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Special Episode: Rachel Potter on the ‘Stages’ of her career
00:29:15
On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini is in conversation with actress and singer Rachel Potter. After having replaced Krysta Rodriguez in “The Addams Family” and played The Mistress in “Evita” on Broadway, toured in “Wicked” and appeared on “Legally Blonde...
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- [00:00]
Matt Timnini
Foreign.
- [00:09]
Rachel Potter
Interview episode of Broadway Radio My name is Matt Timnini because not only was yesterday a very special holiday, but I was traveling back from New York City to Orlando in time to be with my mom. Grace was spending time with her mom on Sunday. And don't forget that Grace's show To Free a Mockingbird begins performances off Broadway at the Soho Playhouse tonight. We were all a little busy obviously on Sunday, so that's why we are bringing you this special inter on today's episode. I am talking to somebody who I have been a fan of for a very, very long time, Rachel Potter. Not only did she make her Broadway debut replacing Krista Rodriguez as Wednesday Addams in the Addams Family, she also was the mistress in the 2012 revival of Evita on Broadway. She also was on tour with Wicked where she was an understudy for Glenda, which we talk about. But beyond her stage career, she's gone on to have a fairly successful career as an independent country and pop music artist and having appeared on the TV show the X Factor where she was mentored by Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland. But now, after all of these years, she is finally getting the opportunity to release an album. And in a little bit of kismet and coming home, the album is all Broadway themed. She will release stages on Friday, May 16th and I've listened to it and it is really, really incredible. She's always had one of those amazing voices that you love to hear and in addition to getting to hear her sing songs from some shows, she's done, some she hasn't, like the Wild Party or Little Women or the Notebook. She also teams up with some of your favorite Broadway folks as well, including Tony Award winner Ali Stroker, her former Wicked co star Christine Dwyer, Matt DeAngelis, Marty Thomas, Marissa Rosen, Natalie Weiss and more. And it really is a perfect album for theater and music lovers. We talk about all of the songs, all the great people she gets to sing them with, what it's been like to finally get an album after all of these years working in the music industry and so much more. So without further ado, here's my conversation with Rachel Potter.
- [02:24]
Matt Timnini
Okay, so you are getting ready for this album release coming up on May 16th. Does it feel kind of like you are in the prep rehearsal process for a show? Like to open up a new show on stage as well?
- [02:38]
Rachel Potter
It does. But this time while I'm prepping to open my new show, I also have a full time job and three kids and two dogs and a husband to worry about. And a whole lot of laundry country. So that feels like crazy. Like, the other day, I'm like, oh, my God, it's like 18 days away. Like, am I ready? God, it's finally here. But, yeah, it. It is. You know, there's. There's so much to do. And in this day and age with social media, like, I feel like, always I feel like I'm not doing something, you know, like, oh, gosh, is there something I'm missing? You know, but there's so much that's gone into us. The prep. And then, you know, I feel like now we're finally, like, in tech week, and we're about to open, and we're all just, like, really stressed out. Tired.
- [03:24]
Matt Timnini
Well, yeah, but yes, and tired. The tired is always. Is always part of tech and I'm assuming leading up to an album release. But, like, this feels like such a long time coming for you, not only for a theater album, but, you know, the record deal in general. It's so exciting for those of us who not to show my age or my long years of fandom, like, going back even to Legally Blonde, search for the next Doe woods, and everything that happened after that. What does it feel like for you to not only have this album come out, but to really kind of harken back to your roots on stage as an actress as well?
- [04:01]
Rachel Potter
Oh, it's really. It's been a very cool full circle moment in some ways, like, really healing for me. And in other ways, like. And by healing, I mean, you know, as women, we go through so much when we go through having children, not only just the childbirth and the pregnancy aspect, but just losing so much of our identity to becoming a caretaker for these new human beings. And I think for very many years. My first son was born eight years ago, and I've got two other ones that are four and one and a half, almost two. And I feel like for years, music was just. I had to put it on the back burner. I couldn't do much of anything with that. You know, everything about me revolved around these kids. And eventually that wears on an artist. You know, eventually you start to really feel like, who even am I without my art? Like, and it feels depressing sometimes. And so I think that this was, in a huge way, like a reawakening for me after that period of time. And. And so that feels really powerful and exciting to step back into my purpose and who I have always been and. And what I feel like I'm here to do, you know, not only to be a Mother to these amazing kids. But, like, that I was put on this earth to do art, and so now I get to do it again. And I'm so grateful. But you know, what you said, like, the long time coming with the record deal, it's crazy because I moved to Nashville in 2013 seeking a record deal for country music, and. And never. It never came to fruition. And I got close a couple of times. But the irony of it all that, you know, I would leave Broadway and come to Nashville, and then the thing that would ultimately get me the record deal is when I just said, okay, I give up. Actually, who I actually am is a Broadway artist. So I'm just going to make a Broadway album. Like, I think I've just been wearing a mask all these years trying to be a country artist. Like, I love country music, but maybe that's not who I really am. And when I finally just accepted who I really was, then the record deal came. And that's pretty amazing.
