Interview with Nico Ochoa: Finding Identity and Joy on Stage in & Juliet
Thanksgiving week, the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis hosted the national tour of & Juliet, a dazzling pop musical created by the Emmy®–winning writer of Schitt’s Creek. The show flips Shakespeare’s most famous love story on its head, asking: what if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Instead, she embarks on a fabulous journey of self-discovery, friendship, and love, set to the soundtrack of iconic hits like “Since U Been Gone,” “…Baby One More Time,” “Roar,” and “I Want It That Way.”
At the heart of this production is Nico Ochoa, making their national tour debut as May, Juliet’s best friend. Born and raised in Virginia, Nico describes themselves as “a cool refreshing glass of genderfluid.” With regional credits including Head Over Heels, Rocky Horror Show, and The Prom, Nico brings authenticity, joy, and representation to the stage.
Focus: You play May in the & Juliet tour. So, how did you get here, to be a part of an amazing, energetic show?
Nico: I feel so very lucky for everything that’s brought me to this point. I grew up in Northern Virginia and Fairfax County, so the schooling is academically competitive; however, I’m not a very academic person. So my competitiveness seeped into everything else like chorus and theater. So I did a musical. And from there I was always doing some sort of theater because that became my outlet. It helped me find my way. It gave me a lot of skills. I would assistant stage manage or I would dance captain or I would run crew or I would be dancing in the ensemble.
Focus: So what was that one show where the theater bug bit you?
Nico: The first anything I did was Grease, and that really made me want to do musical theater. But even before that, movie musicals. I personally think the Mamma Mia movie musical is perfect. And I watched bootlegs of A Chorus Line on YouTube over and over. That passion carried me through three auditions before finally getting into Boston Conservatory, my dream school.
Focus: I saw that you played Columbia in Rocky Horror. How was that experience, as a non-binary actor playing a traditionally female role?
Nico: It was amazing. I went to that audition and learned very quickly that they were looking for, like, trans bodies, non-binary bodies, gender non-conforming bodies for most, if not all the roles. They ended up with a trans woman to play Magenta, a trans narrator, and a trans-masc Rocky. It was amazing to go to rehearsal and be in that space, spending the entire day with queer-identifying people.
Focus: Was Columbia your first non-binary role on stage?
Nico: Technically yes. I did Into the Woods at Boston Conservatory, and at the time, they were looking for non-binary actors or a trans man to play Jack. So I technically played Jack through a non-binary lens, but whether or not the audience got that is up to interpretation.
Focus: When you first read the role of May, what was your reaction?
Nico: The first time that I discovered May in & Juliet, I have a playlist of show tunes that I keep in my Spotify, and I‘m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman was one of the recommended songs. I played that song, and I remember thinking that ,like, I didn’t fully understand the context of this song, because I didn’t know the show, but I added it to my playlist because I felt very drawn to it. I wanted to sing it and eventually found out more about & Juliet. I remember it was around when Justin David Sullivan had been nominated for a Tony for playing May and they took themselves out of the running because they didn’t want to be considered in a gendered category. I started learning more about that because at the time I was starting to figure out my own identity.
Focus: Is there a moment in the show you personally relate to?
Nico: Yeah. For sure. There’s a scene during Not a Girl… where May is navigating their identity, and not just how they identify in a queer lens, but also who they are, what’s their purpose. And I always think about how this show speaks to queer youth. In fact, kids have come up to me at the stage door with their parents and have told me that they’re non-binary. I’ve hugged them. I’ve hugged their parents. It’s so healing, and it’s so beautiful. I feel like I do this for the queer youth, but I also feel like I am a queer youth still. You know?
Focus: You’ve performed & Juliet in many Southern cities (who are generally still evolving in their views on LGBT+ culture and gender). Is there a moment from those southern audiences that surprised you?
Nico: In Reno, Nevada, we had a heckler shouting during “Not a Girl.” It was shocking, but luckily I had been performing the show for a month and a half at that point, so I was really locked into myself, and I didn’t let it distract me. At the end of the song, he was yelling so loud that I knew where he was sitting, so I blew him a kiss. And I have a great support system with the cast, the crew, the entire team. Like, everyone’s checking in on me, making sure I’m okay. Granted, that was one guy, and the entire audience saw that and showered me with love anytime I was on stage. I was overflowed with joy that night, lots of happy tears.
Focus: What conversations do you hope the show sparks in places like Memphis?
Nico: I just hope that it’ll get people to talk to each other. I feel like it’s difficult to leave the show in a bad mood. So I really hope it just gets people talking to each other. A lot of families have come with their kids, and they’re, like, “My son sees himself in you on that stage,” or, “My kid is non-binary, too.” And it makes me so happy that they can see this representation on stage. I’ve had a lot of kids come up and be like, “I want to do what you’re doing, but I’m afraid because I’m non-binary.” And it makes me happy that I can literally look them in the eye and say, “Look at me. I’m doing it. So can you.”
Nico Ochoa’s journey from Virginia to the national stage is a testament to resilience, authenticity, and joy. As May in & Juliet, they embody the spirit of self-discovery and friendship that defines the show. Whether facing hecklers or hugging kids at the stage door, Nico’s presence reminds us that representation matters and that theater can be a space of healing, laughter, and love.
When & Juliet arrives at the Orpheum Theatre November 25 through November 30, audiences will not only be swept away by pop anthems and comedy but also by the courage and heart of performers like Nico. The only thing tragic about this spin on a famous tragedy is missing it.
