When Krysta Rodriguez was six years old, she saw Fiddler on the Roof and was instantly smitten with the lights of Broadway. She never looked back.
After that first magical performance, she returned to Broadway theaters again and again with her parents, nurturing a dream built on singing, dancing, and acting.
Rodriguez began performing in school and community productions, going to a performing arts high school, and by age 19 had joined Actors’ Equity, the professional actors’ union, officially entering the ranks of the performers she had long admired.
That milestone was followed by years of hard work, persistence, and developing a bit of a thick skin — qualities that led to major Off-Broadway and television roles, including Anna Vargas in the NBC series Smash, which earned her a loyal fan following.
Her Broadway credits include Into the Woods, Spring Awakening, The Addams Family, A Chorus Line, and Smash: The Musical — roles that have helped build a devoted audience eager to follow the trajectory of her career.
Now Rodriguez is starring in Starstruck, a new musical making its world debut at the Bucks County Playhouse through Saturday, March 21.
The show features a musical score and lyrics by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, and a book by Mary Ann Stratton and Beth Malone. According to Stratton, it took six years of hard work and polishing for Starstuck to make it to the Bucks County Playhouse. Malone also stars alongside Rodriguez in the sweet, romantic, and memorable production.
Starstruck, which seems poised for life beyond the New Hope playhouse, is set in the mountain town of Sawtooth, Idaho, where the night sky looms large, and the stars have never felt closer.
Here is the story: astronomer Cyd DeBerg (Beth Malone) is determined to secure Dark Sky Reserve status for the town, but she’s at odds with JD, a local bar owner whose neon sign threatens to derail her efforts.
When nationally known podcaster Roxanne (Krysta Rodriguez) arrives to cover the conflict, small-town tensions spark revelations about connection, change—and unexpected attraction.
With a sweet nod to the famed Cyrano story of a relationship triangle that deals with unrequited love, Starstruck is a lovely new musical that should not be missed.
The following is a Q and A with Krysta Rodriguez:
Please discuss the dream of your performing career versus reality.
Krysta Rodriguez: I joined the union when I was 19, and I was 20 when I was on Broadway for the first time. From falling in love with Broadway at age 6 to joining the union at 19 is an eternity for a child, but my biggest dreams came very quickly. So, it became about expanding the dream. Not just to continue living it, but to keep the flame going, while nurturing other aspects of my life, including family.
It was about having more of a fuller life, and not only thinking about acting all the time. It’s been a long time, but I always wonder if I will get health insurance from the next project. So, I keep going with a few shows here and there. But I don’t think it’s important that everyone make the job their passion.
You saw eight shows the second time you went to New York. How did that happen?
Krysta Rodriguez: My first show was Fiddler at 6 years old. After that, I was involved in children’s theater and went to an arts high school. My family took a trip to New York for a week in our motorhome, which we parked in New Jersey, and we saw eight shows at that time. We went to the half-price ticket line and got some standing room tickets.
We saw The Lion King, Ragtime, Les Misérables, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Chicago, Bring On Da Noise, Bring On Da Funk, and one more. That was quite an experience and made an indelible memory.
How important was your parents’ support in pursuing your performing career?
Krysta Rodriguez: I am so lucky they were the ones in my home I was being nurtured and encouraged. For some of us, it’s a mentor, a teacher or a friend. But this career path is way too difficult to do without someone supporting you and helping you understand that it is worth pursuing. It does not happen without someone to appreciate the sacrifice.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors in high school or college?
Krysta Rodriguez: It’s a long road. I remember going to a concert put on by the Broadway composer Charles Strauss, who is best known for Bye Bye, Birdie, Applause, and Annie. He played his songs and told his life story. There was this big smile on his face when he talked about the flops, the ones that didn’t make it. He said you have to make friends and love the songs and material that got destroyed because it’s all about nurturing every part of it. If he quit after the flops, then he would never have gone on to make Annie.
Tell me what it’s like to have a posse who follows your work and came to New Hope to see Starstruck because of you?
Krysta Rodriguez: It’s so sweet. It was a concentrated group of the most important people in my life who came to a Sunday matinee on opening weekend. They all got into a car and traveled from New York City. We had brunch in the morning and they came to the show. They got a taste of Bucks County, which is easy to get to, and the playhouse is a great theater in a lovely town. So it was not hard to lure people to come here. I had a lot of fun, and it was really sweet that they all traveled and had a great time.
What is your history with this Starstruck?