- [06:12]
Matt Timnini
I mean, you hear the stories like that from artists so much that, like, when they think they're going to give up and they're going to move back home and they're going to leave New York, that's when the gig comes and stuff like that. Was it a surprise that these opportunities were there after this long, or was this something that you were still. I don't know, even if actively chasing or just kind of passively thinking, like, this is still maybe not the goal, but a goal.
- [06:37]
Rachel Potter
Yeah. I had been wanting to do a record like this for years. I'd been thinking about wanting to do. I have, like, you know, notes on my iPhone of, like, you know, Broadway album ideas and things for probably the past, like, three or four years where I felt like that inspiration muse hit me at one point. It was like, this is something that you have to do. And, like, it was knocking, right? And it was like, I. I can't. I can't. And then I got, you know, I got pregnant. Surprise. Pregnant for. With my third child. I was like, okay, I can't do this right now. And then I turned 40 this year, and I was like, I just need to do it. Like, I know it's going to be hard. I know that it's going to be a stress on all of us. I know it's going to be a stress on me the most. But also, you know, my husband's going to have to bear a lot of the weight here, and, like, it's going to be hard, but I really just feel in my spirit and my heart that it's going to be worth it. And even if nothing else, like, if nothing results from it other than the joy that I will feel from creating it and that this can be a project that is a legacy for my kids that they can look at and like, be so proud of what I worked on and worked towards for so much of my life, then it's worth it, right? And so, yeah, I think what I was most surprised by though was how welcoming the Broadway community was for me after so many years gone and how, how easy it was for Joy Machine to say yes was so exciting. That's the record label I was, I was in. In fact, when I reached out to them, it was like a total Hail Mary. Like, I didn't even know if I'd hear back from them. And it was like, hey, you know, I just, I made this record and like, I don't know if you guys would be interested in there. Like, absolutely, yes, let's talk immediately. And I was like, oh my God. But you know, I think even after the things that I've been able to accomplish, like, I think we all still have imposter syndrome, you know, in our lives. And so it was like, okay, well, who even am I? Like, who do I think I am? And I can't tell you how many times I said that to myself. Like, both vacillated between, like, you can do this, you got this between, like, who do you think you are? Why do you think you're special enough to make an album like this? Like, why do you think anybody's going to want to listen to you? You know? And so it's constantly that, that fight of, of feeling like, am I really worthy of this effort? But ultimately, like, I hope and I think I am. At least we all are, right? We're all we all are.
- [09:10]
Matt Timnini
Yeah. I've listened to the album, it is spectacular. And I think not only fans of yours, but theater fans who are maybe just learning about you as not only an artist, but as a Broadway artist, are going to love it because it's a fantastic album. So let's, let's walk through the timeline here because you said you, did you take like the fully finished album or at least recorded album to Joy Machine or what was the process of that?
- [09:36]
Rachel Potter
Yes. So this was actually fully self funded between myself and. I have a man named Jack Sharkey, who I call him my honorary father. He's someone I've been really close to and he's, he's actually helped me through the years produce some other albums. So he's the executive producer. So between him and myself, we fully self funded this. So yes, I was planning to put this out as an independent artist and then I saw Joy Machine had started up. They did the cast album for Swept Away and some other things and I knew some of the guys that were attached to it and so yeah, it was just like I got their contact from a good friend of mine who was in the cast of Soaked Away and I just reached out like cold reached out and. And they were like, yes, let's immediately have a meeting. So I just sent them, you know, the finished, almost finished product like you know, before it had been mixed and everything. And they were so excited and jumped right on it and I'm so grateful.
- [10:34]
Matt Timnini
So when you're putting this together, first thinking it's going to be a self released album, obviously there are songs from shows that you have done before, there are songs from new shows, there are maybe songs from shows that you would like to do at some point. Obviously a lot of Disney references. I'm about 10 minutes from Disney. I live in celebration. So I know a lot of those backgrounds. But what went into constructing the. The track list for this? Where did you want to go in terms of honoring the stuff you have done in your career in. In the past, but also just like throwing in some really cool songs that maybe of, you know, you've never been been able to sing before.
