MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Michelle J. Rodriguez is a vocalist, songwriter, musical theater composer and actor. Born in Orlando, Florida to Puerto Rican parents and raised in Kirkland, Washington and Lexington, Kentucky, Ms. Rodriguez captivates as a performer at venues like Joe’s Pub (NYC), Ars Nova (NYC), The Hideout (Chicago) and Steppenwolf (Chicago), with her stunning vocals and vulnerability onstage. With a voice that is “clear and compelling” and a sound that features “flourishes of bolero, bossa nova and even jazz” (Chicago Tribune), Ms. Rodriguez sings and writes songs that shake your heart and remind you of home in all its forms. Her music project MICHA became a finalist for NPR’s 2018 Tiny Desk Contest with her song “Nena Nena Nena,” praised for a “bilingual set spanning laid-back southern soul and Latin pop flare” (NPR).

Ms. Rodriguez is a Van Lier Fellow at Ars Nova, a member of their 2020-2021 Makers Lab, and has received support from New York Theater Workshop, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, Salonathon and the University of Chicago. Musicals include East o’, West o’! (Ars Nova/ANTFEST), and several works in development.  Ms. Rodriguez made her Public Theater début in 2019 composing the music for The Mobile Unit’s production of The Tempest directed by Laurie Woolery and subsequently toured MICHA MÚSICA: In Transit in collaboration with The Mobile Unit and Joe’s Pub. BA Williams College.  www.michamusica.com