I feel amazing, she says, but was faced with one challengetelling her representation that shes no longer going in to audition for male roles. You cant force anyone to understand anything that they dont want to understand. I hate the term passing, but I would say Im one of the girls who are lucky enough to pass. I dont get as much problems when Im walking down the street. The actors starred as Audrey and Seymour, respectively, in a mounting of Alan Menken and Howard Ashmans musical at Pasadena Playhouse last fall. Both unions have released statements on the issue at hand as live, in-person productions remain shuttered. Theyre trying to find something outside of what they couldnt get from their biological family members, and I really had to dive into that. The Southwark Playhouse production stars Molly Lynch and Oli Higginson. Im patient, she adds. Every day, I walk the streets with my head held high, but deep down inside, sometimes Im like, I just hope I can get through the day. I dont want anybody bothering me. We stan a queen with range! Pose is a wonderful show, and were speaking through a historical lens. Within a week or so, I got a call from my agents, and they said, Telsey wants you to come in for Hamilton. And there it was. Check out MJ Rodriguez just playing around. I thought that person up there was real.. I am Happiness. Aside from Angel, her resume is mostly filled with female or transgender roles, and shes always had a voice with a strong and high belt (and an even higher falsetto). Then I got into a stage of trying to be content with the person that I was betraying, she says, until turning 14, when she came out to her parents as bisexual/gay.. Watch their performance in the video above. These powerful milestones were the first to chart new dramatic territory in musical theatre. The debut season of Ryan Murphys amazing series Pose had its share of emotional moments. It was the biggest stepping stone in my life, she says. Blancas story is moving and Im rooting for her, hoping that the House of Evangelista continues to thrive. When I put the video out, yes, I wanted people to see it, of course. Its going to be a ride!. Being that my mom is a positive person in my life, I also had to show the other spectrum of it and I had to give my mother through my character, too., On taking on other projects: What are the chemical changes Im going to go through? On Sunday nights episode, the shows stars MJ Rodriguez (Blanca) and Billy Porter (Pray Tell) sang a duet of Home from The Wiz to a hospital full of dying AIDS patients. It dont have no gender to it. Check out photos from the production below. It just happened., She was called in to audition for the role of Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, originated on Broadway by cisgender female Jasmine Cephas Jones, and says it went really, really well., Going in, It was a little nerve-wracking, she admits. Places in the US that feel like a different country [Buzzfeed], Kate rearranged her life to score William. Film & TV News Watch Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez Sing TogetherAgainon Pose. Pass the tissues. In the 2011 Off-Broadway revival of Rent, Mj Rodriguez was just living me onstage, she recalls. As the emptiness progressed, I started to look into [the transition process] more, she continues, because I knew deep down inside Im putting on a smile for these wonderful people who see me backstage Im not putting it on just to put it onits genuinebut deep down inside, I wish they could see me like the character that was up on that stage. You can listen to MJ and Billys version of Home below. For Rodriguez, the transition in her career has been quite seamless. And, Im not saying the company [made me feel like] that. I am beautiful. We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam. Copyright 2020 Interactive One, LLC. Booking the gig isnt priority; being a voice for her community is. Mj is part of such an incredible cast, and Im hoping that the success of the show leads to even more opportunities for transgender actors and actresses.