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[0:01] Diego Andres Rodrigues: My name is Diego Andrés Rodrigues, and you're listening to Eleven, the official theatre podcast.

[0:16] William J Connolly: Hello and welcome to Eleven, the official theatre podcast that brings the biggest stars and creatives together in one place to discuss life in the arts. He's the exquisite leading man of Jamie Lloyd's Evita that's spending his summer stealing hearts and collecting standing ovations in this groundbreaking retelling of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, a chapter he describes so perfectly as a once-in-a-lifetime journey. So how did his time from Sunset on Broadway bring him to Evita in London? Well, let's find out. As direct from his dressing room backstage at the world-famous London Palladium, we talk embracing the chaos, leaning into the madness, and bringing his own unique talents to this signature role as Evita becomes the theatrical event of the summer.

Including honoring those legends that have come before him with this role, and why his superstar leading lady, Rachel Zegler, is a pillar of hope for a lot of Latinos. We also talk about being scared shitless, as he put it, to begin all things Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. Why showing up for yourself is vital to your own success, however challenging that can be at times. And why he sees all of your memes about his now iconic paint, glitter, and underwear curtain call moment. Fully clothed and without a piece of body paint anywhere in sight. Please have welcome to this, the next episode of Eleven. He's Jamie Lloyd's newest leading man that's serving full sleigh in the West End's life-changing new production of Evita at the London Palladium.

Blood, Glitter and Body Paint Galore. And he's here to tell me all about this season's hottest ticket. So direct from backstage at the actual London Palladium in slightly cleaner and less messy attire today. I say, Diego, Diego, Diego, are you there?

[2:13] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Here I am, nice and clothed and ready for a great interview.

[2:17] William J Connolly: Will, how are you doing?

[2:18] Diego Andres Rodrigues: I'm doing very well. I'm very, very excited. And I must say it's unusual to see you fully dressed and with no glitter. Do you feel unusual not being head to toe in the paint?

[2:26] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Um, honestly, it's nice. It gives me opportunity to, you know, London's known for its fashion. I feel like I'm trying to thrift and get as much things going on, but um, definitely wearing nicer stuff than all blacks or body paint.

[2:39] William J Connolly: It's become the literally, I think the only photograph I've seen you is just head to toe looking very solemn at the curtain call, taking in all of the glory that's coming your way. Being part of the Jamie Lloyd world means that nothing is ever expected. So you're used to the crazy, you're used to the blood, you're used to the glitter. So this just must be like another day at the office for you.

[2:54] Diego Andres Rodrigues: It is kind of the you, you're there's that moment of deja vu, you know. It's you're in the Jamie Lloyd show again. You uh you end the show in your pants and your junness covered in something, but uh all the all the memes about it, everything, all the free press, basically, everyone's talking about you know, this is mirroring Sunset. And it kind of does in that way. It's you know, every director's got a style, and this seems to be the one I've been roped into for my first two jobs. But hey, I'm uh happy to be here for the ride and uh love loving that people are talking about it.

[3:22] William J Connolly: And what a ride it's been a ride that's brought you from Broadway and that original revival production, which we'll talk about in a second, all the way to the most famous theatre. I'm gonna argue in the world with the world famous London Palladium. And this production that I don't know how much you look at reviews, I don't know how it's sort of in tuned with the industry, but nobody has anything bad to say about this. They are just fully two feet in obsessed. And the response has been extraordinary for so many different things. And you are very much part of the love that people are sending, which is this exquisite performance that you get to deliver. We are, I think, uh just over a week and a half since that official opening night. How are you feeling now that you've managed to do the previews? The reviews are out, the reviews love it. Hopefully settling into a little less chaos and just a little bit more enjoyment right now. Where's your mind at the minute?

