Q&A with Steph Cook, Meaghan Strickland, Jeff Murdoch & Brian Heveron-Smith
Creators of 3 Rats Compete to Open for Ricky Gervais, A Musical
What is your show?
Brian: It’s the first workshop of our musical and the last chance to see it before we hit Broadway.
Steph: Okay interesting Brian mentioned Broadway. It has long been my dream to star in an off-Broadway musical downtown (below 14th street in Manhattan) that is deemed “absolutely genius but too dangerous for Broadway.” So Brian and I might need to talk about our goals for how dangerous this show is.
Meaghan: Meaghan here (another cast member). The show is a pilot, made for TV (!) and we’re all on the same page about that.
Jeff: Hey! This is Jeff. I agree with what they said!
What makes your show unique or unusual?
Brian: We have a live band! Also, one of our actors has never sung in public or seen a musical before (you have to guess who).
Steph: There have never been rats as the star of a show before (Fievel is a mouse, and the little mice in Cinderella are mice).
Meaghan: Almost every show that you think is about rats is actually about mice! America hasn’t been ready for RATS…until now. Also, I’m the one that’s never sang (this is Meaghan).
Jeff: Jeff again! I agree!
Ricky Gervais has a pretty particular comedy style. Do these rats know what he’s looking for?
Brian: Don’t get your hopes up about much Ricky-centric commentary.
Steph: Though we did get the original wig from the sitcom from Extras and a special audience member will get to wear it each show (if it shows up in time from England).
Meaghan: Personally, I’ve somehow always conflated Nathan Lane with Ricky Gervais and I have no idea what that’s about, I just know I was thinking of the wrong person (Nathan instead of Ricky) throughout our entire year-long writing process.
Are there any bands that inspired the music for the show (E.g. Aerosmith)?
Brian: Eminem.
Steph: Big and Rich.
Meaghan: J-Lo (pre Selena).
Jeff: Yeah!
Describe your show in 5 words:
Brian: Sexy. Sulky. Scandalous. Starbust. Eminem.
Steph: I don’t know what starbust means but I like it.
Meaghan: “I’m just Jenny from the”
Jeff: Brian, Steph, Meaghan are right!
3 Rats Compete to Open for Ricky Gervais, A Musical premieres on Saturday, October 29th at 9:30pm. Get tickets here!
Part of our Forget About Spaghetti Festival happening October 20th - 30th.
