Anna Holmes talks about playing Skye in PAW Patrol Live! and the forthcoming shows at The Theater at MSG in New York.
How was your experience in PAW Patrol Live?
PAW Patrol Live! has truly changed my life. I’ve always felt drawn to theatre for young audiences, so when I got the call for my first PAW Patrol tour, it truly felt like a dream come true.
PAW Patrol Live! has grown me so much as an artist and athlete while bringing me to some of the most beautiful places in our country.
Being able to bring kids heroes to them live onstage never gets old. Those smiles will stick with me forever.
How does it feel to be playing at The Theater at MSG later this April… Are you excited?
Playing The Theater at Madison Square Garden is such a surreal experience. Knowing so many of the worlds most talented artist have walked through the same halls as we will is such an electric feeling.
Even just performing in NYC is such a massive dream for so many theater artists. We are all so excited to bring the pups to the big apple!
There are no audiences like New York audiences either. I can’t wait to feel the energy from The Theater at MSG crowds.
What do you love most about playing Skye?
While I am currently touring as the show’s swing, I have spent the most time portraying Skye. I could write a book on how much she has impacted me.
Skye is one of those characters that encourages tenacity and positivity even when you feel small or inconsequential.
I’ve had kids and adults alike on numerous occasions share with me how much her message has helped them. Skye has the ability to make kids believe in themselves in a way I’ve never seen. She’s definitely made me believe in myself too.
Plus, the kids just go crazy for her. She is so well loved. Getting to be a part of sharing that message brings me so much joy.
What did this show teach you about yourself?
PAW Patrol has taught me that I am capable of anything I can set my mind to. Performing in Paw Patrol LIVE! takes an extreme amount of athleticism. It’s been a journey navigating how to take care of myself on the road so that I can do these characters justice.
The performance material helps too! Singing songs with lyrics like “never give up” and “rise to the challenge” is super encouraging when the show feels hard, or we’re tired after a long performance week. PAW Patrol Live! has pushed me to test my bodies limits outside of the show as well!
Since joining the tour, I’ve taken up recreational weightlifting and long-distance running. Without PAW Patrol Live! I’m not sure I would have ever had the self-belief to pursue some of those athletic hobbies.
How does it feel to be a part of the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent?
It has connected the world in a marvelous and unprecedented way. Of course, as a performing artist, I am happy to see that even as our lives become more digitized, we still find the value in live theatre.
As connected as the digital age has made us, nothing can replace the community and energy live performance provides. I hope that future generations continue to fight to keep live theatre and the arts at whole alive.
What is your advice for young and emerging actors and artists?
Do it your way! Don’t be afraid of the perspective and artistry that YOU have to offer. You could be singing a song or performing a piece that thousands of people have done before you, but nobody is going to do it exactly like you.
Your individual personality and life experiences are so valuable to the art you are creating. Those tiny things that make you unique will make you shine on and offstage. Don’t be afraid to embrace them and love them!
Sometimes it can be hard to believe, but if you hold fast to who you are and what you have to offer, what’s meant for you will eventually find you.
What does the word success mean to you?
I think each person’s definition of success is deeply personal. Finding what success means to you can feel impossible when there are so many outside sources trying to define it for you.
To me, success is being able to find and spread joy in my day-to-day life. Your wildest dreams can come true, but if you still can’t find happiness in the lifestyle that dream brings, what was it all for?
Being on this tour where I am living in my passion and traveling the country makes it so easy to feel successful most days.
But even if I didn’t have this opportunity, I would still be able to find joy and success through my personal projects and building community with my friends and family. I hope to never stop searching for success and joy in the small things.
What would you like to tell our readers about the new PAW Patrol show? What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it?
The newest show, ‘A Mighty Adventure,’ is an absolute blast. This is the first time we’re seeing the pups live onstage since they gained their mighty powers. And let me tell you, the pups are cooler than ever!
I can’t wait for everyone to see them. Like previous PAW Patrol Live! shows, the audience is invited to join the pups on their missions through an action-packed plot featuring hilarious dialogue and original music.
What is special about ‘A Mighty Adventure’ through is its message of perseverance and self-love. This show focuses on not giving up when mastering a new skill and the value that each individual adds when solving problems together.
I hope kids leave feeling like they can not only embrace what makes them different, but find strength in it.
To learn more about the upcoming PAW Patrol Live! shows at The Theater at MSG, visit its official website.