- [11:12]
Rachel Potter
So the whole theme behind the album was stages, right? So it was like not only the stages that I performed on, but also hitting on the different stages of my life thus far. And so every song really had a very deep meaning and purpose. And so, you know, part of your world. Disneyland. That's where I got my start. You know that Disney World is where I began my professional career. So it was super important for me to honor that time of my life. And then pulled obviously was my Broadway debut with the Addams Family. We've got for good on there from when I was on the Wicked tour and Christine Dwyer who is on that song with me, she was the first Elphaba I ever went on with and the very last Elphaba I ever went on with.
- [11:55]
Matt Timnini
Amazing.
- [11:56]
Rachel Potter
So that's super special. Voctive is they are some of my dear friends and the producer, arranger and also the leader of the group. Jamie Ray is one of my best friends since we were nine months old. So it was really important for me to have them be a part of this. But also my son is guesting on that song and I'd always wanted to Hear. I'd always wanted to hear Naughty and when I grow up, like, especially Naughty done from a grown up because it's sort of a, you know, it's like a song of rebellion. And I loved the idea of that. And then my son, my son sang on it and my best friend's little girl also did with Bacteria. So that one is like, really, really special.
- [12:41]
Matt Timnini
Yeah.
- [12:42]
Rachel Potter
Ali Stroker is a dear friend, but the song Some Things Are Meant To Be was always just one of my favorites. And it. I lost my brother actually a couple of years ago, and it always really reminded me of him. So he worked at Disney, actually. He was a Peter Pan and he, he's, you know, he's represented a couple of times in here both like our, our relationship and Some Things Are Meant to Be. And then there's a song called He Was Mine that was written by the young Fables who guest collaborators. And that was. It's a really beautiful song dedicated to him with a few Peter Pan references in it. You know, so there's Life of the Party. That's. That one is callback to like my very first moments in New York City singing in like, open mic nights in bars, you know, in Times Square area, like, trying to just like make it for the first time. And House of the Rising sun is. Is like paying homage to my time in Nashville and singing with my band and all that. It's got a very country bluesy vibe. Maybe this time is, you know, the message for me was for that was like, maybe this time it'll work. Maybe this. Yeah, this time, like this will work out. And then My Days was actually such a strong through line for me because it. When I heard that song, I connected to it so strongly. For the why, like my Days really represents the why that it was like, I don't want to regret anything. I want to. I want to take my life back into my own hands. And you know, what I spoke about, about, like motherhood and all of that and the shifting sands of that, but to just. To just step back into my power as an artist and say, I don't want to look back and have any regret it. And I want to do what I want with my days and feel joy about it. And so, yeah, I mean, literally every song was very meticulously chosen based on really deep meaning. And so, you know, I, I know that the, the listeners aren't. Aren't going to get all of that. But for me, it was, it was for me, you know, that I just wanted to put things out that that meant so much to me and not just like a song that I felt like I sounded good singing.
- [15:11]
Matt Timnini
But you do sound good singing on all of them, so that's a nice bonus that you get a little bit of both. But you mentioned your son is on the Matilda mashup there. How do all three of your kids take your singing and your music? Are they over it? Are they just. They're like, stop, Mommy, you're too loud. Or do they get in and start singing with you? Or what is the vibe with each of the kids when it comes to you and singing?
- [15:37]
Rachel Potter
My four year old would just tell me to stop. My one and a half year old loves for me to sing to her. In fact, funny enough, I just went viral, like, completely accidentally with her. I was. I sang the song from Tangled and I just filmed myself, like, singing it on the couch, like, legitimately. That's whenever we would watch. That was like her favorite movie for a little while. And whenever we would watch Tangled, I would always just sing along to it. And so one day I was like, I'm going to film myself doing this. I'll throw it up on Instagram. And I woke up the next day and I'd like 50,000 views. And I was like, what? It has like 4 million views now.
- [16:10]
Matt Timnini
Oh, my God.
- [16:13]
Rachel Potter
So she likes. She like, asks me to sync to her, especially when I put her down. And then my oldest, he's 8, and he is actually really excited that I do what I do. And he told me the other day that he was on the bus and like, some kid was, like, starting to be mean to him and another kid was like, hey, man, don't be mean to him. His mom's famous.
- [16:34]
Matt Timnini
That's awesome.
