Mamas Talkin' Loud

Amidst working 16 hr days to manage the 21 productions that Disney Theatrical has shut down due to COVID-19, senior Vice President of Production, Anne Quart, joins us as our first remote guest. Recognizing her responsibility as a woman in a position of power, she created Women of Broadway in solidarity and support of all female identifying members of our community. She understands firsthand the st...

Almost four weeks ago Broadway went dark and the lives of many in our community and the world were thrown into upheaval, Cara and Jessica included. Join the co-hosts for an extremely candid and honest conversation on their first guest free episode ever. How do we move forward? Homeschool our children? Stay hopeful? Find any sort of balance and calm in this unstable “new normal” in which we have fo...

Tony Award Winner, television regular and ray of sunshine, Annaleigh Ashford shares her attitude of gratitude for all the ups and downs that come with being a mother in our industry. From having a high needs baby and juggling nursing (and Jake Gyllenhaal) to discovering functional medicine and the power of holding her babe while singing “Children and Art”, she is grateful for it all. Find more inf...

Tara Rubin began her casting journey as a 30 year old assistant at Johnson/Liff, a supportive, good humored office, but one where no one was married, let alone, had a child. Fifteen years later, with two young girls at home and wanting to push herself to accomplish more, she opened her own casting office. Tara speaks candidly with us about the double standards for mothers in the business, the adva...

Kicking off International Women’s Month, award-winning composer and lyricist, Georgia Stitt shares her experience as a woman/mother musician in a field heavily dominated by men. She speaks to finding her own voice as a composer, coming back to herself once she became a mother, and how a lack of representation in our industry led her to create Maestra Music, a database of female identifying musicia...

Tony Award Winner Stephanie J. Block kicks off our new series: Journey to Motherhood. We know everyone comes to their role as a mother in a different way. In this series, we talk to different women about the varied ways you can become a mother. Join us as the incomparable Stephanie J. Block shares her struggles to get pregnant, the toll it took and how believing she was pregnant (before she was) b...

Tony Award Winner Stephanie J. Block kicks off our new series: Journey to Motherhood. We know everyone comes to their role as a mother in a different way. In this series, we talk to different women about the varied ways you can become a mother. Join us as the incomparable Stephanie J. Block shares her struggles to get pregnant, the toll it took and how believing she was pregnant (before she was) b...

Mama Morton onstage in Chicago and Mama offstage to twins, Natasha Yvette Williams chats with us about her experience as a mother. From going to a dance callback 5 days after her c-section to performing that same show three months later WITH her babies onstage as well, her take on motherhood is funny, fresh, and honest. Join us as we delve into the struggles of childcare, the importance of listeni...

This Valentine’s Day we’re talking about love, self-love that is, with Broadway actress turned meditation guru, Emily Fletcher. While performing, Emily found herself unable to sleep, turning grey in her 20’s and rocking in a corner from the stress of her job. Then she found meditation. Knowing that so many people could benefit from this practice she created Ziva Meditation, and has now trained ove...

The business of show is a business of youth, especially for a dancer and figuring out your “second act” is usually a difficult road to navigate. With choreographer credits that include “Waitress” and the upcoming “Mrs. Doubtfire”, not to mention the 10 Broadway shows she was in before moving to the other side of the table, Lorin Latarro talks to us about what it takes to transition from performer...

(Part 2) No one gets pregnant and envisions a life of diagnoses, therapies and IEPs, but when you have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome, this is just a part of daily life. In this episode of Mamas Talkin’ Loud, Nili Bassman, Haven Burton and co-host Cara Cooper share their journeys as parents of children with special needs; the tireless work, emotional weight, and the incompa...

No one gets pregnant and envisions a life of diagnoses, therapies and IEPs, but when you have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome, this is just a part of daily life. In this episode of Mamas Talkin’ Loud, Nili Bassman, Haven Burton and co-host Cara Cooper share their journeys as parents of children with special needs; the tireless work, emotional weight, and the incomparable joy...

What happens when you land “the show”, the Broadway hit that doesn’t close, and then you are in it…. For a LONG time. Join us as we speak with Lindsay Northen and Bonita Hamilton about just what it means to be in the same show year after year. Don’t get them wrong, they are beyond #grateful, especially for having a consistent job after becoming mothers, but we get down to the nitty gritty of what...

Part 2 - It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a New York institution and the iconic Rockettes are the stars of the show. This year seven, that’s right SEVEN, mothers are high kickin’ on the line and we were lucky enough to chat with four of them (one of whom has four kids, yes again, you read that right, FOUR!). Nicole Baker, Tara Dunleavy, Traci Reszet...

Part 1 - It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a New York institution and the iconic Rockettes are the stars of the show. This year seven, that’s right SEVEN, mothers are high kickin’ on the line and we were lucky enough to chat with four of them (one of whom has four kids, yes again, you read that right, FOUR!). Nicole Baker, Tara Dunleavy, Traci Reszet...

The position of a standby in a Broadway show takes a special type of person. It takes great mental aptitude and talent, not to mention the ability to go on with a moments notice, for one or many roles, oftentimes in a lead role where much is expected of you. Add onto that the juggle and brain power that the “mom life” requires. You may start your day (VERY early with your toddler) not knowing what...

Fresh off the “Come From Away” national tour, Becky Gulsvig and Megan McGinnis talk about what it really means to tour once you have a child. When going out on the road with that “dream show” means everything from taking your baby to every city on the map, to traveling home every day off to see your 8 year old, or driving your car around the country with a toddler and the family pet-these mamas ha...

Tony Award winning star of stage and screen, Laura Benanti, gets real with Cara and Jessica on the first episode of Mamas Talkin' Loud. With mental health as the focus, they cover everything from miscarriages and postpartum depression to how social media has really distorted our expectations as new mothers and what we can do to support our fellow moms, no matter the paths they choose. Social handl...

In year four of sharing a dressing room at Broadway’s Jersey Boys, Cara Cooper and Jessica Rush found themselves in uncharted territory, juggling motherhood and eight shows a week. Knowing they weren’t alone in the struggle, they founded a support group for mothers in the business of show, called Broadway Baby Mamas. Join Cara and Jessica as they discuss in depth the usually funny, always emotiona...