June 17, 2026
Butler School of Music alumnus Nicholas Rodriguez has returned to Austin with a new show inspired by one of musical theater’s most beloved figures. Sincerely, Sondheim, which recently played at the Zach Theatre, explores the life and legacy of legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim through an unexpected source: his letters.
Before a rehearsal in Austin, Rodriguez reflected on the inspiration behind the production and the lasting influence Sondheim had on both his career and countless others. While Sondheim was celebrated for masterpieces such as Into the Woods, Company, and Sweeney Todd, he was equally well known among friends, fans, and colleagues for a much simpler habit: he always wrote back.
“If someone wrote to him, he would write back, even if it was just one sentence,” Rodriguez recalled.
The idea for Sincerely, Sondheim emerged in 2021 following Sondheim’s death. As tributes poured in, people began sharing the letters they had received from him over the years. Rodriguez, a lifelong admirer of the composer, found himself captivated by these personal exchanges and began to wonder if there might be one final Sondheim show hidden within them.
Nicholas Rodriguez rehearses for Sincerely, Sondheim.
The production weaves together correspondence from Sondheim and the people who wrote to him, creating a portrait that is both intimate and revealing. “The show is not just my love letter to Steve, but also all the other letters people wrote to him,” Rodriguez said. The letters also changed his perspective on a man he had admired for much of his life. “What it really did for me was humanize someone who was a giant and a genius.”
An Austin native, Rodriguez credits the city and several influential teachers with shaping the artist he would become. Growing up in South Austin, he points to mainly three educators who laid the foundation for his career. The first was Betsy Cornwell, his drama teacher at Bowie High School. “She lit the fire,” he said. “I had never done anything in theater.” His choir director, Sheryl Jones, also played a pivotal role. “Show choir was the first thing I ever did,” Rodriguez recalled. “I didn’t know that was something you could do for a living.”
The third was his first voice teacher, Susan Fernandez, who still teaches in Austin today. “Susan was the one who changed the trajectory of my life,” Rodriguez said. “I wasn’t planning to go to UT, but she said, ‘Let’s just have one lesson with my voice teacher.’” That teacher was Martha Dethridge, a voice professor at the Butler School of Music. Rodriguez remembers that first meeting as life-changing. “She was my everything,” he said.
Dethridge told him that if he studied with her for five years, she could make him a great singer. Rather than pursuing only a bachelor’s degree, he chose an accelerated path and completed a bachelor's and a master's degree. More importantly, he said, the experience at the Butler School of Music shaped far more than his voice.
“It gave me the opportunity to be a full human being,” Rodriguez said. He recalls Dethridge encouraging her students to explore far beyond the practice room. “She would say, ‘Don’t just worry about singing. Go listen to a Lewis Carroll lecture or go to the art museum. It’s all going to inform you as an artist.’” Rodriguez took that advice to heart, immersing himself in as many artistic experiences as possible. This also led him to take a job working backstage at the Zach Theatre. It was here at the Zach that he met his husband while performing in Love! Valour! Compassion! more than two decades ago.
The Kleberg Theatre, where Nicholas Rodriguez met his husband while performing in Love! Valour! Compassion!
Today, returning to Austin remains a special experience. “It feels awesome,” Rodriguez said. “I say yes every time I get the opportunity to come to Austin.” Many of his family members still live in the area, including his mother, aunt, and cousin. He has also remained connected to the city through his work with the American Artists Project, which supports artists and arts education initiatives. “I am so proud that Central Texas has this program,” he said, “and proud that I can be part of that from afar but come back and contribute.”
Nicholas Rodriguez performs Sincerely, Sondheim.
That connection to home was evident on opening night. The audience included family members, former teachers, and longtime friends. His voice teacher’s children attended. Even his elementary school gym teacher came to show support. For Rodriguez, the evening felt less like a performance and more like a reunion. It was, in every sense, a homecoming.