, you know, a cast of stars you just closed, uh, a brand new play on Broadway, um, at the beginning of the year called Cult of Love with a cast that, I mean, again. It really is exceptional that yes, you all got to work together. True. Truly, truly. It was another, it was another moment of, how did I get here?

How did I get in this room? And uh, and it, it, Leslie Headland, the playwright is just an absolute brilliant person. And, um, just getting to listen to, um, this story, it, listen, lemme take that again. Uh, and this play was written by Leslie Headland and she was just. Brilliant. And I loved hearing, um, her work and do rewrites every day.

And, um, seeing the cast, uh, adapt to, to the changes every day was, was just thrilling. Yeah. I was gonna, well I was gonna ask if that was, 'cause I got to see that as well. Mm-hmm. Incredible. Yes. Thank you both for coming. We're definitely fans of Rachel Prather. I mean that, there's no doubt about that. No poopies for sure.

No, absolutely. Yes. Um, but I, 'cause I wasn't, I didn't remember and wasn't sure if that was also a new. A new piece because being able to, where you're not just coming in with somebody else's track and you're like literally just kind of put in and you're learning. You know, I, I have a friend that has just finished his 1000th performance of, uh, of Wicked.

Um, on Broadway and, but you're just literally just, it's a machine. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's, and you're just thrown, you're, you're literally put in, you, you think of like Lion King and some of this stuff where it, but something like this, you're able to actually, it, it's being worked every day and workshopped almost on its feet and Yes.

What incredible. Yes. Just to be a part of that would be just awesome. Yes. I've been very fortunate to get, to have worked on three projects on Broadway that, um, really started. Uh, from where I got to start, truly at the beginning stages. Um, but I have to say the, the one, the one that comes close to as, uh, let me, lemme say that again, but I have to say the, the performance that comes pretty darn close, if not equal to.

The night of my Broadway debut was coming here to perform at the str. I was an understudy on the once musical national tour and um, I was given the gift, the opportunity to go on in my hometown, and I had about. 200 people that I, I was, I was there. I know, I remember. Yes, I remember. I cried through the whole thing then too.

Oh my gosh. It was, I mean, I, I was just completely overwhelmed with those vows and the straw center is just massive. So to perform. In your hometown for such a ma in such a massive hall. One that I grew up going to, of course, and seeing shows was inspired by knowing that there might other be kids watching us.

Uh, being inspired was just completely overwhelming. And, and I remember thinking in those bows and in that spotlight, I, I remember thinking, I don't know if a Broadway debut will top this. Oh, I, I really? Yeah. And, and I remembered thinking. On, on stage at my Broadway debut. I thought, okay, this is great. But they're different.

But they're, they're different, but they're not, they're not no one's, no one's winning this competition. They're both as special. They're both as special. Yeah. So for sure, I don't know. It's a, I love that St. Pete and now, and now she's back. I mean, it's not the str everybody, but I will tell you where it is.

It's the studio at six 20 and the studio at six 20. Is equally as special to a lot of us. 'cause we both, we've all done things in that venue. Mm-hmm. And now we are, Ary Theater is now the resident theater company of studio at six 20, which I think is so incredible. Yes, we are. We could talk all day. Let's talk about Venus Infer as the play because it is one of those plays that's like a one two punch.

It highlights so much of what not only actors and actresses want to do on stage, you know, want to get to do in a role, but you know, the power play, the show itself is really a power play in about. You know, what people have to go through when it comes to, you know, um, I don't wanna say the patriarchy, but there is an idea of like, when you walk into a caster, especially a casting office, is what the play's about.

It's like this actress comes from a casting office and she's sort of met by this very, you know, um, male chauvinist casting director. And it's like, I love what the play does. 'cause it just throws all of the ideas of what that experience is gonna be on its ear. And an audience is just like. Blown away by what happens.

Mm-hmm. Let's, mm-hmm. Just talk briefly about what you guys like about the parts you're playing. Well, the, the power dynamic at the beginning, and, and like you said, going into any audition room, the person, the auditioner is at the lowest point of, of the power threshold, right. They're, they're on the, the low end.

Right. Everybody else has more, and there's usually, you know, there's typically, you know, a room of people at a table and they're, and you don't know, you know, it's, it's, it. All the things, all the confidence that you think that you have that you're gonna bring into this room. Uh, you have to really muster it up.

