Krysta Rodriguez on Hercules, Her 54 Below Solo Show Debut & Going Back to Smash

To say that Krysta Rodriguez is booked and busy is an understatement. Not only did she finish up a week-long run in the Hercules as part of Shakespeare in the Park, but she is also getting ready to make her Feinstein's/54 Below solo show debut, starring in the New York premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Seared and will appear in the upcoming Netflix series Daybreak. Rodriguez made time in her packed schedule to visit Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive to talk all about her projects. "It's all really exciting," she said to Paul Wontorek. "Hercules is my first real scripted musical at the Delacorte. It's been so magical. Jelani [Alladin] and I have been workshopping the show for a year now and we've really gotten a nice shorthand. Disney crosses all generations and the audience has been really passionate. I know everyone loves Meg's hair and we got me fitted for a wig, but when I came to do the reading they decided to just use my hair."

Now that the acclaimed Public Works production has ended its run, Rodriguez will spending a majority of this week headlining the popular cabaret venue Feinstein's/54 Below. "Since I've been doing theater, people have been telling me to do my own solo show," she said. "I didn't really want to do a career retrospective. We've come up with a totally opposite show, which is just me singing all the things I want to sing. I tell little stories about my life here and there, but mostly I staked it with a lot of special guests who are dear friends of mine like Kathryn Gallagher, Andy Mientus, Joe Iconis. I was supposed to do it last year in October, but then I got this TV show that is coming out this October. It's called Daybreak; it's on Netflix and is a post-apocalyptic Lord of the Flies comedy starring Matthew Broderick and I and a bunch of up-and-coming adorable kids. You'll be hearing a lot more about it soon."

In addition to an already packed fall schedule, Rodriguez will be reprising her turn in Theresa Rebeck's Seared. "It's a comedy," she said. "It's really fun: It's all about chefs and takes place in a restaurant. We cook real full meals on stage, something like 17 meals in one scene. At Williamstown [Theatre Festival] the food was pre-cooked by interns, which was rough. We eat the food and it smells amazing. It's like 4D smell-o-vision, I'm really excited."

It's no surprise that Rodriguez is seemingly everywhere this season, the former Broadway.com vlogger has appeared on Broadway in seven productions and has learned from the best. "I remember being in college at NYU and they somehow got Sutton Foster and Gavin Creel to come talk to our class at the height of Thoroughly Modern Millie," she said. "I remember Sutton saying that other people's success is not your failure. That was like a big light bulb moment for me. I'm not always great at practicing it sometimes, but I can always say it and remember it's truth."

Rodriguez is also known for appearing in the second season of Smash, and with so much buzz around the short-lived musical TV show, we had to ask about her thoughts on the constant push for a reboot. "Where were you all in 2012?" Rodriguez said. "I swear, it was like you couldn't walk down the street without people throwing things at you for Smash and now everyone loves it. I would do a reunion or new season, it would have to be good and interesting, but yes, who doesn't want to go back and dance and sing with those people?"

Catch Rodriguez's 54 Below solo shows from September 10-14 and see her in Seared!

Watch the full #LiveAtFive episode below!