Leslie Carrara
Encyclopedia
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is an American actress, singer, performer and puppeteer
. She is sometimes credited as Leslie Carrara or the mis-spelling Leslie Carrera-Rudolph.
show "Sesame Street
" for which she was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for best performer in a children's series. She is also known for her puppeteer role as Ginger on Playhouse Disney's "Johnny and the Sprites
". She most recently performed the puppet Jesse for Sesame Street's military outreach project "Touch, Listen and Connect." This starred Katie Couric
. Leslie plays various characters on Sesame Street throughout the season. She got her start on ABC's "Muppets Tonight
" as "Spamela Hamderson" Other puppeteering credits include Edi the Zebra on the Learning Channel's "Animal Jam
" and the Evil blonde Vampire puppet in the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall
". Leslie is one of the founding members for the Henson Improv group "Puppet up" later to be called,"Stuffed and Unstrung". She was part of the improv cast for its debut at the Aspen Comedy Festival. She toured with them to the Australian comedy festival and was a cast member for the Off Broadway show at the Union Square Theater.
She also played the main role of Blue, the female blue puppy in Nick Jr.'s Blue's Room
.
Leslie has written and produced several successful one woman shows. Her latest musical "Entertaining a Thought", which was developed at the 2009 Ojai Play write Conference, recently received a Jim Henson Foundation Grant and a 2009-2010 UNIMA "Citation of Excellence in the Art Of Puppetry". She just finished a run of her newest interactive show "Wake Up Your Weird" at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. The show she created for the Disney company "The Wahoo Wagon" ran for six months at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood and it featured all of her original characters.
, and background voices for "The Simpsons
" and for "The Electric Company
", where she voices Wolfman, Bat and Mummy. She joined the cast of the podcast series The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
in the season three premiere and has guest starred several times since.
character Lolly Lardpop has a musical Comedy CD out called "Sunkinsass"
Leslie portrayed the human kiddie-show star, Miss Poppy, in the satirical play Pigeon-Holed, written by Sesame writer Annie Evans and Sesame puppeteer regulars. She also does regular voiceover work, including characters in Zatch Bell and Ratchet and Clank and The Simpsons.
Leslie has a BA degree from San Francisco State University in her major "Child Development Through the Arts"
When she is not performing anything, she just paints and illustrates children's books.
Carrara-Rudolph's favorite gig is performing her original, candy-obsessed character, Lolly, who performs with her in several clubs and events in New York and LA, as well as working in children's outreach programs. They (Leslie & Lolly) just released a children's CD called "Spunkinsass", now available directly on CD.
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
. She is sometimes credited as Leslie Carrara or the mis-spelling Leslie Carrera-Rudolph.
Early life and career
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is a multifaceted entertainer and artist. She is best known for performing the fairy "Abby Cadabby" on the PBS KidsPBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
show "Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
" for which she was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for best performer in a children's series. She is also known for her puppeteer role as Ginger on Playhouse Disney's "Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia . The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz...
". She most recently performed the puppet Jesse for Sesame Street's military outreach project "Touch, Listen and Connect." This starred Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
. Leslie plays various characters on Sesame Street throughout the season. She got her start on ABC's "Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
" as "Spamela Hamderson" Other puppeteering credits include Edi the Zebra on the Learning Channel's "Animal Jam
Animal Jam
Animal Jam is a children's television show created by John Derevlany and produced by Jim Henson Television which first aired on February 24, 2003. The show is sort of like an "American Bandstand" for preschool kids....
" and the Evil blonde Vampire puppet in the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
". Leslie is one of the founding members for the Henson Improv group "Puppet up" later to be called,"Stuffed and Unstrung". She was part of the improv cast for its debut at the Aspen Comedy Festival. She toured with them to the Australian comedy festival and was a cast member for the Off Broadway show at the Union Square Theater.
She also played the main role of Blue, the female blue puppy in Nick Jr.'s Blue's Room
Blue's Room
Blue's Room is a children's puppet show television series which is aimed at preschoolers, aged 2-6, and it is a spin-off series of the popular Blue's Clues series...
.
Leslie has written and produced several successful one woman shows. Her latest musical "Entertaining a Thought", which was developed at the 2009 Ojai Play write Conference, recently received a Jim Henson Foundation Grant and a 2009-2010 UNIMA "Citation of Excellence in the Art Of Puppetry". She just finished a run of her newest interactive show "Wake Up Your Weird" at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. The show she created for the Disney company "The Wahoo Wagon" ran for six months at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood and it featured all of her original characters.
Voicing acting
Some of Leslie's voice over credits includes the voice of "Peg Puppy" for Nickelodeon's new cartoon series T.U.F.F. PuppyT.U.F.F. Puppy
T.U.F.F. Puppy is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. It premiered on October 2, 2010 on Nickelodeon after the premiere of Planet Sheen. The series' main character is a dim-witted but determined dog named Dudley Puppy , who works as a secret agent for an...
, and background voices for "The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
" and for "The Electric Company
The Electric Company
The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977...
", where she voices Wolfman, Bat and Mummy. She joined the cast of the podcast series The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd is a short audio and video series distributed via podcasting. Created by Grant Baciocco and Doug Price, it is a family friendly show in the style of old-time radio. The show also draws much inspiration from The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. The show first began in April...
in the season three premiere and has guest starred several times since.
Acting
Her originalcharacter Lolly Lardpop has a musical Comedy CD out called "Sunkinsass"
Leslie portrayed the human kiddie-show star, Miss Poppy, in the satirical play Pigeon-Holed, written by Sesame writer Annie Evans and Sesame puppeteer regulars. She also does regular voiceover work, including characters in Zatch Bell and Ratchet and Clank and The Simpsons.
Leslie has a BA degree from San Francisco State University in her major "Child Development Through the Arts"
When she is not performing anything, she just paints and illustrates children's books.
Carrara-Rudolph's favorite gig is performing her original, candy-obsessed character, Lolly, who performs with her in several clubs and events in New York and LA, as well as working in children's outreach programs. They (Leslie & Lolly) just released a children's CD called "Spunkinsass", now available directly on CD.