Sure. 'cause you're thinking, I should not be, why am I here? They don't want me here. They don't care. They're barely looking at me. Um, all of that. Um, I should have used a different headshot like you're having and, and. In this play, that power dynamic, it, it shifts and it shifts several different times. Yeah.

But it absolutely, um, and, and I don't, you know, you don't wanna give too much away here. Sure. But, but there, it, it becomes what you think is the dynamic changes every few pages. Mm-hmm. And it really keeps you guessing and then therefore engaged. It demands the audience to stay engaged. Yeah, absolutely. Yes.

There isn't one, one big flip where this person now has the power halfway through. And that's, and that's who, that's the exchange. It, like you said, Travis, it, it really flips every few pages and it, and even there are even a couple times where we, as the characters aren't sure mm-hmm. Who actually is in charge, um, in every moment.

Um, and I, and I love. In rehearsals trying to figure out, um, who, who does have kind of the upper hand and, and who is pretending not to have the upper hand. Um, and um, yeah. And right there is that cat that kind of, that cat and mouse that feeling each other out like where it is. But then, but who's the cat and who's the mouse?

Yes. And that changes, that's what's so great about it. And you're literally also like the. A, a person is who's got the power or thinks he is saying, you know, take a power position. You need to take a power. I'm get, you know, you're, and then that person, the, the, the, the feedback back and forth is just, um, it's just a lot.

It's a, it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. Um, but it's also, yeah, it just, it really, um, it, it makes you, it makes you think about power dynamics, um, in a, in a. In a very real way. Yeah. And the play is written so well that, this, that, that, this intro, this, this beginning five minutes is very familiar I think, to all of us.

Mm-hmm. As people who have auditioned, um, you know. You know, this, this girl comes in and it in from the pouring rain, and she's a total mess. And she probably thought she was going to have a killer audition that day. And lo and behold, you know, she's a hot mess and, and comes in totally disheveled and late and, um, nothing seems to be, uh, going the way going as planned.

Right. And he's done. I mean, he's done, he's leaving. Yes. He doesn't want to, he's packing up the room. He doesn't want anything to do with her shutting it, shutting off the lights. Mm-hmm. Right. And. Yeah, it, it has zero interest in having to deal with another person coming into audition. Um, and, and then. J just by just her, her strength of, of personality and the way she just, she forces that issue.

And then it's like the ride starts and the show starts. Yeah. Right, right. Yeah. And, and I think the sh the, the show also opens up the question of not just, not just the power dynamic between actor and playwright slash director, but also man and woman. Mm-hmm. And how. How women can take the power. Uh, from a man, um, in conversation, how they have to kind of play a game in order to, um, kind of be the more dominant power in, in conversation in a room.

Um, and, and your character does the, does the same thing. I mean, he'd a lot, you know, he'll, he'll try and take the, the power back a little bit in conversation and trying to over explain or mansplain to, to her, and. And so, no, this is, and then it's the play that your character wrote, so you have, you feel some ownership of the room as well.

So it's real, it's a really fun tense, 90 minutes of, of both characters fighting and pulling for the power of the room. It's so true, and I think those are the stories you want to tell at Dead Canary. You know, stories that are important that have that, that opened up discussions. But, you know, do it with plays that are really at the root entertaining that are one, two punches.

Um, and that's what you're gonna experience when you see anything that, that has the dead canary production, uh, label on it. And when Venus came out in 2011, it really took the world by storm. You know, it was one of those shows that kind of surprised everybody. A very unknown actor by the name of Nina Ariana, who was a recent graduate at NYU, was her very first professional job and she won the Tony Award.

That's how great. She was, but also how great the role is written. And Hugh Dancy played, played, um, played the, the Thomas, the male male character, Thomas on Broadway, Thomas. Um, and you know, we all saw Nina. We all saw Hugh. But I gotta say, I mean, dare I say, we are giving them a run for our money. I, I really do think, I really do think so.

Um, and I, I just am so again proud that we're able to do it. And the studio at six 20 is such an incredible partner. I mean, they want us. And they are, and they are, you know, really giving us the, the fuel we need to start this plane, right? And I think that's why, that's how theater companies actually happen.