[4:06] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh, you're hitting it right on the head. I mean, left Sunset. We'll talk more about that in a minute, but I left that on the 26th of April. Flew over here to London in my first time ever coming east ever in my life. And uh, first time in London on the 27th, and then we started rehearsals the 28th and so of April. So all of that time, straight into you know, five weeks of rehearsals, you know, two weeks tech, and then a preview period. I did not expect to be as buzzing as it was. Yeah, all of a sudden, you know, this was really taking off to uh heights that I didn't really would come that quick, you know. Um, and what you said is the the more the world famous London Palladium, you know. It's I guess it was ignorant of me to not think that this would be a very awesome event, but I was you know, it's just been overwhelming.

And you know, from a week and a half ago, whenever we were there together for what felt like a night of true celebration, I was doing the show, you know, not to spoil anything that happens at the end, but you know, I'm right there at the front of the stage, my whole family's second row, and and I'm looking at them, you know. It was just such a wild experience, and um we're out of rehearsals in the days, so we have our mornings back, and it's just it's been so nice to really settle into everything here in London. It's my first time over here, and this is such a beautiful city with so much history, and it is an honor to get to come here with a job and to experience, you know, the wonders of the city uh in such an exciting time, and it truly just feels like a time to celebrate and to soak in every moment. I think not all times are this special, and uh yeah, it's it's just really a blessing.

[5:30] William J Connolly: What's been the thing so far in this journey that is really probably connected the most with you? Has it been those audience responses? Has it been the fact that this connection that you have with your co-stars and you and the rest of your cast is palpable from the audience? You can feel the fact that you all are so connected. Is it working with Jamie and Andrew and Tim? Like what's been the thing that that you think that's what I know I'll remember when this project is no longer here?

[5:51] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh, there's so there's so much to talk about. I think it's been a joy. It's been a joy to work with this team again and to feel so comfortable, you know, working and in collaborating and know the vocabulary, know exactly what being on the grid means for working with Jamie, having that opportunity to really steep into that environment and have another incredible, welcoming cast here. Everyone is such good friends, such a great energy in this building. And you know, from all of us on stage, the ensemble, you know, uh all the praise to the ensemble. They're they're giving their life every day on stage in a house at an OAC, I know, to be an American over here in London. It and also for a beautiful summer, by the way.

It's such a pretty summer here, and and the sun is shining every day, which is not usual from London, from what I've heard. But um, it is so uh the it is the environment is palpable, the heat in that building, the excitement on that stage, all the crew work that's going in. We're all there together to to put in a show that everyone's hoping to really, really I want the people to remember this, to remember this event. But um, above all else, I feel like what's been the most memorable for me is you know, having left the states and doing this show that at its core is talking about, you know, you know, how do how do we deal with people? How how do we take care of people? How do we interact with people?

You know, like at the core of this, it's it is a political event we're talking about. And it's so I think people have your missed and not acknowledge that how relevant this narrative is today. And um, yeah, I think the the memories of me, you know, being that narrator, being the one to talk about it and and Rachel carrying the show, having it sore, and it was such a beautiful reminder to see even my own family in the audience and into for them to be there and to stand up after the numbers and be like, that's how you do it, you know, give it the power, you know. It's it's just been such a memories like that, I think are ones that will never fade is is how important and how and how beautiful I think this show at this time is here.

And um, I don't think there will be an ability to replicate what that is and and that feeling of how special this moment is and and the honor, the true honor that it is to perform the show here at the Palladium every day.

[7:49] William J Connolly: I can imagine on paper when you look at just the extraordinary amount of scenework and singing and storytelling in particular that you have to do, it probably could seem quite daunting, but one thing that's so clever is that you are all so tightly woven together that it feels like everybody goes on this journey together each night. And you do get to sing some of the most psychotic songs, say some of the most psychology lines, which feels so different to what we've seen before. And I think such is the genius of Jamie's mind. So it does feel like I'm getting to experience a lot of this for the first time, seeing your interpretation of it. I wondered how important you think that has been to making you feel comfortable doing this huge role in this huge production on this huge stage, but also telling it in a totally different way, not trying to replicate respectfully what we may have seen before. How important do you think that has been to finding your feet and to see the response that that you're getting each night?

