entertainer
Leslie has created a variety of live shows for kids, for adults, and for all ages. Shows can be tailored to meet the needs of a specific theme, age group, or population (kids at risk, hospitals, etc.). Leslie's shows use a combination of music, art, puppetry, improv, movement, and storytelling!
Scroll down for more info on all her shows! For booking information please visit the contact page.
“If I could wrap up living gifts for the children of the world, they would be these shows, these ways of navigating life creatively. My mission is to help the young and young at heart discover their true joy and celebrate their individuality through the arts.”
- Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
"Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is an original. The lady is crazy talented! Nothing throws her, and she just keeps moving, making each moment funnier than the next, making you think that miracles really do happen because that's what Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is: a miracle."
– Stephen Mosher, Broadway World
"When I first saw Leslie, her talent, gifts and imagination filled me with JOY! She is an experience you don't want to miss."
– Chita Rivera
"If you took DNA strands from Jim Henson, Pee-wee Herman and Robin Williams and spliced them together you might just create something like the unbelievably talented force of nature, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph. Wake Up Your Weird is the perfect vehicle to showcase Leslie's insane mix of comedy and character. It is side-splittingly, front-splittingly and rear-splittingly funny!"
– Joey Mazzarino, Emmy-winning head writer of Sesame Street
live shows/cabarets
Photos by Richard Termine
Bizarre Brunch
BIZARRE BRUNCH was created so Leslie could share all-new stories, songs and ideas with a different theme every show. Each show is completely different with only the common factor being that they are all bizarre indeed. With co-writer Jamie Donmoyer, Leslie not only explores new characters but stretches the art of storytelling adventure and audience participation further than ever.
Packed with special guests and Leslie's original songs, BIZARRE BRUNCH shows have played to sold-out audiences, with a waiting list full of people wanting to escape reality and enter a place where weird whimsy is served up in bountiful portions. The shows feature Michael Hicks on Piano and Leslie's husband Paul Rudolph on percussion.
Every performance raises money for a different charity through sales of Leslie's original artwork created specifically for each show, and by selling BIZARRE BRUNCH coffee mugs with original artwork by cartoonist Jay Fosgitt.
Keep an eye on Lolly Lardpop's social media to get updates on the next show!
"Using more props than an entire troupe of improv artists, more costume/hair/makeup changes than a sketch comedy group, and more energy than a kindergarten class that has just had a king-size Snickers and a Mountain Dew, Ms. Carrara-Rudolph presents her off-the-wall character creations, a million and one laughs including pratfalls, dropped draws, audience participation, toiletries, innuendo, and anything else that she can get her hands on or her brain wrapped around."
- Stephen Mosher, Broadway World
Photos by I.F. Israel and David Grubman
What Just Happened?
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph takes a break from Sesame Street to perform her adult cabaret and share stories from her journey through life, along with the help of a few unexpected puppet guests. She transforms into characters as she weaves in and out of songs and playfully interacts with the audience through improvisation.
The show is written for a mature audiences but is family friendly. Every show becomes a one of a kind experience. With music, stories, and unexpected whimsy, ANYTHING can happen!
Featuring Michael Hicks on piano and Paul Rudolph on percussion.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? has played multiple sold-out shows at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City and various other venues. Leslie's performance was nominated for a MAC award for Best Musical Comedy Performer.
Moonlight Madness
MOONLIGHT MADNESS is a Halloween-themed cabaret in which the fortune teller Madame Velveeta starts the show off by predicting madness and transformation with lots of tricks and treats for all. The cabaret that follows doesn't disappoint, with several special guests to help on the journey. From Leslie getting bitten by a "were-doodle" she rescued, to Deadpool playing vibes, to a special dance by Granny Dot and a swamp thing, this show uses music and storytelling to weave a whimsical tale full of "Moonlight Madness."
MOONLIGHT MADNESS has been performed several times at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.
Photos by Richard Termine
touring shows
The Oz in You
In THE OZ IN YOU: LET'S TALK CHARACTER, artist, writer, and entertainer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph creates characters as a yellow brick road to joy.
This interactive performance utilizes art, puppetry, storytelling and improvisation to inspire young people to develop their "character" by creating characters themselves. Join Leslie and her puppet pals for a journey through the imagination and discover the "Oz" in you.
This show can be adapted to suit a variety or populations and age groups, including 1st-5th Grade, Middle School, High School, College Level, and Theater programs.
Photos by Richard Termine
Leslie & Lolly Make Stuff Up
In THE OZ IN YOU: LET'S TALK CHARACTER, artist, writer, and entertainer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph creates characters as a yellow brick road to joy.
This interactive performance utilizes art, puppetry, storytelling and improvisation to inspire young people to develop their "character" by creating characters themselves. Join Leslie and her puppet pals for a journey through the imagination and discover the "Oz" in you.
This show can be adapted to suit a variety or populations and age groups, including 1st-5th Grade, Middle School, High School, College Level, and Theater programs.
Wake Up Your Weird!
WAKE UP YOUR WEIRD is an energetic, hilarious show full of original songs, video shorts, puppetry, pink monkeys, and a Sasquatch followed by an interactive joy ride where you get to move, sing, and laugh your way through more of Leslie’s stories and songs.
Part 1 is a musical short story about a little girl named Lolly who gets bullied at a play date. Lolly turns to her imaginary friends in her “Thought Bubble” to “rethink her thinking” and tells a whimsical tale that includes a girl who walks her brain on a leash, a giant lizard, a fairy godmother lamb, and a flying Grandma. Through art, music, and puppetry and with the help of the audience, Lolly learns how to follow her heart, know her truth, and find the power of being herself.
Part 2 is an interactive performance workshop that highlights the voice, the body, and the imagination as the three magic ingredients for “waking up your weird” and spreading joy. The audience literally becomes part of the show as they, sing, dance, improvise, and create a one-of-a-kind experience fueled by their input and inspiration.
The length of the show can be modified to accommodate school assembly schedules.
Brief History of WAKE UP YOUR WEIRD:
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Jim Henson Foundation Grant, 2009
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UNIMA Citation of Excellence International Puppet Festival performance, 2009-2010
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Jim Henson Foundation Presenters Grant, 2011 (awarded to 63rd Street YMCA for NYC debut)
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Act I developed at Ojai Playwrights Conference, 2009
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Act II featured at the Center for Puppetry Arts, 2010
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Guest Artist, Eugene O’Neill Puppetry Conference, 2011
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Artist-in-residence, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center (workshopped NY show), 2012
Mission Statement:
To champion individuality through the arts
Focus:
Development of social, emotional, problem solving, and critical thinking skills
Target audience:
Ages 8 and up
Additional works by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph:
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Life in Other People's Shoes – Original one-woman show, HBO Workspace, Hollywood
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The Wahoo Wagon – Original show for Disney's El Capital Theater, Hollywood
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Something Smells – Premiered at the Cavern Club Theater, Silver Lake, Los Angeles