Voice Actor Rob Paulsen & Randy Rogel Talk “Animaniacs in Concert” in Dubuque

A beloved Saturday morning cartoon, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, is coming to the Five Flags Center next year, setting the stage early for another year of great entertainment in the Tri-States.

In lieu of the show, I got to talk with two of the men behind not only the concert but the original show that started it all.

For those maybe unaware, Animaniacs was a FOX Kids show back in the early-to-late 1990s. A product of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, along with Tiny Toon Adventures, the show, like many of its era, has enjoyed a sort of nostalgic rejuvenation with 90s programs being all the rage these days.

The zany trio along with some other familiar characters will be coming to Dubuque in 2024. Animaniacs in Concert is coming to Five Flags Center on February 1st, 2024. Animaniacs was a variety show that brought a plethora of fast-moving, Looney Tunes-esque characters to life for a lot of zany fun. The show was famous for its inclusion of music, pop culture references, and adult-oriented innuendo.

With the show mere weeks away from premiering in Dubuque, I got to chat with veteran voice actor Rob Paulsen and composer Randy Rogel, two of the stars behind the original Animaniacs show, the 2020 Hulu revival, and the ongoing concert tour!

Me, Rob, and Randy ran the gambit of topics during our extended interview. We chatted about everything from what people can expect from the show, their relationship with Steven Spielberg, Rob Paulsen's extensive career in animation, and Randy Rogel's immaculate talent when it comes to composing music and songs.

If you've watched any cartoons in the past 30 years, you've almost certainly heard Paulsen's voice. Paulsen's filmography is beyond extensive: he has voice credits in The Land Before Time, A Goofy Movie, Pinky and the Brain, Jimmy Neutron, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, and the list goes on and on.

Paulsen even humored me about my love for the short-lived Nickelodeon show Catscratch, which aired in the late 2000s and only lasted for a season. Never did eight/nine-year-old Steve think he'd hear the voice of Gordon Quid from Catscratch address him by name, but he did! It might not mean much to you, but it meant a ton to me.

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This interview is chockful of insights about Animaniacs, Paulsen and Rogel's creative process, Steven Spielberg, and the show Dubuque is about to see next month. For tickets to Animaniacs in Concert, visit Five Flags Center's website. Listen to my interview with Rob Paulsen and Randy Rogel below!