Krysta Rodriguez

Krysta Rodriguez

At the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
(New York City, July 2010)
Born Krysta Anne Rodriguez[1]
(1984-07-23) July 23, 1984[2]
Orange, California, U.S.[1]
Occupation Actress, Singer
Years active 2005–present

Krysta Anne Rodriguez (born July 23, 1984[2]) is an American actress and singer. She originated the role of Wednesday Addams in the 2009 Broadway musical The Addams Family. She was a regular on the second (and final) season of the NBC series Smash in 2013.

Early life and career

Rodriguez grew up in Orange County, California.[3] She began taking dance lessons at the age of 13, after being involved with cheerleading in middle school.[4] After traveling to New York and seeing eight Broadway shows, she realized performers had to sing and act as well as dance, so once she returned home Rodriguez began taking singing and acting lessons.[4] She was a cast member of the Christian television show Colby's Clubhouse from 1995 to 2000.[5] She attended Orange County High School of the Arts[3] where she played many lead roles including Marian in The Music Man,[4] as well as the lead role in Gidget: The Musical, a musical co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, that starred Orange County High School of the Arts students during its (ultimately unsuccessful) tryouts in 2000.[6] She attended NYU for a couple of years, but then got cast on Broadway. She tried to make both work, but ultimately dropped out to continue her Broadway career.[7]

Career

Rodriguez made her Broadway debut in the short-lived 2005 jukebox musical Good Vibrations.[8] She later became a replacement for the role of Bebe in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line in 2007.[3] She has played numerous ensemble and understudy parts in the Broadway productions of Spring Awakening and In the Heights, as well as a regional production of The Boy Friend.[9] She made her big screen debut in the role of Krysta in the 2010 film The Virginity Hit.

Beginning performances in fall 2009, Rodriguez originated the role of Wednesday Addams in the world premiere Chicago try-out run of the new Broadway-bound musical The Addams Family, based on the cartoons of Charles Addams. From March 2010, the show received its planned debut at New York's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. After playing the role for over a year and lending her voice to the show's original cast recording, Rodriguez left the musical on March 8, 2011 and was replaced by Rachel Potter.[3][10]

Other credits include an Encores! production of Bye Bye Birdie. Her first television role was a guest appearance as the character Jordan Steele in Gossip Girl.[11] In 2011, Rodriguez starred in the television movie Iceland as Rose, one of a group of friends who reunite to heal and nurture each other after the death of one of their own.[12]

In 2012, Rodriguez starred in another television movie Shadow of Fear as Lauren.[13] The movie is about the push and pull between a schizophrenic new waiter and a popular young waitress.[14] In 2013, she guest starred in the web series created by Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor, It Could Be Worse.[15] She played an assistant to a Broadway Star named Bridgett/Bridget in two episodes entitled Payment Plan and Let Your Hair Down.[16]

Rodriguez joined the cast of the NBC series Smash for its second, and final, season in 2013, playing the role of Ana Vargas, an aspiring Broadway performer and the new roommate of Katharine McPhee's character Karen.[17]

In July 2013, Rodriguez returned to Broadway playing the lead in First Date the Musical, co-starring with Zachary Levi.[18]

In December 2013, Rodriguez appeared in Hit List, a concert presentation of the fictional musical created for the second season of Smash, as The Diva/Sarah Smith.[19] Rodriguez was scheduled to have a major role in the planned CBS sitcom How I Met Your Dad; a spinoff and successor to the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother, but on March 25, 2014 it was announced that Rodriguez had exited the pilot.[20] (The proposed spin-off would ultimately not be picked up.[21])

Rodriguez guest starred on Married in 2014, as Kim, a friend of a couple desperately trying to save their marriage.[22][23] On Ian, Rodriguez guest starred as Fly Girl.[24][25] Additionally, Rodriguez starred in the Lifetime holiday movie entitled Wishin' and Hopin' in the role of Annette Funicello, a teen idol, movie actress and Mickey Mouse Club Mousekteer.[26]