[8:35] Diego Andres Rodrigues: You know what? That's such a beautiful question. It's hard to even express how grateful I am for this opportunity because you know, having done Sunset in New York, getting used to and understanding the art can be told in many different ways. Our art can be pushed this way. We can challenge our audience by doing art in this way or stripping it back to really get to the core of what we're talking about. And I think it's been such an exciting privilege to work with Jamie and the Jamie Lloyd company. And Alan Williams and Fabian, Fabiana Louise, you know, all like all they are all so beautiful as artists themselves to give us this work and to say, hey, we I'm not going to give you all the answers, but this is what it's gonna be.

It's gonna be bare and you need to bring it. And I want to see what you can do. Offer anything. Get on that stage and just offer it. See where you can go with the telling of this story when we're not giving you much besides just a platform and lights and the best sound design, the best lighting designer we can, and the best orchestra right behind you and the best performers in the West and all surrounding and uplifting you, you know. So it definitely has been a moment that can be daunting, but it is also in in that same regard, incredibly freeing. I think every night it has an opportunity for it to be as live as it's gonna be. If I'm ever off, if I don't feel like I want to the show, like I have to want to show up and do the work, the audience is gonna see that.

And so all of us, you know, uh uh me and Rachel were on stage the whole time, you know. It's that Jamie Lloyd thing, we don't leave for water breaks or anything, but that doesn't mean the ensemble isn't on stage with us the whole time. They're given breaks off stage to literally just catch a breath. So you don't see them sweating, panting and dying because holy crap, are they giving their life every day? And so all of us, everyone backstage, the entire Palladium is working so hard to create this event. And it's that the response has been that it's just been so yeah, giving. And I'm so grateful, you know, for the days where you would see Jamie in the audience, or we'd see Fabian in the audience, or we would see Alan in the audience.

And at the end of the show, they would be given a look of like, man, I think seeing them and just locking eyes with them. And we all realize wow, this is a moment that we didn't realize it'd be the special. We hoped for it, rehearsing it, getting it together. We hope this would be as celebrated as it is, but it's also, you know, all it's kind of awkward in that way. We're all like, oh my gosh, this is just what better time to be alive. And um, the it's it's just been something I think we're all so grateful for. And I can't wait for eight more weeks. And you know, where it's a short, it's like short contract. We're getting through it already. This is our ninth week, and then eight more, and then we're done. I can't believe it.

[10:51] William J Connolly: It'd be such a shame if you had to just go back home and maybe do it again. Wouldn't it be such a terrible idea?

[10:56] Diego Andres Rodrigues: I know. Terrible, that would sound like a pain and a half.

[11:00] William J Connolly: No my gosh, that'd be crazy. I don't want to get you in any trouble. So we'll leave that one just there. But fingers crossed for for this journey to continue because I think some of your lovely Sunset colleagues back home would love to see this production, as would I think basically all of America. So fingers crossed for that one.

[11:13] Diego Andres Rodrigues: I hope we could put this on over there. But um, yeah, let's keep across, keep them crossed.

[11:20] William J Connolly: You represent a second ago about trying something new and about the fact that you have to like genuinely believe that it's good. And that sounds silly, but I think when you're doing anything that's breaking a mold, you have to be so connected to it and entrust in the creators that are leaning from the front. And the one thing that Jamie does so much is he doesn't try and replicate what's been seen before. He tries to say, well, why don't we do it that feels authentic to him, that feels authentic to the story that he wants to tell? And so when you're entrusting so much in a director, not to replicate, but to almost redefine something, do you have to become incredibly vulnerable to lean into that madness, lean into that craziness, lean into the difference and really in trust in Jamie?

And then when at what point in this journey did you go, oh, this is really working? Was it that first preview? Or was it in rehearsals where you went, oh, I get it now? Like, where was the sort of the money drop moment for you? When did the light bulb first go on and you realize, and this is why I want to work with Jamie Lloyd?