- [16:36]
Rachel Potter
So I think it's like, helping him out. But more than anything, I'm loving seeing him start to be inspired by art, artistic styles. And he's like, really getting into singing and, like, I'll walk in on him and he's practicing singing in the mirror and performing. And, like, he loves to dance and stuff. And it's like, I love that he's getting the bug a little bit. You know, in some ways, I hope that he's inspired to be a doctor or something a lot easier. And as if being a doctor is easy. That's not what I mean. But, you know, like, in a different way, something that, yes, that has a more. A more clear career path, I should say. But, you know, I think my mom was a singer, my dad was a singer, my grandfather was a singer, my grandmother was A singer. So I think that this stuff really, we come by it really honestly. And Jude's dad is a singer, so, you know, he's got it. He's got it ingrained in his DNA, I think. I don't think there's any escaping it, so I'm excited to foster that and see where that goes, you know?
- [17:39]
Matt Timnini
Yeah, I love that. Well, you mentioned some of the people who are on the album with you. I assume friends and all of those different types of things were very happy to be a part of that. But what I'm most interested in are how you decided which songs that they were going to do with you. When you, you know, you obviously talked about Christine Dwyer, so obviously doing for good makes a ton of sense for her. But when you are putting down the list of songs that are representative of the different stages in your life, why was it that you wanted Omar and Marty to do that specific mashup with you? Or how did you kind of piece people in with the different puzzle pieces to make the album what it is?
- [18:19]
Rachel Potter
Well, the Come Up May arrangement kind of came to me. It felt like a fever dream. I was like, in the shower, like, oh, my God, I think this is so weird, but I think the I love you song from Spelling Beam could maybe work in the bridge. And, like, you know, I had a list of all the people that I wanted to sing on the album and, you know, maybe I could have reached out to, like, some really big Broadway stars that I wasn't friends with necessarily. And she's been like, can I pay you to sing on the album? But ultimately it was. I chose people that are all stars in their own right, you know, not to say that they're not, but it was really important that I had the people that I love on this record. Like, that. This was. These are people that I have gone through life with. It's almost like we're, you know, we've been in, like, high school and college together, and now we're graduating and, like, I'm taking them with me. You know, there's no way I'm not going to honor the people that I respect and love so much and that have been with me. And I mean, most everybody that's on this album I've known for 10 plus years, you know, some 20. So. Jamie Ray, 40. So it's like, you know, this is. This is really a compilation of. Of really deep friendships as well, which is. And they were really important and integral parts of the stages of my life, you know, so that was. That's just another layer of, you know, importance for me of why I chose them. But I think each song, when I envisioned them, there was just one. One person would come to mind. Like, okay, this is right for Ally. Natalie would sound incredible on this, but, like, the come what may I love you song that was almost, like, less romantic and just like, I. These are my dear, dear friends who are always going to be there for me, and I'm always going to be there for them. And then we revived the an amazement trio with EJ and Jamie that we had done 12 years ago, like, just on a whim, because Jamie somehow got his hands on, like, a track of it, like a karaoke track. And we, like, made a video, and it ended up being like, one of my best performing videos on YouTube. So we're like, well, we have to redo that, like, and actually do it right. Do it real. So that was exciting. But, yeah, it's. It's all. And then I kept trying. Matilda was actually the last one that came to me, and I just love the Matilda music. And I knew I wanted to do something with Octave, but I couldn't figure out what song. And on my way to my producer's house one day, I was just listening to Matilda and I was like, oh, my God, I could do this with voctive. Perfect. And so I called Jamie and I was like, do you think you could do an arrangement of this? He's like, yeah, that sounds super cool. And so we did a mashup of Naughty and When I Grow up, and it honestly worked so, so well. So I'm really excited for that one. That one's going to be, I think, really fun for people to hear that one.
- [21:16]
Matt Timnini
Yeah, they all. I. I'm always fascinated when people do albums like this of what songs they decide to put together. Obviously, two songs from the same show. That makes a ton of sense. You mentioned the Come what May and I Love youe Songwriter. Like, I guess that makes sense because they're both very different types of love songs. But that transition was so seamless. I knew it was coming because I saw the track listing. But then when it happened, I was like, oh, that just. It sounds real. Like, it sounds like that's the way it was written. So I love all of the different medleys and mashups that you have on there because they really are pretty special arrangements. So I think that that's really exciting for folks.
- [21:51]
Rachel Potter
Thank you.
- [21:51]
Matt Timnini
It's been a while since you have been on a Broadway stage singing these songs. Like, does that have reignited the acting, musical theater portion of artistry at all?
