Meet the Couple Who Traded in the Bright Lights of Broadway For a Little Disney Magic
Lindsay and Jared Bradshaw were established Broadway actors when they decided to make a change.
Leaving behind the bright lights of New York, the couple set off for Walt Disney World, where they now star in Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Looking back, Jared can trace his Disney adventure to an early age.
Photo: Disney
“I have my parents to thank! I have a photo with my mom riding Dumbo here in Walt Disney World at 10 months. And I have a photo of me with Dreamfinder and Figment at age nine and with the 25th-anniversary castle in 1996. I was obsessed with Tarzan: ROCKS! in our very theatre. I wanted to do The Hunchback of Notre Dame show at DISNEY-MGM Studios,” recalls Jared.
“That all inspired me in my senior year of college to audition for Disney Cruise Line in 2001. I saw an audition in an Atlanta paper and auditioned near my hometown, and at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. I went in for the role of Hercules, and I booked PHIL! Classic.”
“There Is Something in This Company For Everyone”
After a stint on the Disney Cruise Line, Jared set out for New York. Now, he is returning to his Disney roots.
Photo: Disney
“Disney has been here for 100 years, and it will be here another 100. I have seen people make real lifelong careers at Walt Disney World, and I’m ready to continue mine here!” he explained.
“There is something in this company for everyone. ‘When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.’ Mine did, yours can too.”
Lindsay’s Disney Journey
As for Lindsay, she had a promising career on Broadway when she decided that she wanted a change.
Photo: Disney
“During the pandemic, I decided I wanted a better work-life balance and had always wanted to work in Disney entertainment eventually. We just accelerated the plan. I am contracted in one role (Peach) but have also learned two others. So, in any given week I can play Peach, Dory, and Pearl,” she recalled.
Comparing her Disney experience with Broadway, Lindsay says there is one huge difference.
Photo: Disney
“How much Disney wants you to stay a part of this company for as long as possible. Broadway frowns upon actors staying in one place too long. Here, they give you an AWARD and a cake when you do.”
The Disney Magic
Reflecting on what working at Disney meant to him, Jared instantly thought of the company’s “magic.”
“Disney. The name. It’s a brand…but it also has power in magic. It’s a legacy, and it’s something that has touched us all. I just flew to Atlanta, and my seatmate asked me what I do for a living. I told them I play all the sharks and Mr. Ray and Gill at Walt Disney World as a puppeteer. They didn’t believe me. I had to show them a picture,” he remembered.
Photo: Disney
“That’s Disney magic. Our amazing puppetry musical is about a dad, and his kid, and parenting. It is the perfect Disney story, and I am so glad I’m part of the magic again.”
Advice For Fellow Performers
When asked what advice they had for individuals hoping to become Disney performers the Bradshaw’s kept things practical.
“Just keep checking DisneyAuditions.com, and audition for EVERYTHING at first. We have great casting directors, if you’re not right for it, they won’t call you in, but when you ARE, they will recognize you for all the effort you’ve put in to submit or show up at auditions,’ Lindsay explained.’
Photo: Disney
To learn more about career opportunities as a Disney performer, visit DisneyAuditions.com
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