[12:09] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh, we've I feel like I've thought about this so many times, but even us as members in this cast, we talked about it. We say, Man, what makes Jamie just so exciting to be part of these productions, like a part of his productions? And he's pushing theater in ways that have, you know, to coin that uh phrase from Sunset Boulevard, you know, new ways to dream. How can we do things for audiences that they didn't even realize can be ways to do theater? And now that we have the tools accessible to be able to do theater in 2025 in this way, how can that help push the narrative in in a way that is able to interpolate more people? A big thing is this outside bit, you know. There was a lot of speculation about why why are we doing this outside again?

We did that for Sunset, why again? But it's an event, it's an event in itself. And I don't even realize it because me and my co-star James, we're the two practically in the theater while everyone else, the ensemble, Rachel, everyone's outside and experiencing a whole other theatrical event, which is a live performance that is is meant to capture and meant to show, you know, and in a very emotional way watching, you know, this is a moment that was a part of history. We are in a time capsule. When you when you do theater, you know, the dramaturgy of a moment is to say, how can we remember the importance of what this narrative was at that time, and how can we help show that for a new audience today for in a way that they can walk away feeling the same things, feeling affected by the same stuff, but in a whole entirely different historical context.

And I get emotional sometimes. I'm sitting watching this event, and there's Argentinos in the in the audience outside, and they brought their banderas, they brought their flags and they're waving Argentinian flags outside, and it feels like, oh my God, like people believed, you know. Uh uh it's it's weird, you know, it's it's just uh it's such a patriotic, beautiful moment. And things like that uh are really what makes working with Jamie so incredible. I think he helps acknowledge what what we're living in now. I think he's really making theater very relevant, and it's also a huge tip of the hat to casting. I think he casts shows incredibly well, all the casting teams that work to cast Jamie's shows from Nicole being Norma from Rachel being Evita to even, you know, Keanu Reeves and Alex Sinter being Waiting for Godot.

[14:07] Diego Andres Rodrigues: I think that's hilarious. Like, what? Like, I can't wait to see that. But I think it's of course, those are all casting choices that I think provide an opportunity to bring people to the theater and will sell tickets and everything. But it's also Jamie D does work that's incredibly accessible. And I think it's such an exciting, um, cool thing to be part of to try to make theater available to everybody. And there is, I think that's something to celebrate. And um, I don't really care what people think about it because I as an audience remember, I don't even do anything in that bit. I sit on the stage and I watch, and I find so much joy in that moment because it's getting to watch Rachel as who she is.

You know, she's a pillar of hope for a lot of Latinos, and like ever since I was a kid wanting to, you know, we're the same age, and ever since I watched her climb, you know, she's really been soaring in her career. And as someone who's been hopeful to want to get work too, you know, she's been someone that I've watched and said, Hey, there's that little girl who's doing that too, you know. And she is a beast, she is a superstar, and I'm so honored to get to perform with her every day. And it's yeah, she's it's just been a blessing to work with Jamie. And I'm happy that he's given me jobs. So that's like that's a big thing I'm happy about. It's to be employed by the Jamie Lloyd Company is a blessing beyond all others right now.

[15:15] William J Connolly: Do you think your time on Broadway, do you think your time working with Jamie? Do you think your time being an understudy, do you think your time watching him work with other people? Which so often being a spectator to other people's brilliance allows you to understand how they work and probably being more of yourself to them when you get the opportunity to collaborate. Do you think that that experience? I let's call it chapter one of your Jamie Lloyd experience. I'm sure one of many that that has also helped benefit your creativity, allowed you to bring 100% of yourself to this world. Do you think there are benefits to you having worked with him before as Togmaui perhaps now this opportunity came?

[15:44] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh, absolutely. I think you spoke about it right there. Yeah. Getting to watch Jamie direct other actors is such a huge lesson in itself. Starting right out of school, I graduated school and I'm working a professional gig that I was scared shitless for my first day. I was like, oh my God, I can't believe I don't even know where I'm walking around in New York, but I made it to the audience. Like I made it to the rehearsal room. I'm here. And um seeing a company that they worked for three months together here in the West End, they created the show. They knew what it meant to work and to give the diligence to the work to make it so incredible. You know, getting to find my place within that immediately, like, okay, how can I work to do this?

