'Fannie Lou' Musical

Fannie Lou Musical

Jonathan Rodriguez

Note: Below is a reprint of an article about Jonathan that ran in the Staten Island Advance prior to our March 2012 staged reading in New York City. Jonathan, now a student at Hunter College, also performed in our
Off-Broadway world premiere later that year. For the
Oct. 9 performance of "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall," we proudly welcomed back Jonathan in the role of Junior.

By Staten Island Advance Entertainment Desk

March 19, 2012

College of Staten Island student to perform scenes from 'Fannie Lou'

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“[I]f you think about something way too much, you’re never going to end up doing it. Always go with your gut.”

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A chance encounter -- which led Jonathan Rodriguez to take a chance on a new experience -- set the stage for the College of Staten Island student to direct his efforts towards a career in theater.

“I was about 10 years old and a company called Rosie’s Broadway Kids was holding auditions at my elementary school,” Jonathan recalled. He happened to be on his way to the bathroom and saw the “huge line” of youngsters waiting to audition for the musical theater group. On the spot, he decided to audition, too.

“I was one of two children chosen,” he said. “I was just a kid, but it was like destiny. Literally, something out of the blue.”

On March 24 Jonathan, now 18, will be featured in “Scenes and Songs from ‘Fannie Lou,’” taking place at the Producers Club in Manhattan. The production is a staged reading of music and dialogue from the upcoming “Fannie Lou,” a new musical inspired by the life of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.

Jonathan plays the role of Junior, a teenager living in rural Mississippi in the early 1960’s, who is frustrated by the race-based caste system of that era.

Like Jonathan’s elementary-school introduction to theater, snagging the role of Junior in “Scenes and Songs from ‘Fannie Lou’” also was the result of a chance occurrence.

“I got an email saying there were over 250 submissions [for the various available parts] and that I was not selected at first,” said Jonathan.

Due to budget restraints, only about one-tenth of what turned out to be more than 300 actors and singers submitting resumes and head shots for the production were even called in to audition.

But an actor who’d been selected for the Junior role was unable to fill it after all, and Jonathan received another email asking if he’d like to audition. He did, and he got the part. Talent aside, he realizes that he was fortunate and that the second email could just have easily gone to any one of dozens of other actors who also had submitted materials.

Jonathan Rodriguez

“I’m looking to do any kind of work,” Jonathan said about his professional ambitions at the moment. “That’s my goal. And just to stay humble, because an opportunity is an opportunity. I want to always still stay humble.”

Among Jonathan’s favorite performers is Nathan Lane.

“All of his roles are roles that I would love to do someday. I try to study him as much as I can,” Jonathan said. He first saw Lane in The Producers.

“It was fantastic,” Jonathan recalled. “His comedic timing is so on point. It’s a gift -- not everyone can do comedy. It makes you want to do it yourself.”

After completing basic course work at the College of Staten Island, Jonathan plans to transfer to either Pace University or Hunter College to focus his studies more on musical theater and acting. He’s grateful for the support his mom, Yuberkis Perez, has always shown for his performance aspirations, and advises youngsters who think they might like to pursue a career on the stage to just go for it.

“Growing up, a lot of people always say think before you act,” Jonathan said. “But if you think about something way too much, you’re never going to end up doing it. Always go with your gut.”

Special thanks to the Staten Island Advance.

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Fannie Lou Musical