Interview: Rachel Potter of THAT'S SO HIGH SCHOOL at Analog

Not too many of us miss high school, but there are always those memories from our high school days that we never truly forget. Whether or not those are fond memories is another story. Still, it’s not a theme that you’d likely imagine for a cabaret, unless you happen to be Rachel Potter.

If her name or her voice sounds familiar, then you most likely know her from Broadway shows like The Addams Family or the American version of The X Factor. She even starred in live shows at Disney World like Voyage of the Little Mermaid as Ariel. Today, she lives right here in Music City with her family.

Thankfully, she is still performing to this day. On April 18th, she will perform at the Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville as part of the Off Broadway at the Hutton Hotel cabaret series. Joined by both Broadway alumni and local artists, this second entry in the series is titled That’s So High School. I was fortunate to sit down with Rachel (via Zoom) to discuss the show, the talent involved, and where the idea for both the theme and series came from. 

The idea for this series started last year when Rachel made a Broadway symphonic album called Stages. “It was a huge undertaking,” she said, “and as part of that process, I did some album release shows.” She reached out to the Hutton Hotel to arrange a show, and when they were informed that it was for a Broadway album, the timing was too perfect. They had this idea for a Wicked-themed cabaret to be performed around the release date of Wicked: For Good.

When they asked if she could possibly get some other Broadway performers to do the cabaret, she did just that. It’s not too difficult to sell out a show that includes Matthew Morrison, Ali Stroker, and Eden Espinosa. Unsurprisingly, she received requests for more shows, leading to a four-show cabaret series in 2026. “It’s turning into a destination event,” she said after sharing the success of the recent Disney-themed show.

“Of course, there’s so much music here, but there’s not a lot of theatre and there’s especially zero theatre cabaret scene.” Having previously performed in New York, she was surrounded by the atmosphere of a growing community, and she had to bring that same type of community-growing energy to Nashville. It’s certainly a change of pace from all the honky-tonks we’ve got in Nashville. Ironically, the Hutton Hotel is down the street from Broadway in Nashville, which Rachel called “Tourist Central”. She also said that it was fun to call the series Off-Broadway at the Hutton Hotel because it was literally just off of Broadway. 

Sooooo… why high school? Even though the show features songs from musicals like Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls, my Swiftie heart was delighted to learn that the title That’s So High School actually came from Taylor Swift’s song “So High School”. However, whoever was in charge of marketing for the show kept adding “that’s” to the title. I’m not going to make a Tortured Poets Department reference by suggesting that this guy is “the smallest man who ever lived” because I don’t know him, but he had one job.

Rachel had once played Sharpey in High School Musical, and she really liked songs from shows set in high school like Dear Evan Hansen. “I just thought it would be a fun theme,” she explained. Since it’s prom season and one of the musicals featured in the cabaret is The Prom, there will be a prom-themed afterparty that night. That’s on brand with the cabaret series, given how their Wicked-themed event was pretty immersive. 

Like the previous entries in the cabaret series, Rachel has quite the talented cast for That’s So High School (seriously, you had one job). Going along with the high school theme, one of the Broadway stars in the lineup is Taylor Louderman, who earned a Tony nomination for originating Regina George in Mean Girls. Funnily enough, she had also starred in another musical based on a movie set in high school with Bring It On. “We connected over Instagram on being mothers and how difficult postpartum is and all that.” Rachel shared. Their connection basically guaranteed the show’s theme. “If Taylor says “yes”, then we’re doing this.”

They will be joined by Taylor’s Bring It On costar Elle McLemore, who also originated the role of Heather McNamara in the original Off-Broadway production of Heathers the Musical. Adding to the collection of performers from high school-themed shows is Rachel’s friend and former The Lion King star Jelani Remy, whom she had met from the High School Musical touring production.

Although Rachel’s friend and Wicked alum Marty Thomas isn’t known for any shows that focus on high school, she wanted to bring him in because “he can sing down on some Dear Evan Hansen”. Rounding out the non-local talent are Carolina Rial from The Voice and Ben Laxton from The Book of Mormon on Broadway. As for the local talent, Rachel is bringing in a “vast array of super talented musical theatre people”. The talented artists include music director Chris Brent Davis, TikTok star Jada Wasserman, artist and actress Erin McCracken, and theatre actor Dustin Davis. 

I asked Rachel what she hopes audiences will take away from That’s So High School (ONE JOB). Other than offering some nostalgia, she plans for the show to be wrapped up in a positive way. She explained, “It’s kind of about writing a letter to yourself in high school and telling your high school self what you wished you had known. I think it’s lovely because in high school, we don’t know what’s coming.”

The show is also meant to be a source of joy for audiences who might never have the chance to travel to NYC to see any of these Broadway performers live. After the mention of “writing a letter to your high school self”, I made up a new question on the spot. I asked Rachel how she thinks her high school self would react if she could see her now and all that she had done. “I think she’d be proud,” she answered with a smile. In high school, she felt like she was stuck inside a little box, and she knew that she wasn’t meant to stay in there. “I proved her right.” For a bonus question, I asked, “Out of all of the shows that you’ll be covering, which one would you say is your favorite?” She answered, “Dear Evan Hansen.”

More on Analog at Hutton Hotel

Upcoming Shows

Off Broadway at the Hutton: The Room Where It Happened

7/11 - 7/11/2026

Off Broadway at the Hutton: Addams Family The Musical In Concert

10/30 - 10/31/2026

Recent Articles

Photos: THAT'S SO HIGH SCHOOL Returns to Analog Nashville With Broadway Stars

4/22/2026

Review: THAT'S SO HIGH SCHOOL at The Analog At The Hutton Hotel

4/20/2026