And seeing Jamie work with Nicole, to see Jamie work with Tom, to see Jamie work with David Daxton, you know, providing questions and moments for them to run with. What I learned the most was seeing other actors take just the piece information from Jamie. It's never gonna be an answer. It's just it's always a question and um run in every direction. Where is the spot? We have to try everything because you are here to tell this story for a reason. And I wanted you to tell it. So it definitely did train me a lot to do that for a show. It felt like another year of school in a way, I guess, to continue that ride. A whole education in itself. And um, I think I'm just really grateful that they trust me from, you know, being a cover in that other show to now being someone to lead this show every day for the summer here in the West End.

It's really been a privilege. And um, I hope that I'm showing up to the job and that's what I'm trying to remember, man. It's like, hey, I'm a kid from South Texas and I'm representing for my community and like I have so many friends that work their ass off every day doing real jobs, you know, blue collar worker jobs, like actually working their butt off and busting their body. So this is the way that I'm gonna do it. And I'm so grateful for this opportunity. And it's, you know what? If I have to throw myself down the stairs, if we gotta get beat up, I gotta get dumped in blood, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it every day and I'm gonna give it my all because you know, this is the opportunity that I have.

And I don't ever want to look back on this time feeling like, oh man, I wish why didn't I do it like that at one time? It's like I don't want to leave anything on the floor. I want to just really create a moment that feels alive and special.

[17:43] William J Connolly: Bless you for being humbly understated this century yes I can assure you of you're doing a very very good job.

[17:50] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also this is a podcast so people won't be able to see you like I can but the smile as you were talking about your Jamie Lloyd family is talking about sunset talking about this experience and your friends just got bigger and bigger and bigger and it feels like through all of the chaos and all of the noise and all these opportunities which are so deserving towards you I mean anyone that spends the first 10 seconds of that show listening to your voice and the way in which you would tell this story will see that you're deserving of all the accolades coming your way but it feels like this craziness even with all of the outside noise and quite literally the world's media looking at that balcony and this production and this being like you know one of the hottest tickets to get as I referenced at the beginning it feels like all of this isn't lost on you even at this point in the journey.

[18:33] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Right it's it's felt I I'm trying to journal as much as I can because I'm thinking like I just want to look back on this time and I don't know if I'll ever write a book or anything but I just want to read the book of my own life. It's like how did I deal with all of this because I know time the times are never going to be like this like it this is truly something to special I don't know about never never seen never but it does feel like that's what sunset felt like and this is kind of what this feels like it's this is a moment to try to soak in everything. You know this is definitely a thing to remember and it's hard to have eyes on it when you're in it and um but uh I am I am saying uh I what I've experienced is there's been so many people from back home and and um my my youth growing up and it's been so fulfilling to see so many people reach out and say hey man you're you're doing a lot to represent for our community and um the RGB is really cheering you on, and and it's you're you're you're such an inspiration to so many people, and I think that is such a beautiful thing for someone to say.

It's been crazy. I guess I want to try to journal every day. It's like, who did I talk to? What did I do? What how did I even get here? But it's it's such a fun journey. And um, uh I yeah, I just can't help but smile every day. You know, it's just wild to think that this is what's going on, but I'm not on TikTok too much or on X, so I don't really see like everything going on. But once I get messages come on my way, I'm like, oh my god, it's so crazy that so many people are talking about me, my gentness and making like Titanic memes of people in their underwear. I think it's so funny. It is hilarious. I love it. I think it's so funny. You're gonna regret saying that you like it. People are gonna be like, yeah, let's send him. No, no, anyway, no, no, no. But it's you know, I it's all good fun. I'm here to have fun, and I think it's I think it definitely is in good spirits, and so I think it's funny.