It goes back to 2013. I knew Beth (Malone) from mutual friends, and she texted to ask if I wanted to do a reading of this new show. I thought it was interesting and unique and had a different voice, so I was curious about it. I had been a fan of the Indigo Girls, who wrote the musical. It was a no-brainer. I wanted to be in the room with these people. At the time, I was doing Smash: The Musical on Broadway.
What do you think of the finished production?
Krysta Rodriguez: I love it. Making a musical is hard, and it changes all the time. It’s born out of pressure. The pressure becomes a reality. I think that’s the hardest part; the real stress testing the piece and seeing what comes out of it at the end. In some ways as the process continues, it’s never finished.
What’s next for Starstruck?
Krysta Rodriguez: There are many pipelines to New York, if that’s what the creators of a show want to do. They are trying to make a show, and that can involve moving it to different places to see how it develops. I would love to still be involved in it in the future as it evolves. It is an interesting piece that I believe has legs. It is extremely joyful to be part of it.
Who is your character, Roxanne, and how did you approach her?
Krysta Rodriguez: Roxanne is really fun to play. I enjoy playing these bullheaded, stubborn women. These two women go head-to-head. It gives me permission to be bullish and not take no for an answer. I also loved to fall in love and be loved by two different people.
How did you literally get your footing on the set that is fashioned as an observatory?
Krysta Rodriguez: We had a week of tech rehearsal with a fake version of the observatory. It was shorter and smaller, and we practiced with that. The actual set was two and a half feet taller and had a turntable. The first day of tech at the playhouse, the three of us (me, Beth, and Sam Gravitte) – practiced with the actual set and spent time up there. It’s a really small space, and the majority of the time it’s the three of us up there, and we have to move around and do comedy, and it is really tightly timed. After the first day, we did some troubleshooting and made sure everybody felt safe, and then we were off to the races.
One of your early roles was being directed by the legendary Julie Andrews in a production of The Boy Friend on Long Island?
Krysta Rodriguez: It was incredible. I was young; I had just turned 21. It was such a huge accomplishment at that age to be in the same room with her. She is everything, and more than you would hope her to be — funny, smart, and kind. She doesn’t have to raise her voice.
Julie is a perfect leader who is kind and firm, and commands respect and attention. We went on tour, and Julie came with us. We had parties after the performances, and she met our families. It was such a joyful and memorable experience.
Since there are a lot of fans of the TV show Smash, what are some of your favorite memories?
Krysta Rodriguez: I have great memories. Actor Andy (Mientus) is my best friend, and I am close with actor Jeremy (Jordan), and Josh (Safran) helped to create Season 2. We continued to work together over the years. I have a side business designing dressing rooms and other spaces, and I did one recently for Megan Hilty, for her current Broadway show, Death Becomes Her. I love Smash creator Theresa Rebeck, and we have a long collaborative relationship. I adore all of them. It was a launching point for a lot of my life, both my personal life and career. It has remained an enormous part of my life. I also worked on Smash: The Musical, another awesome experience.
Please tell me more about your design business.
The business, CURATED by Krysta Rodriguez, is a full-service design business dedicated to spaces for any style and budget. Drawing from new and vintage pieces, CURATED can meet any challenge from a room refresh to a full renovation
Do you know what you are doing next?
Krysta Rodriguez: Not in the acting realm, I have little concerts here and there that I do to kind of keep the lights on, enjoy what I do, and test out new material. So I’m going to be doing a few of those things here and there, but nothing substantial in the theater world at the moment.
Are there dream roles you have your sights on?
Krysta Rodriguez: There are so many options. For example, podcasts are getting more eyeballs than television now. People often ask me if I prefer television or the theater. But it isn’t about liking anything better. It’s about where the good work is, so if the good work is on the narrative podcast or on a cruise ship, I will go and do that. I’m open to whatever medium people are making their art in, and figuring out how I can be of service in those areas.
Why should my readers come and see Starstruck?
Krysta Rodriguez: It’s an incredible team. A bunch of pro artists from New York. There are gorgeous orchestrations and an outstanding design. These are titans of the industry. We have a cast, team, writers, who all believe in this piece. If you want to see what we believe in, come and see it! You will not be disappointed!
Starstruck runs through Saturday, March 21. Subsequent shows this season at the playhouse include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, from April 23-May 23; South Pacific from June 18-July 26; Rent from August 13 to Sept. 13; and Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn from November 19 through Jan. 3.
For Tickets and Information:
Bucks County Playhouse
Website: https://bcptheater.org/
Address: 70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. 18938
Box Office: 215-862-2121