Valentina joins Broadway’s Rocky Horror revival as Columbia
The Drag Race alum starts July 21 in The Rocky Horror Show, taking over the role previously played by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Valentina is stepping into the corset-and-top-hat orbit of Broadway’s The Rocky Horror Show.
Producers announced that the performer, known for RuPaul’s Drag Race and Fox’s Rent: Live, will begin performances Tuesday, July 21, in the Sam Pinkleton-directed revival at Studio 54.
She will play Columbia, the top-hatted follower of Frank-N-Furter, played in the production by Luke Evans. The part was first played in this revival by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who left the show on June 21, according to Deadline.
The casting marks Valentina’s Broadway debut. In a statement reported by Deadline, Valentina said she “is honored to be debuting on Broadway as the first Trans Mexican American featured in a principal cast.”
A new face in the castle
The revival of Richard O’Brien’s musical began previews on March 26 and officially opened April 23 at Broadway’s Studio 54.
Pinkleton’s production currently features Evans as Frank-N-Furter, with Rachel Dratch, Andrew Durand, Harvey Guillén, Stephanie Hsu, Josh Rivera and Sherie Rene Scott also in the principal cast, according to the report.
Rodriguez’s departure in June opened the door for a new Columbia, one of the show’s signature roles. Valentina now joins a Broadway company that has kept the audience participation favorite moving through the spring and into summer.
The show received nine nominations at the 2026 Tony Awards, though it did not win in any of its categories, Deadline reported.
Strong spring business
The production has also been a steady ticket seller among the shows that opened this spring. Deadline reported that the most recent box office figures showed attendance at 93% of capacity.
For Valentina, the move brings another stage credit after a television run that included RuPaul’s Drag Race and Fox’s live broadcast of Rent. For Rocky Horror, it adds another name familiar to screen and pop-culture audiences to a cast already stacked with Broadway, film and television performers.
Valentina starts performances July 21 at Studio 54.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.