Also, in the fall of 2014 Rodriguez was diagnosed with breast cancer.[27][28] In 2015, Rodriguez started the website ChemoCouture.com to create a blog detailing her journey during chemotherapy as well as providing various fashion, beauty, and wellness tips that she employs during her battle with cancer.[29] After going public with her diagnosis, Rodriguez was contacted by Cosmopolitan to blog for their Cosmo Online Health and Fitness readers about her experiences.[30][31][32][33][34]

In 2015, Rodriguez was cast as Vanessa, a straight talking, no-nonsense cancer patient ready to share her truth, in a multi-episode arc in the upcoming second season of the ABC Family television show Chasing Life.[35] This season is set to air in the summer of 2015.[36][34]

Also in 2015, she played Madison in an episode of Inside Amy Schumer.[37] Krysta also guest starred in an episode of The Mysteries of Laura as April Watkins.[38][39]

Rodriguez also recently wrapped shooting for a film entitled My Bakery in Brooklyn in which she plays one of the lead characters, Chloe. As of 2015 this film is currently in post-production.[34][40]

Through June 14, 2015, she returned to star alongside Andy Mientus as Ilse in the Deaf West Theatre production of the 8 time Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California.[41][42] The LA Times featured her in an article about her return to the production that she helped to create on Broadway.[43] She continued to play the role when the production moved to Broadway for a limited engagement.[44][45]

Credits

Theatre

Year Title Role
2004 Bye, Bye Birdie at Encores! Various Ensemble/Understudy Roles
2005 Good Vibrations (musical) at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Various Ensemble/Understudy Roles
2005 The Boy Friend (musical) National Tour Various Ensemble/Understudy Roles
2006 Spring Awakening (musical) at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Various Ensemble/Understudy Roles
2007 A Chorus Line at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Bebe (Replacement)
2008 In The Heights at the Richard Rogers Theatre Vanessa (Replacement)
2009 The Addams Family (musical) Chicago Out-of-Town Tryout Wednesday Addams
2010 The Addams Family (musical) at the Lunt-Fontaine Theatre Wednesday Addams
2013 First Date (musical) at the Longacre Theatre Casey
2013 Hit List (musical) concert at 54 Below The Diva/Sarah Smith
2014 Spring Awakening (musical) Ilse (Played at the Rosenthal Theatre at the Inner City Arts building in Downtown Los Angeles)
2015 Spring Awakening (musical) Deaf West Los Angeles Transfer Ilse (Played at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)
2015 Spring Awakening (musical) Deaf West Broadway Transfer Ilse (Played at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre)

Television

Year Title Role
2008 Gossip Girl Jordan Steele
2010 Late Show with David Letterman Herself as Wednesday Addams
2013 Smash Ana Vargas
2014 How I Met Your Dad (pilot) Role Unknown as the pilot wasn't picked up
2014 Ian Fly Girl
2014 Married Kim
2015 Chasing Life Vanessa
2015 Inside Amy Schumer Madison
2015 The Mysteries of Laura April Watkins
2015 Late Night with Seth Meyers Herself as Ilse

Film

Year Title Role
2010 The Virginity Hit Krysta
2011 Iceland Rose
2012 Shadow of Fear Laura
2014 Wishin' and Hopin' Annette Funicello
2016 My Bakery in Brooklyn Chloe
2016 The Trail (TV Movie) Summer Henderson

Internet

Year Title Role
2013 It Could Be Worse Bridgett/Bridget
2013 Jared's Broadway Boos: Episode 64 Herself

