She’s funny, irreverent, yet honest, and on any stage has the self-assurance of Caesar, even though the Roman Emperors never had a role.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the upcoming Cabaret performance of Broadway powerhouse Krysta Rodriquez at the Samueli Theatre at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on September 10-12.
In a way, it’s a homecoming for the very busy New York performer, a native of Orange County who graduated from the Orange County School for the Arts many years ago.
In an interview with ENE this week, she said while Orange County remains a huge part of her early life, she’s a New Yorker now.
“I’ve been in New York for 24 years now, so I’ve been in New York longer than I was in Orange County at this point… I don’t know that I consider it home, but I consider it where I’m from for sure,” said Krysta.
“I have deep ties in OC with not only friends and family, but with the children’s theater that I worked in, and the high school that I went to,” she said.
“My voice teacher from when I was growing up there… all those people are still a very important network for me down there. So I’m looking forward to reuniting with everybody and getting to share what I’ve been doing over the last 24 years.”
Rodriquez kicks off this season’s Cabaret series at the Segerstrom with performances from Sept. 10-12, followed by the return of Tony Award winner Joaquina Kalunkango in November.
In its announcement, Segerstrom said there delighted to have Rodriquez open the season.
Known for her vibrant vocals and contemporary edge, Rodriguez sets the tone for the series—bold, intimate, and joyfully expressive. Her cabaret performance blends signature songs with fresh interpretations, offering a portrait of an artist equally adept at powerhouse anthems and tender confessions. With her signature humor and heartfelt storytelling, Rodriguez reflects on the roles, artists and experiences that have shaped her career.
“Our 2026-27 Cabaret season opens with the electric presence of OC hometown hero Krysta Rodriguez, whose Broadway triumphs include Spring Awakening, In the Heights, The Addams Family, and First Date. A triple-threat (actress, singer, and dancer), Krysta’s career began on the small screen as fan favorite Ana Vargas on NBC’s “SMASH.” She later starred as Liza Minelli in Ryan Murphy’s “Halston”- and you know Krysta has to be a dynamic talent and captivating personality to portray that iconic entertainer,” SCFTA said in the statement.
ENE spoke to Rodriquez just after stepping off stage from her latest Broadway role in “Chicago,” and despite rave reviews and insatiable demand, she still refuses to use the word “famous.”
“I never wanted to be famous, and I don’t consider myself famous now,” she said. “I’m a working actor,” said Rodriquez, and left it at that.
“What made me want to do this career at all was when I came to New York when I was 13, and I saw a production of Scarlett Pimpernel. There was an actor and I thought she was so wonderful in the show. And then she put her hat on and she walked into Times Square, and nobody knew who she was. And I said, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be an actor. I don’t want to be famous.’”
True to her mission, Rodriquez is not (as yet) a household name and can likely still walk in some places without being recognized. Nevertheless, inside, she said there is immense pride in her career thus far.
“In the past maybe 10 years, what I’ve wanted to do with my career is make choices that made me feel proud,” she said. “As you get older, it is more difficult, especially as women get older in this business, to find things that are interesting, to not fall into the trap of scarcity,” said Rodriquez.
“So, to focus on being ready for when the things come up, because there are great roles for women if you are willing to be prepared and ready for them.”
“With the cabaret, I get to control the narrative. I get to tell a story that I want to tell,” she said.
“It really is a good example of who I am and what I like to do. Whereas, you know, if you’re playing a character, you have to be beholden to a lot of different other elements. We try to craft [the songs] into stories to where you leave feeling like you’ve learned something,” she said.
One thing Rodriquez has learned is how to succeed in interior decorating without really trying.
During the pandemic shutdown, many Broadway pros turned to “side hustles” to keep themselves afloat. Few, however, achieved the level of success enjoyed by Rodriguez.
“During the pandemic, once Broadway shut down, I thought, ‘This is a rare opportunity to follow a passion you wouldn’t have the time or energy to dedicate to it otherwise.’ I decided to focus on renovations, something I already knew how to do.”
She said when her friend Jeremy Jordan went into The Great Gatsby, he called her and said he had a small budget for renovations. According to the Broadway website Buzz “it was very nonchalant—just having fun, eating lunch, talking about design—but when we finished, someone in the building saw it and pitched it to The New York Times. They took photos, and the rest is dressing room history.”
A talent for luxe renovations led Rodriguez to become an in-demand decorator of star dressing rooms, which led to commissions for a Mamma Mia-themed suite at the Hyatt Regency Times Square and a Cunard cruise-themed green room at the 2026 Tony Awards, which she now is trying to bring into harmony with the remainder of her career.
“We also didn’t have a lot of funds growing up, so we would renovate our own houses,” said Rodriquez. During COVID, when really acting was sort of on the back burner, I took it as a rare opportunity, so I gave it a go and started my own business, and it’s grown and become something really fun and additive to my life,” she said.
“I’m on the quest for something where the two of them can work together in harmony.”
Life moves on, she said, and is constantly changing.
“You start, you go, you say, I want to be on Broadway, and then you get on Broadway and go, Okay, well now what? The goalposts move and move and move,” she said.
“What I learned is that the dream expands. The dream is also to have a life of joy and of spontaneity; to be able to own a home if you want, or have a life and a family, she said. Those kinds of things can be added into the dream instead of detracting from it.”
Those seeing Rodriquez on stage in September at Segerstrom can expect the same, self-assured and confident performer who says now all of her success has earned her the right to “be a little more still.
“I think I can be a little more still. I can be a little more confident and quieter… I don’t need to stand perfectly or sing perfectly. I feel like I’ve earned the ability for the audience to trust that I’m going to put them somewhere without needing to make it a bumpy lift.”
Tickets for start at $89 and are available online at scfta.org, in person at Segerstrom Center for the Arts Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by phone at (714) 556-2787.