I asked Miguel Romero……….(aka.. Ritchie Valens)

Tell us a little about your upbringing. I was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY til I was 8.  Then moved to South Florida. . . I come from a very large, close, traditional Hispanic (Colombian) family.  A lot of my family still lives in New York, they’ll most likely ALL be here one night.  My mom used to take to me to a lot of Broadway shows when I was a child. . .

What inspired you to become a performer?  When I was a child I would always shake around to music (Ritchie Valens style), and I was always recording myself singing. . . I used to watch music videos, and musicals learn the choreography and sing along to them, to this day my Julie Andrews impression is IMPECCABLE. . . It wasn’t until I discovered pop music in the early 90’s that I decided I wanted to be a performer. 

What music did you listen to growing up… and now? The three movie musicals I’d listen to all the time as a child were "The Wizard of OZ", "The Sound of Music", and "Mary Poppins", my mother insisted I learn about my culture by knowing old and current Latin Music. . . as I got older I started listening to Pop/Top 40’s music. . . My musical inclinations now range from Musical Theatre, to Latin, to Pop, to R&B, Country. . . You name it, I probably know a little bit about it. . …………I’ve never actively listened to Buddy Holly’s music. . . Doing the show I’ve discovered that I actually know a good chunk of it. . . Maybe 4 or 5 songs in the show. . . I’ve grown to really appreciate it. . . Namely "Rave On"

What’s your favorite Musical of all time?  Favorite performer? A Chorus Line, it’s music theatre at its best (if done right), it’s been a blessing to be able to do the show 5 times. . . I’ve always loved Paula Abdul. . . She’s not a music theatre performer, and I know a lot of people think she’s a joke. . . as a teenager I took a keen interest in her "back story". . . she dealt with a lot of opposition when trying to break into show business. . . I related a lot to her desire to be a part of something that seemed to have no interest in her, and found inspiration from her unwavering determination and drive. . regardless her actual talent (or some might say lack there of)

What do you enjoy doing on your time off? Sleeping!!! Spending time with my partner, either at home or out and about, I’m a very social person, I talk on the phone a lot. . . of late, I’ve REdiscovered my hobby of keeping aquariums. . .

Any other fun tid bits? I had the pleasure/misfortune of being a part of "Lone Star Love". . . the Broadway show that didn’t quite make it because of a rather INSANE and IMPOSSIBLE "star" (Randy Quaid). . . I LOVE karaoke. . . I get to pretend to be the Pop Star I’ll never be. . . My current dream/ambition is to one day record Latin Music. .