[20:06] William J Connolly: Yeah, no, it's it's said with so much love, and also it's based on the fact you're awesomely talented in this role, and it sounds so gorgeous. And now you referenced about the sound quality being arguably the best that the West End has to offer. What does that do to you when you're singing?

[20:18] Diego Andres Rodrigues: I think probably some of the best work that Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice have to offer, particularly songs that charted like Rachel when I was talking to her, was saying, like, these songs were in the charts in this country, they were the top of the charts, like you know, David Essex is so famous for singing this, like this is like the opening song of the show. So, do you lean into the fact you know audiences love it and they're on your side, or is that when you go, Oh, the games are over, I've got to sort of I've got to stop behaving just for five minutes. How you're smiling, I think it might be the latter. But how how do you make it make sense for you?

[20:46] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh my gosh, I think there's a funny video. I'll bring up this because I just think it's wild because today, Don't Cry for Me Argentina just dropped, Rachel Zegler. Let's go. It sounds beautiful. But yeah, to look, I saw a video Angela and ever talking about how Don't Cry for Me Argentina was like a hate of the disco charts because they would like close out every disco room back in the day with that song. But it's kind of wild to, you know, just now having this single drop to think, oh my gosh, this this music is iconic. And I love, I grew up loving Jesus Christ Superstar. I grew up with the Norman Jewson film, and um the way that this music is being done, the way it's been orchestrated, the work done by Alan Williams, our music director, to really make this orchestra sound incredible.

Oh my gosh, it's just the stage shakes itself. It's just an Adam Fisher, Adam Fisher, a sound designer. What a legend. He makes a sound incredible. Handheld Mike, you know, with mic on my face, both of them, the power dynamics and all of that sound, it's just it's kind of unreal to think, okay, you know, we're getting ready to possibly, hopefully, you know, we would like to get this thing out for everyone to experience and and maybe make some kind of version of it that people can listen to. But to think that I'm the next person to step into that is you know, it's exciting, but at the same time, it's it I am, you know, kind of oh, okay, you know, this is David X's, this is Antonio Banderas, this is Ricky Martin, this is you know, Mandy Patinkin.

Like these these are people that have laid such a stamp in this industry. And I think it's just such an incredible honor to be the next person to carry that torch and to build upon what they set up. Like I'm not trying to, you know, overcome anybody. It's like, okay, what is what did they do? What how did they create this? You know, this has a whole icon to itself. Evita has love because of them. And so, how can I now make that and carry on for a new generation? And I think with all the sound, with how the music's being done, and even some numbers. We changed Rainbow Tour. I don't know if people are noticing, but we really changed Rainbow Tour and the sound of that. And um, I think even um with it, we're really trying to appeal for it being something that can resonate with audiences today.

And um, it's just cool to be the voice of that and and to narrate it from start to end. And it is it is an event that feels kind of scary, but I'm I'm loving it. And it's it's it I'm trying to do the best to stand up to the cause and to stand up um and do it myself, you know.

[22:57] William J Connolly: We've spoken about how you did your training and that this was the job, and then how you kind of were bit like this is crazy that you're doing this, and you did the sunset journey so successfully. And by doing that and showing up and proving yourself that it's led you to other rather extraordinary chapters in your life, as you referenced probably one of the greatest chapters that will happen to you. But if you think back to the beginning of that journey when maybe if you remember where you were the first time you heard potentially about being part of the Sunset Broadway cast and potentially even that first audition that you referenced, what do you think the Diego back then, who is now sat here as a certified West End leading man with reviewers and all literally falling over themselves to get a ticket to hear you sing these songs in this mega production? What do you think the guy back then would think of not just this chapter, but all of the journey that's happened so far?

[23:40] Diego Andres Rodrigues: The fact that you've been totally validated because showing up, being a good person and being awesomely talented every day just comes as a minimum for you. What do you think he would think of this journey so far? And this man that sat backstage at the actual London Palladium leading a Jamie Lloyd production all of his own.

