Interview: Jacqueline Fisher, Long Island Native Returns for PAW PATROL LIVE! at Madison Square Garden

Performing live, bringing kids joy and traveling the country, Jacqueline Fisher is living her dream, touring the country in Paw Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue.

Hailing from Long Island, Fisher is excited to be coming back to New York, making a stop at he legendary Madison Square Garden.

Fisher wagged her tail on over from Paw Patrol to talk about the show and why she's excited to bring it to New York.

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Can you tell us about Paw Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue?

Paw Patrol Live is based on the Nickelodeon and it's all your favorite pups and animated characters brought to you live onstage. It's a musical adventure, you go through Adventure Bay and we take you on the great Adventure Bay race, Mayor Goodway is there, Mayor Humdinger and his cats are there representing Foggy Bottom. It takes you through the day at the race and showing the adventures the pups get into, seeing who wins the race, the kids get to help in the end with the pups winning the race. It's really cool to see all their favorite pups running, right there live onstage and they go through and find clues to help them win the trophy and get a few little trinkets along the way.

With the kids coming with their parents, what is in the show for the whole family to enjoy?

One of the things that the parents get a lot of laughs out of is Chickaletta who is Mayor Goodway's pet chicken. She's a very silly character. I'm a female swing so I cover the lead roles of the pups, but I also am a chicken cheerleader. We have these chicken cheerleaders that cheer on the pups and it's something the parents always funny with these big chicken heads on. They also get a kick out of Mayor Humdinger's shenanigans as well.

You're part of the show's chorus and also are a swing, can you talk about what it's like to be a swing and have the chance to be thrown on at any moment?

I've been very lucky in that I've gotten to go on for over 60 performances as different characters. I am in the show everyday even if I'm not a pup, I'm a chicken cheerleader, we've done more than 200 shows now. Being put in for over 60 shows, that doesn't really happen for a tour like this. It was a little nerve wracking at first because on top of learning during choreography, lines, music and characteristics that are so known well to these children and then creating the puppetry of them and having to be in this full on puppet. Each time I went on for a pup, the first time doing it was the actual show, so it was a little scary. You don't want to fall or trip, make sure you hit your marks. Taking lots of notes is what helped me, I'm always off in the wings watching the show, knowing where my tracks are. I was supposed to go on for one character last week and then someone got injured, I actually had to go on for that person.

You're a Long Island native, how does it feel coming back to New York and performing at not just any theater, but the iconic Madison Square Garden?

Being from Long Island and New York, it's pretty surreal that I'm about to perform there at the Hulu Theater. Everytime I go into the city for an audition, I get out at Penn Station and pass Madison Square Garden and now I'm going to be performing there, where the biggest names in entertainment have performed. It's really surreal and definitely a milestone for me.

You've been all over the country, is there a particular city you enjoyed most?

I got to go to New Orleans for the first time and I loved that city. We had a sit-down week so we had so much time to explore and I really loved it there. A lot of fun, a lot of history too. We went Cafe Du Monde and got beignets right away.

Has there been any audience reaction or interaction with a kid that has really impacted you?

There's been this one kid that really sticks out in my mind. We were leaving through the stage door when we were up in Syracuse and this little boy, his name was Garett, he chases us down the street screaming "You guys did really good!" Obviously stopped for him and asked his name, talked with him and he said "I just, I just really enjoyed it." It was so sweet and we asked his favorite part, his response was "I just, I really liked when it ended." (laughter) Of course what he meant was the pups winning the race and the confetti, exciting visuals, that's what he meant, but it was really funny hearing how he worded it. That was the most recent experience that was so sweet. These kids love these pups and look up to them. It makes doing this show worth it.

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Paw Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue plays the Madison Square Garden April 13 and 14. Tickets can be found here.