Podcast Party was a one-night extravaganza where we adapted each of our podcasts to the stage. We staged a four-act show that showcased each of our podcasts in creative, whimsical and thought-provoking ways. We turned one episode of Curious Nashville into a puppet show (Nashville Public Radio’s first collaboration with professional puppeteers); the host of our podcast Neighbors read an episode live, turning the experience of listening in your headphones into a more interactive experience; we had a live interview for our Movers & Thinkers podcast and we performed poetry written for our newest show, Versify, with avant-garde classical accompaniment.
We were inspired by live shows that other podcasting networks have done – Radiotopia Live, Cast Party, etc. – but we had never seen anything done with this level of theatricality on a local level. The result was a huge success: More than 450 people came, we turned a profit and, most importantly, the audience was delighted by the creativity and production level of the show.
We plan to turn Podcast Party into an annual event whose acts will change depending on the podcasts we want to showcase that year. Although an event like this is a big undertaking – 16 people were on stage throughout the night – we believe it is easily replicable on a smaller scale.