Ep 16 - Leslie Carrara-Rudolph

On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome actress and Muppet performer, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph to talk about her career and answer questions from our Live YouTube Chat. She performs characters such as Abby Cadabby, Spamela Hamderson, Prairie Dawn’s Mom, and more.

Episode Outline:

• Gene and Bill answer questions for the first eleven minutes alone
• Dick the Shark shows up to taunt Gene

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph joins the Q&A 11:30 – 58:30mins

• Her work before The Muppets
• Leslie’s Muppet audition and her amazing Wizard of Oz medley.
• Paul Rudolph pops in for a moment.
• Questions from the Live Chat continue throughout
• Bobo meets Darcey
• The origins of Abby Cadabra
• Playing off each other as background players in Muppets Tonight
• Dick the Shark comes back
• Paul Rudolph pops in again
• Gene recalls drawing a fake tattoo on Leslie during Muppets Tonight
• Leslie draws Angel Cards for Gene and Bill
• Lolly Lardpop checks in for a visit

Back to Bill and Gene Q&A on their own

 

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph

 

A graduate of San Francisco State University (BA degree, “Child Development through the Arts”) is a multi-faceted entertainer, writer, and artist best known for performing the fairy, Abby Cadabby on Sesame Street for which she earned her 5 Emmy nominations. Leslie got her start as a puppeteer on ABC’s “Muppets Tonight.” Other TV credits- Jim Henson Company/PBS “Splash and Bubbles”, PBS Nature Cat, Disney’s “Johnny & the Sprites”, Nickelodeon’s Tough Puppy Leslie created an original musical stage show for the Walt Disney Company called “The Wahoo Wagon that ran at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. She was awarded the UNIMA citation of Excellence for her show “Wake Up Your Weird” and received two Jim Henson Foundation Grants. 

Leslie recently had a residency at the Laurie Beechman theater performing her cabaret's “What Just Happened?”, “Moonlight Madness” and  “Bizarre Brunch.” Leslie performs and speaks throughout the country about “character development through the arts” with her puppet side Kicks “Lolly Lardpop” and Granny Dot.” These characters are featured in her original podcast on iTunes called “Lolly’s radio playdate”