Having a partner that's saying, no, no, we want you to do the art, but we also are gonna help you financially. We're gonna help you tech technologically, we're gonna make it make sense so that you can tell the story. And then once it's up and, and we can really start to see what else we have in store, uh, it's really gonna be a great production partner.

So if you've ever been to the studio at six 20, you know how. Special that places is, and these are the shows that we are producing. We're gonna be in concert with the studio's vision and with their mission. So please, please come support us. Um, before we go, in addition to playing the incandescent vonda in Venus and Fur, Rachel, uh, obviously if you know Rachel from her amazing role in the band's visit or the original Broadway cast recording, which she's on, um, you know, Rachel's also going to be singing here for us at the studio.

At six 20 you'll be offering a concert. On Monday, May 5th. That's right, yes. Thank you for plugging that. Oh, come on. So like, you're gonna be doing standards, Broadway songs. Anything special you wanna talk about? Yeah. Um, well I'll, I'll, I'll leave it to the set, to the set list to, um, surprise. Okay. But, um, yes, I, I am singing.

Um, a lot of songs that I've wanted to sing for a long time from a couple shows that I, um, auditioned for and just absolutely loved. I'm singing, um, songs that I grew up listening to, um, and I, and I realized as I was making this. List, um, with Michael Raby, who is a fabulous, wonderful Michael Rabbe, fabulous pianist, and is my music director for the evening, and Paul Star Art will be on guitar.

Um, it we, I was realizing that a lot of the songs were rooted in, uh, nostalgia for home and, um, and. In songs that I listened to growing up, even as a child. So, um, I'm so excited to get to sing here, uh, in my hometown after such a long time. And at the Studio 6 22, I just, um, I really love that space. Mm-hmm.

And, um, am so excited to sing There we are too. So, for tickets on Rachel's concert and for Venus Infer tickets and more information, go to the studio@sixtwenty.org. Uh, Rachel's concert is on May 5th, Monday, and our show Venus Infer opens May 15th. So again, go to studio@sixtwenty.org for more information or dead canary.org for, uh, more info on Venus Infer.

We cannot wait to see you. Okay, last question. We're running short on time folks, but Travis and Rachel, my friends, the last question I ask everyone of my guests, what does art mean to you? And Travis, you answered this the last time you were here, but I'm gonna put you back on the spot again. Yeah. And I don't even remember what I said the last time I was here.

It was that special folks. No, no, no. But, but I think, but I think now, I don't know. I think now working on this piece actually, and, and, and getting into this, this particular script, um, it. It's, um, a, a mirror. Um, and I know that sounds very, you know, from Hamlet, um, you know, the, the, where Hamlet gives the speech to the players about, mm-hmm.

About the, the mirror to nature. But it's, it, it allows us to see not only our ourselves, but also this reflection of what, of what life or our, our community or our world could also be. Mm-hmm. Um, and so it. But, but it just, I've learned so much about myself just having, just getting into this piece because Thomas isn't naturally like, like the person that I, that I, that I am, um, at all truly.

But being able to, you know, to create it, it's like, okay, well this is a fe a piece of art, and now I, I'm actually getting to see parts of myself in a, in a, in a, in different way. And so to me it's, it's like a mirror. So music to my ears. Rachel, what does art mean to you? Oh, mine is short, but, um, to me, art is home and art is, um, where I grow the most as a person, but o but overall it is my sense of home.

I love that to be able to do this work with you guys, to be able to do it in St. Pete with my dear friends, it's truly a dream come true. Rachel and I were together last night at the, uh, at the film festival, at the, at the, um, sundial, and we were talking about just being back in our town, doing the thing we love and how special it is.

So I, I really feel that way. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Thank you both so much for being here and sharing your talents with us in Tampa Bay. I love you guys. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, dear listener, for joining us on Big Broadway Energy. Listen to the radio show at the same name at 10:00 PM on Sundays or 4:00 PM on Saturdays, wherever you listen on radio st pete.com.

Sunshine, 96.7 or St. Pete sounds. If you or someone you know would like to be on my show, please email me at Big Broadway Energy, all one word@gmail.com. Until next time, friends, be kind, be curious, keep creating. Bye everybody.

Cool. Boom. That's good. Woo-hoo. I think my voice sounds good on these. It does. Your