Interview: Theatre Life with Arianna Rosario

When Signature Theatre begins performances of Rent tomorrow, November second, it will have been 600 days exactly since it was forced to stop performing it's theatrical greatness due to the pandemic. Today's subject Arianna Rosario is currently living her theatre life playing Mimi Marquez in the production which is directed by Signature Theatre's Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. The production runs through January second, 2022 in Signature's MAX space.

Arianna has been seen on Broadway and touring in the revival of Cats and On Your Feet!. She has also toured the country in Cinderella and West Side Story.

Arianna was also part of Love Life at Encores! At New York City Center. The production was forced to shut before an audience could see it. Let's hope there is a chance to soon fix that.

Locally you might remember Arianna from In The Heights at Kennedy Center in the role of Carla.

Select regional credits include On Your Feet! at The Muny (Gloria Estefan), Evita (Eva Perón at Bayt Street Theater, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Maria Elena) at Ogunquit Playhouse, and West Side Story (Anita) at Opera North. Internationally she performed in Japan in Hilton Battle's American Variety Bang!. Film and TV credits include the upcoming new film version of West Side Story (dir. Steven Spielberg), Devotion (dir. J. D. Dillard), The Walton's Homecoming (dir. Lev Spiro) on the CW, FX's Fosse/Verdon and Queen Sugar on OWN. Ms. Rosario holds a BFA from Miami Florida's New World School of the Arts.

November second is a day that we have had to wait for far too long. Arianna Rosario and company are ready to give us a well needed jolt of musical theatre. Signature Theatre is ready to present the first locally produced professional musical in a loooong time so grab your tickets to Rent and see some killer talent that includes Arianna Rosario as Mimi Marquez. I guarantee you'll want to get "Out Tonight" to catch this show.

At what age did you get interested in performing?

I remember going to see a lot of Broadway and New York City Ballet shows when I was younger, so I think that sparked my initial love for it. There was a girl in my class while I was in elementary school who started taking ballet lessons and would show off what she was learning during recess. I went home and asked my parents if I could start taking lessons, and from the moment I put my hand on a ballet barre I was hooked.

Where did you receive your theatrical training and is there a particular teacher/professor who you would say helped shape your passion for performing?

I was introduced to theater in high school, but I was always more focused on dance well into college and when I graduated, I intended on auditioning solely for dance companies. It wasn't really until I did my first professional theatrical production out of college where I feel like there was a shift in where I wanted my career to now go. A lot of the theatrical training that I've had since then has been learning from the amazing directors and casts I've worked with.

What was your first professional performing job?

My first professional performing job was doing A Christmas Carol at the McCarter Theatre.

Is the Signature Theatre production of Rent the first production of the show you have been associated with?

It is the first production I've been associated with, but I've always loved this show.

Can you please talk about the vision that director Matthew Gardiner has for this production of Rent?

Matthew is really breaking this piece apart, asking questions about it, and trying to look at some moments from a new perspective. I think by doing that it humanizes the piece a little more and helps the audience relate to the different journeys within the show.

You recently performed the role of Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet at The MUNY. That venue has a seating capacity of 11,000 seats. Can you please talk about the experience of performing on that stage and also did you find you had to work harder to reach the back of the house?

Performing on that stage was such an incredible experience. The stage is about 112 feet edge to edge so there's definitely a lot of ground to cover, but I found that once the sun goes down the space is surprisingly intimate. Our director Maggie Burrows did an incredible job with staging the show in a way that I think really helped the audience know where to focus during the scenes so as an actor I felt like I didn't have to overplay anything in order to reach the back of the house.

You are soon to be seen in the upcoming Steven Spielberg film adaptation of West Side Story. Can you please tell us where we can look for you in the movie?

You can see me in the song "America".

Was it at all intimidating being directed by Steven Spielberg?

Not at all, I honestly felt like I was just so excited to have the opportunity to work with him. A lot of the films I grew up watching and loved so much were directed by him.

After 25 years, why do you think Rent still resonates with its audiences?

For me, I think there are so many things in Rent that still resonates today. I think especially after being in isolation for so long over the past 18 months a lot of people have longed for a sense of community. You meet these characters in the show who are all going through different struggles but find comfort in their chosen family. It's a lesson that even in the face of adversity and hate, one can choose love and live in the moment.

What are you most looking forward to about performing again in front of a live audience?

I am looking forward to the energy that a live audience brings to a show, and to share with the world what we've spent 3 weeks in the studio creating.

Special Thanks to Signature Theatre's Deputy Director of Marketing, Director of Creative Content James Gardiner for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

Theatre Life logo designed by Kevin Laughon.

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