[23:56] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Um so sweet to say that, by the way. I mean, it's just been it's been a crazy journey. And I still have posts up on my Instagram of November 23 on the field of University of Michigan's football field, celebrating a win against our rivals, the High State. And it's crazy to think, man, I was just in school. I was just, I was just there. And you know, right before I got this job, I did independent study with the playwrighting professor, Jose Casas at the University of Michigan. It was a Chicano playwright, and the only Latin person that in my immediate, you know, area that was a person of position ahead of me, you know, someone to look up to, someone I can mentor me. And I wrote a one-man show called Wonderment that took that talked about my journey coming from South Texas to the University of Michigan, having done four years of school there, gone through four years of life, you know, losing family for the first time, and you know, experiencing so many things and thinking how stupid it is that I'm gonna graduate in a month and a half with a musical theater degree.

What? Like that was I wrote a whole play about it and the journey of how I got there. And it's like, what am I doing? Like, how can I carry the torch and build upon the shoulders of my own family? What am I doing for Rodrigues that is you know going to really help move my family in another direction, you know, and to and to carry on that torch and to really be the man of a next generation for my own family, you know. And um, I was I was dealt with so many of those questions. It's like, what am I doing? What is this career that I'm going into? And you know, lo and behold, while I was getting ready to perform that for um play fest, which is uh as a class at the University of Michigan, um, I ended up hearing that I got the job for Sunset Boulevard.

And so when I asked my own questions, I was saying, hey, what is even gonna happen? Like what will this ever manifest into anything? I don't know, but I'm gonna try my best every day and I'm gonna do it and why not start now because I I am an actor, I am a performer, I am an artist. And the only thing that I can do is create and continue and give it my all. And it's funny that I answered those own questions in a one-man show that I wrote about myself. You know what I mean? Like there's no better therapy than theater and one man performance and so, or one or one person performance, you know, like it's it's really is a um a great way to re-examine yourself. And I'm so happy that I immortalized that and and that I was challenged by my professor Jose Casas in college to to look at myself and and um to think, hey, like here is now a 23-year-old Diego, and like this is what his own or 22 at the time I was 22.

And it's like, you know, this is all of his worries, all like what felt like the world coming down to him as his last like month of school and only hoping for the best afterwards. And I'm so grateful that that the best times are now. And um, it's just been it's been so much to to really ex like to think about. But um, I'm trying to write and just you know, keep tab because I'm myself and say, hey, like this is a fun time that you're living in, and always treasure this and take as many photos as you can and and you know, and and send those calls out to family while they're wanting to chat with you because they're excited, you know. It's just been it's been a really, really beautiful time. And um, yeah, it's just it's it's a busy time.

It's I don't know. I'm excited. I'll tell you now, I'm excited to take a vacation in September when this contract I need a vacation. I didn't take one on sunset at all. I thought that would end in July. And so I'm happy that you know one sometimes some relaxing times are coming up, but oh my gosh, why not work every day? It's just been it's a pleasure to work every day, and um, and I'm so grateful to be here.

[27:03] William J Connolly: Here's to embracing the chaos, here's to embracing all of the madness that that comes with it, and also here's for showing up for yourself. I think it's really important. And do you know what? Sometimes I think we help ourselves by having these ridiculously huge dreams, not realizing that actually we're probably helping make them happen for ourselves even when we don't realize. And I think that you are proof that good things happen to great, great people. So, Diego, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Most importantly, congratulations. It's very, very, very special to get to speak to somebody like you at the literally right in the middle of what is going to be a life-changing chapter for you. So, congratulations on that rather exquisite performance. I look forward to trying to get a ticket to come back and just congratulations again. It's it's wild, it's so special. So thank you.

[27:41] Diego Andres Rodrigues: Oh, thank you so much for your time, Wiley. You're such a gem. Thank you, truly. You're so sweet. I really do appreciate everything you said.

[27:50] William J Connolly: You've been listening to Eleven, the official theater podcast. Find out more about 11 at 11podcasts.com or via the Broadway Podcast Network.