Stage Whisper Podcast

About Us

Our Mission Statement:

"Money, pardon the expression, is a lot like expression. It's useless unless it's spread around helping young things grow." - Dolly Levi, Hello, Dolly!

Who We Are:

The best things come out of not just a want but a need. When Broadway and other theaters closed their doors and turned off the lights in 2020, it created a vacuum. Suddenly the time honored tradition of telling stories in the dark was gone. Like many others we were struck to the core with this loss. This thing we loved so much and had surrounded our lives by dissolved into the new covid-19 reality. We had no way to know when it would come back, or if it could come back. We felt compelled to fill the empty space. Thus Stage Whisper was born. Our initial purpose was to give others an in-depth view of the stories and shows we loved. We loved sharing the vast variety of tales that existed and sought to help others to expand their horizons and have a safe space to determine whether a show was right for them. We wanted to act like a ghost light to help others with their theater journey. We have began to cover the theatre scene in New York as it reemerged from the shut down, and now cover theatre all across the country and all around the world. Our goal is to create a more inclusive, accepting, diverse, and educated theatre audience and community. Our mission statement we’ve stolen from Hello, Dolly!, “..money, pardon the expression, is a lot like manure. It’s useless unless it’s spread around helping young things grow.” And while we don’t have a ton of money yet, we do have a microphone and a platform that we want to offer up to as many theatre artists and companies as possible to help amplify their voices; especially those of the off and off-broadway communities. We feel these artists have less access to options of reaching a wider audience than those of larger or more commercial shows. Our goal is to not only help theatre return to where it was pre-pandemic, but actually help nurture and grow it to be even bigger and better than before.

We are not a critics show, but as one guest put it, “..we are the NPR of theatre podcasts.” We are show by artists for artists.

Meet the Team:

Andrew Cortes (Co-Host)

Andrew Cortes is a born entertainer who enjoys spreading his passion to everyone he meets. In fact, he met his eventual wife while trying to recruit her for high school drama club. Andrew has a lengthy history of helping productions obtain whatever they need, including but not limited to actors, funding, and behind the scenes labor. With the absence of live theater Andrew felt compelled to committing his existence to help the industry he loves so much could me back and thrive. Some of his experience includes being a dresser, a stage manager, and tour guide. In addition to his helpful personality Andrew holds a BFA in Musical Theater Performance from the University of Utah. When he's not working on Stage Whisper he is a cheerleader for his wife and the primary care taker of two beautiful fur children, Eliza the dog and Tonks the Queen -- whom you may have guessed is a cat.

Hope Bird (Co-Host)

Hope Bird has been fascinated with storytelling since she was a child listening to her family tell tales around the campfire. She attended the University of Utah in her early 20s and received her degree in Performing Arts Design with an emphasis in Wigs and Make Up. Since then she has used her passion to help enhance stories all over the salt lake valley and beyond. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused theaters to shut down she and her husband decided to do what they could to help keep the spark of storytelling alive. Since starting Stage Whisper, Hope has also been working as a hairdresser on Broadway working on such big hits as The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster and Some Like it Hot. She is also a licensed Cosmetologist and Educator.

Stage Whisper Content

Tours

Broadway Theatre/Times Square Tour

SPRING FUND DRIVE

We have kicked off our Spring Fund Drive. Please click on the link above to see the amazing Theatre memrobilia we have for sale, and consider purchasing or donating to help keep Stage Whisper going!

Broadway Theatre/Time Sqaure Tour

This tour would cover the complete history of the theater district and Times Square, from 1905 to today. Guests will venture from 53rd street and the Broadway Theatre through the heart of Times Square, exploring unique sites, art installations, and hidden historical sites, as well as visit the iconic theatres of Broadway. Along the way guests will then weave throughout the theatre district learning the history of each theatre, the lore and stories associated with those theatre, the people they are named after, along with the history of the American theatre itself. Guests will also be shown hidden significant historical sights and architectural finds! During our journey, we will learn more about redevelopment of the area, the future plans to continue to develop and diversify the district (including plans to rename theatres), discuss future works, share personal stories and experiences, and when COVID subsides, even get a peak at a few of the theaters backstages. The tour concludes in one of the most famous areas in the theater district, Shubert Ally, where guests will be informed about how they can purchase tickets for shows, memorabilia, as well as dining options. What makes this unique, is that the tour is being given by someone who works and is experienced in the Broadway Theatre industry, giving them that extra insight into the area!