On some of the world’s most celebrated stages, the lights rise, the orchestra swells, and McAllen’s own Diego Andres Rodriguez steps into the spotlight. But before his Broadway and West End debuts, he was a kid from the Rio Grande Valley. Learning, growing, and dreaming right here on the border, in a region often overlooked, especially when it comes to our creatives. Now, as his career continues to climb, he carries the Valley with him onto every stage.
Before the stage lights and the rehearsals, Diego was like any Valley kid. He was born in Edinburg and raised in McAllen, surrounded by a blend of music and the RGV’s special blend of Tex-Mex border culture. Those early experiences would eventually become foundational to the artist he would become.
“I grew up in a pretty large family,” shared Rodriguez. “My dad is one of ten, and [his family] does a lot of performing together, like in The Sound of Music.”
Diego remembers growing up surrounded by music, his dad playing his guitar and singing at church. Eventually joining the orchestra at Morris Middle School, and playing the cello into high school.
A Budding Love of Theatre
Music entering his life so early was part of what shaped his creativity and emotional connection to performance. For Rodriguez, his artistic path was incredibly nonlinear, beginning with music before evolving into a deeper interest in acting and the art of storytelling in high school.
Rodriguez entered McAllen High School (McHi) and, at his sisters’ insistence, began auditioning for shows the school was putting on. It was in his sophomore year that he had the opportunity to star in a show.’
“I ended up [performing alongside] my sister Rebecca,” Diego remembered, “We did “Camp Rock: the Musical” at McHi and that was very fun.”
That show opened the door for him to fall into theatre. He began to make new friends and take part in the One Act Play Festival and meet educators and mentors who helped him not only nurture his talent but also challenged him to take his craft seriously. Before he knew it, he discovered his love not only for the stage but also for the art of storytelling.
Valley Roots
For Diego, the stage and the story weren’t everything, though. He loved being able to share it all with his family and his community. He remembers family coming from across Texas to see his shows.
“I remember that the most and that’s the thing I envy most now performing,” Diego shared. “I love to perform, but you know I don’t perform for my community anymore, and the coolest thing [about performing] at home was to perform for our community because storytelling is part of our culture.”
Rodriguez remembers the Valley fondly, sharing that the RGV’s influence goes beyond geography. Our culture, the resilience, warmth, dedication to hard work, and deep sense of community continue to shape the way he approaches his career and his life as a whole.
Even though Diego loved and still loves the Valley, he knew he would have to leave. Using the resources available to him through McHi (which he urges all seniors to use), he was able to take the next steps in his journey. Applying and getting into the University of Michigan.
It was there that he refined his skills further and immersed himself further in rigorous theatrical training. While it was necessary for Rodriguez to leave the RGV for his professional growth, he emphasized that the lessons he learned in the Valley remained central to who he was as an artist but also as a person, keeping him grounded while also fueling his dedication and passion.
It is because of that dedication that Diego was able to achieve a milestone that many performers spend their lives chasing: making his Broadway debut.
Seeds of Change
Diego’s first time in New York was when he was a Junior in college; he received word of an open-call audition for a Broadway show, scrounged up enough money for a ticket, and stayed with a family member who luckily lived in the city. Unfortunately, this was not the audition that landed Rodriguez his Broadway debut.
However, it did get his name out there, so that the next year, when auditions were being held for “Sunset Boulevard.”
“Because I showed up the year before and said, ‘You know what? I’m going to go out there and let them see me in person,’ they thought about me a year later,” Diego said.
He was in his last year of college, dealing with what that meant for him and his future, and now he had this chance to go further than he ever had before.
“It felt like the golden ticket,” remembers Diego. “For me, this kid from the Valley to have this chance right at the tip of my fingers and all I had to do was show up and [show them what I have].”
And show them he did, after his audition, he had to go back to Michigan, finish school, and just hope. Eventually, he got the call that he had a role: he was cast as Artie Green / Ensemble and was also the understudy for the character of Joe Gillis.
Beginning to Bloom
“I remember as soon as I got that job, I just felt like, oh, finally, like I have something that’s going to happen,” he shared.
But it still didn’t fully click for him until the show opened that fall.
“After hearing the applause at the first performance bow, I thought, ‘This is going to be the best year of my life.’ like I couldn’t believe this was happening to me,” Rodriguez said.
After that first performance, he knew he had to give this opportunity his all. He thought back to his dad and how his father never missed a day of work, no matter what, and how he wanted to show that same level of dedication.
The rest of that year was a whirlwind. Diego got to share a stage with Nicole Scherzinger and also perform for both his immediate and extended family. He reveled in the blessing and gave every performance his all.
And then, as his time on Broadway came to an end, opportunity found him once again, this time across the Atlantic Ocean on the historic West End.
Foreign Soil
Rodriguez hops on a flight from New York, lands in London, and immediately starts “Evita” the next day.
While anyone else would’ve been nervous, Diego didn’t have time to be nervous; he was starring in the West Revival of an award-winning play, and he was starring alongside Golden Globe Winner Rachel Zegler. All while also representing the Rio Grande Valley on a stage where Latine and Border voices are more often than not underrepresented.
“I have so much pride in where I come from, and I have so much pride in my family and my community,” Diego said. “And I think that’s the biggest strength I have walking into any room.”
Rodriguez brought that same drive and hunger that got him through Sunset Boulevard to his work on “Evita.” Because of that passion and dedication, Diego ended his time in “Evita” with a number of award nominations. Including a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, one of the highest honors for British theatre.
In Full Bloom
As his career continues to grow, Diego still seems like the same grounded kid from the Valley who took home the 2019 Palm Award for Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Musical. He repeatedly mentioned the importance of education, discipline, and mentorship for young Valley creatives hoping to forge new paths or follow similar ones to him.
“The arts in the Valley are fantastic, the arts education is just incredible. And that’s why I want to improve myself and be someone [that goes] back to the Valley so I can help revitalize it and give back.”
Despite performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Diego still carries the Valley with him. For Diego, success is measured not only by awards and recognition but also by being able to pour back to the region that raised him and the communities that first believed in him.
