Today we’d like to introduce you to Majo Rivero
Hi Majo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Everything started growing up in Mexico seeing my sister sing and dance her heart out. We started taking classes together just for fun not knowing it could be, and soon would be our careers. I always saw performing as a priority and I would even get in trouble at school for missing homeworks, until they gave in and would ask me to organize performances at school for the students, I even started teaching dance classes to my classmates and neighbors. I was 6 years old when I started dancing, 12 when I started teaching. At the age of 12 I performed in my first musical as a lead performer “Annie” in Mexico, and soon after went to study Musical Theater full time at a performing arts school in London for a year. That was the year that changed my life. It opened my eyes to what my life could be, that it was possible to make your passion your career. I had to go back to Mexico because I was to young according to my parents (and yes I was), so although I was still not the best at school work I would find ways to keep my passion alive by taking all the dance and singing classes possible and joining my high school’s dance team. Though I loved my family and friends, I didn’t feel fulfilled… something was missing. I did some research on performing arts high schools in the US and found Interlochen Arts Academy. My mom took me to Michigan for an in-person audition and it felt amazing, didn’t even feel the audition nerves! I had no idea how transformational as a performer and person that opportunity would be. After graduating high school there I went to the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for four years where I graduated with a BFA in Musical Theater with an emphasis in Dance. I created so many things that expressed who I was and what I was going through, and it freed me. After graduating I moved straight to New York City. I had a year with my OPT (which is the work permit in your field of studies that you get after graduating as an international student) that year was more that I could have imagined, I was getting opportunities that filled my soul, like being streamed on Broadway on Demand, being part of readings of new works, meeting great people and more. Although I’ve had amazing experiences and opportunities being away from my family, friends and culture is hard. The beautiful thing is that you get to form other great connections with people and places that you get to call your home away from home. Once my OPT ended, after a long application process I got my Artist Visa approved and went on to an international tour of the Broadway award-winning musical West Side Story for a year and a half. It taught me discipline, communication, patience, how to have the stamina needed to perform 8 (sometimes 11!) shows a week, how to learn and perform multiple roles, how to take care of my soul, mind, and body, creating authentic bonds and to love unconditionally. Getting back to NYC after tour was weird… mainly because I felt like I was still doing the show and this was just another vacation. I had to get back in the grove of auditioning and going to classes, and although that’s what technically the job is, it felt uncomfortable to get out there again after not doing it for almost 2 years! I even got a very bad cold from the stress of having so many auditions a week with different/new material to learn. When I said to myself “your body is screaming for rest, listen to it and trust that whatever is meant for you will not pass you by”. I surrendered and the next morning my agent called me saying I got offered to be part of the original cast of Gypsy on Broadway starring icon Audra McDonald.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all, but also not an impossible one to overcome. I am very lucky to have grown with such supportive parents that always pushed me to follow what I loved to do the most and I am forever grateful for that. My challenges have been mostly emotional challenges caused by my own self as well as others. My personality really shifted when I left Mexico to come to the US. Everything changed and I had to adapt. The language barrier made me feel less confident in myself (as they say “I promise I’m smarter and funnier in Spanish!”). I would only “come out of my shell” on stage. This was a huge obstacle that I overcame with time and as people saw who I truly was when I was on my element. It felt like I had two personalities and some times even two lives! One when I was in the US and talking in English, and another when I was in Mexico and talking in Spanish. Merging these two came years later and that’s when I started to feel better with myself.
The other thing is- not everyone wants you to succeed. People will say things to your face and behind your back that you have to have this sort of out of body experience to see the situation subjectively and not take it personally. I mainly ignored it from the place of believing that I didn’t have a voice and shouldn’t speak up. With time I realized that that wasn’t sustainable for me, I had to speak up. This also increased my confidence and helped me find my voice and create my own beliefs. I now have the ability to choose to either ignore or speak up. Surrounding yourself with good people that align with your frequency is crucial.
Being an international person has also been a challenge because of all the technicalities of it- the paper work and uncertainty of what will happen next. Nothing is guaranteed, and you can’t have any job, (if you have the OPT or O1 visa) you can only work in whatever field of studies you graduated in. This for me was and keeps being the test of how much I want this career. It’s not easy as it is, so with this situation added you have to really want it.
Too many situations that I’ve had to overcome along the way but I wouldn’t change it because it has gotten me where I am today. You shift from being a victim to being the director of your life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am about to make my Broadway debut in the Broadway musical Gypsy starring THE Audra McDonald. I get to be part of the original cast and that is beyond what I hoped for. I play the role of Dolores/Toreadorable and see every day in rehearsal how the show is being built. I would say this achievement is what I’m most proud of because it’s what I’ve always wanted, and the question you always get in family dinners or when meeting someone new “Are you on Broadway?!” and now I get to say “Yes!”. But being on Broadway is not the main thing to “prove” you made it or that you are successful. I produced my first concert at the notable venue 54 Below where I also got to sing and share the stage with my sister – that’s what I’m actually most proud of as of now. It felt like I gave birth to a baby (figuratively!! haha) it was something I created and I’m so proud of how it turned out. For every achievement it always takes a village so I’m super grateful for everyone that was involved.
What sets me apart from others I believe is my authenticity, and I’ve noticed this both in my career and personal life. Whenever I go to an audition and I am fully unapologetically myself and focus on enjoying my time instead of being what I think they want is when I get called back or even land the roles. By doing this you allow yourself to connect with others in a truthful way and that is what I’ve seen aligns with me. This also goes for my personal relationships, I try to surround myself with people that have accepted me for who I am and I have also accepted them for who they are. It’s always a two way street.
How do you define success?
Success is a subjective concept that can mean different things to different people, in society sometimes I feel is a state of meeting a defined range of expectations, but in my opinion is being content- feeling satisfied and happy with what one has or is, being at peace in all areas of your life. Each peoples meaning of success I think comes from how they’ve been raised and their life experiences. Sometimes it’s hard to be okay with not meeting others expectations of how or when you should achieve a certain goal that might not even be what you want. There is so much personal growth that goes into meeting my own definition of success, specially because in the arts you are normally truly never satisfied- there’s always more. More to achieve, more roles to play, more classes to take, more books to read… there is always more. So I don’t even know if that satisfaction will ever come for me, if it does- great! if it doesn’t- great!
As of today I do feel successful and proud of my journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.majorivero.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majo.grivero/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@majorivero2978
Image Credits
Darnell Bennett Photography
Anthony Raus