- [22:02]
Rachel Potter
Oh, for sure. I mean, I think if Broadway calls, I would always answer. Right. But life is different for me now. I live in Nashville, have a mortgage and two dogs and three kids and a husband and a job and, you know, a lot of things that are different. So I'm not sure that being in a Broadway show is really on the docket for me at this stage of my life. But I have always envisioned going back someday, and I really hope that it will happen for me when the time is right.
- [22:34]
Matt Timnini
What about anything? I mean, I know I have friends who live in Nashville. I know there's theater and Nashville. There's some pretty good theaters in Nashville. Is that something that you are open to as well?
- [22:42]
Rachel Potter
For sure. I'm actually involved in a reading here and I'm very tight with all the theaters here. In fact, I think the Nashville rep is going to sponsor my album release Elise concert here. So, you know, I do things for them. Yeah. As much as I can. And you know, in Orlando as well, like, I'm still really connected down in. In that area of the world. And I think right now, like, my primary focus is I really love to teach masterclasses. So I'm getting, you know, more into doing that and like coupling that with concert work and just fitting it in when I can, you know, that I can. Still trying to balance it all is a never ending juggling act, of course. But I will never say no to theater. Theater is my home for sure. And still very much want to be a part of it.
- [23:33]
Matt Timnini
Yeah. Well, we would love to have you down here in Orlando. I saw Christine, Matt and Omar in a show together a couple years ago. Rock of Ages, if you want to join that trio. Yeah, Rock of ages, if you want to join that trio and come down for something, we would love to have you. All right, so I will wrap it up here. The album comes out on May 16, right in the middle of Tony season. So that's. That's probably a smart time, a smart release for you, I hope.
- [23:57]
Rachel Potter
We'll see.
- [23:58]
Matt Timnini
Yeah. Makes sense. It makes sense for folks who are like, just inundated with all the new cast albums and stuff. They come across this on Spotify, maybe don't, you know, didn't really know much about it. What are you hoping that they get out of the listening experience for stages? What are the. What are the emotions? What are the vibes? What's the story that you're hoping that they take away from checking out this album?
- [24:21]
Rachel Potter
Well, I just Hope that they are, you know, able to kind of experience these musical theater songs in a new way, in a more lush way with the orchestra. And, you know, just. I hope it brings people joy, truthfully, like, that this is just a joyful experience. And in a way to celebrate musical theater, the musical theater genre, and to experience it with a symphony is really special. Like, a lot of times cast albums are a small band, you know, or a really small orchestra. So to fully flesh this out with a full orchestra just breathes, you know, a different and new life into some of these arrangements. And so, yeah, I just hope that people can and maybe will reignite their love of some of these songs that they haven't listened to in a long time. Just a fresh take on them. And I think one of my biggest hopes is that I start to see people performing these arrangements, like on YouTube, like younger kids, like that would give, you know, and I think we'll. We'll eventually put, like, all the sheet music out. And people have started reaching out about it already, which is exciting. Like, oh, I'm doing, you know, this senior recital. Like, could I have the sheet music for this arrangement? Because ultimately, like, if nothing else, if we're not inspiring the next generation, like, what are we doing? You know, So I. I hope this provides some inspiration and. And also provides not just for the kids, but for my. My peers who are my age that are like, I don't know if I'm, you know, if maybe I should do an album. Like, yeah, do it. Like, who? You know, I told you this whole time I'm like, am I good enough? Like, who do I think that I am that I can do this album? But, like, we are worth it. Like, we are artists and, and what we have to give is so valuable and worthy if. And it doesn't just have to be live on a theater stage. Like, we can enter this recording arts world and have something really valuable to give. And, you know, I think the audience is right for it. People are excited about this. So I hope that this inspires a lot of my friends to continue to do this kind of work. And I'm so excited about Joy Machine Records because that's what they're all about. And I know that they want to bring in other musical theater artists to do more of this kind of thing. And, you know, I'm excited to see more of this kind of this kind of work from the musical theater world as we move forward, for sure.
- [26:56]
Matt Timnini
Well, congratulations on the album. As I said, it's. It's fantastic. I listened to the entire thing the other day. It is a great piece, and I cannot wait for it to be available for everybody on streaming services and to purchase it and all of that. So congratulations. I'm excited to see what's next, and hopefully we'll see you on a. On a stage, whether that's with a symphony or in a show or in a concert. Something here very soon.
- [27:20]
Rachel Potter
Yeah, I'm hoping to get down to Orlando too. So hopefully I'll have a concert down there sometime this year.
- [27:24]
Matt Timnini
Would love that.