References

  1. 1 2 "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Krysta Rodriguez". Playbill.com. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  2. 1 2 "30 Under 30 - Krysta Rodriguez". BroadwaySpace.com. 2011. Age: 26 (7/23/1984)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Vire, Kris (October 22, 2009). "The Addams Family: Q&A With Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Kay, Lauren. "Dance 10, Looks 10". "Dance Spirit Magazine". March 1, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2012
  5. Colby's Clubhouse Episode 30 ©1998 Joyful Heart/TBN. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  6. Gidget Grows Up, Into a Coppola Musical, Mark Chalon Smith, Los Angeles Times, August 5, 2000
  7. http://www.timeout.com/chicago/theater/the-addams-family-q-a-with-krysta-rodriguez-and-wesley-taylor
  8. Stevens, Beth. "What's Up, Krysta Rodriguez? The Addams Family Standout on Bonding with Her B'way Kin". Broadway.com. April 23, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  9. "Krysta Rodriguez". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  10. Jones, Kenneth. "Brad Oscar Will Play Uncle Fester in Addams Family; Blickenstaff, Grupper, Potter Join Cast". Playbill.com. February 4, 2011.
  11. "Krysta Rodriguez profile". Who's Who. Playbill.com. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  12. "Iceland (2011)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  13. "Shadow of Fear (2012 TV Movie) : Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  14. "Shadow of Fear (2012)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  15. "It Could Be Worse (2013 TV Mini-Series) : Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  16. "Krysta Rodriguez". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  17. Ausiello, Michael (July 6, 2012). "Smash Scoop: Meet Karen's Spunky New [Spoiler]". TVLine. TVLine Media, LLC. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  18. "Krysta Rodriguez and Zachary Levi Will Have a First Date on Broadway; Cast Announced". playbill.com. Playbill. May 20, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  19. Jeremy Jordan, Krysta Rodriguez, Andy Mientus, Carrie Manolakos Bring "Smash" Musical Hit List to Life Dec. 8-9 at 54 Below
  20. "Local listings, news, recaps, photos, clips and more". Tv.msn.com. 2015-07-30. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  21. Kaitlin Thomas (2014-07-10). "Carter Bays: How I Met Your Dad Isn't Happening". Tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  22. "Married (2014– )". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  23. "Married (2014– ) : Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  24. "Ian (2014– )". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  25. "Ian (2014– ) : Full Credits". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  26. "Wishin' and Hopin' (2014)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  27. "About Me | ChemoCouture". Krystacouture.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  28. "Broadway Stars Krysta Rodriguez and Kirsten Wyatt Cook Up Cancer-Friendly Food on BROADWAY NOSH". YouTube. 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  29. "ChemoCouture | Fashion, Beauty and Wellness Tips From My Year With Cancer". Krystacouture.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  30. Schreiber, Katherine (2015-03-09). "I'm 30 Years Old, and I Have Breast Cancer". Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  31. Schreiber, Katherine (2015-03-17). "What Chemotherapy Taught Me About Motherhood". Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  32. Narins, Elizabeth (2015-03-24). "8 Things Not to Say to Someone Who Has Cancer". Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  33. Schreiber, Katherine (2015-03-30). "What I Learned About Myself From Going Out Bald in Public". Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  34. 1 2 3 Schreiber, Katherine (2015-04-07). "The Amazing Thing That Happened When I Started Being Open About Having Cancer". Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  35. "Chemo Style! Part 4 | ChemoCouture". Krystacouture.com. 2015-04-11. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  36. Elizabeth Wagmeister (2015-03-23). "Krysta Rodriguez: ‘Smash’ Actress Battling Breast Cancer Joins ‘Chasing Life’". Variety. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  37. "Inside Amy Schumer (TV Series) : Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  38. "Krysta Rodriguez". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  39. "The Mysteries of Laura: Season 2, Episode 2 : The Mystery of the Cure for Loneliness". IMDb.com. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  40. "My Bakery in Brooklyn (2015)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  41. "Andy Mientus and Krysta Rodriguez Will Star in Spring Awakening for Deaf West". Playbill.com. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  42. "Deaf West Theatre". Deafwest.org. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  43. "Theater star Krysta Rodriguez talks 'Spring Awakening' and living loudly". LA Times. 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  44. "Andy Mientus & Krysta Rodriguez Will Transfer to Broadway in Deaf West's Spring Awakening Revival". Broadway.com. 2015-07-30. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  45. "Breaking News: Krysta Rodriguez, Andy Mientus & 20 Broadway Newcomers Will Star in Deaf West's SPRING AWAKENING Revival". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2015-12-12.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Krysta Rodriguez.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 23, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.