Christine Echeandía in her Hodel costume from PSB Production’s Fiddler on the roof.

One of the many rising stars of Puerto Rico is called Christine Echeandía. Christine is a triple threat performer (actress, singer, and dancer). She was recently accepted to the musical theater bachelor’s degree at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She will be leaving to pursue her dreams in the city of New York this next June.

Fiddler on the Roof by PSB Productions

Intrigued to learn more about her journey in musical theater, I decided to interview her. I wanted to know how she started doing musical theater and what affirmed her that musical theater was the path she had to take. This is what she said:

“Ever since I was a little girl musical theater has been a big part of my life. My mother introduced me to musicals like: “The Sound Of Music”, “Mary Poppins”, “West Side Story”, “Grease”, “Hairspray”, among others. I always felt complete and filled with musicals. A person singing, acting and dancing at the same time, was something out of this world for me. But, in my mind it remained as simply admiration. While growing up all I did was sing at school activities and talent shows. Until, at age 14, I worked backstage in a musical and realized the magic of a musical. Because I showed interest, my parents enrolled me, that same year, in a musical theater camp at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. It was an intensive workshop, where you worked for a month to put on a show and present it as the closing of the camp. They would present  several numbers of different musicals, among them was “The Sound Of Music”, where I got my first solo as Maria. I had no idea what I was doing, I was a shy girl full of insecurities. But, for some reason, when I stood on that stage, sang, acted, and danced, I felt something that I had never felt before. Purpose, security, love and passion. I transformed on that stage, and that’s where my love for musical theater was born. 

On my freshman year, I arrived at a school that did musicals every year and they were presented at El Teatro Tapia. The play they were doing that year was Hairspray, so the first thing I did was to audition without thinking twice. I was extremely excited because it was going to be my first play. What I never expected was to be given the role of Tracy. I was extremely grateful and felt happiness, but as a person starting I was afraid to do a bad job and not be able to handle the pressure of being the lead role. I was grateful to have amazing supporting partners and excellent directors guiding me when I was figuring out and starting from scratch as an actress. Tracy gave me security, confidence and taught me to love myself a little more. That play affirmed that that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. 

Christine as Tracy from Hairspray

I continued to gain experience, develop and grow as an artist and went on to do Shrek The Musical Jr. as Fiona Ogre/Momma Ogre for Broadway Illusions(2015), The Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale for Taller Teatro Musical (2016), Mary Poppins The Musical Puerto Rico as Ensemble for PSB productions (2016), The Little Mermaid as Ursula for Taller Teatro Musical(2017), Les Miserables Puerto Rico as Ensemble for PSB productions (2018), Beauty and The Beast Puerto Rico as Ensemble for PSB productions (2018) and Fiddler on the Roof Puerto Rico as Hodel for PSB productions (2019)

Christine with her co-stars on Fiddler on the roof by PSB Productions

I’ve performed in Sala René Marqués, Sala Festivales, Sala Experimental and Sala Sinfónica of El Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce, Teatro Victoria Espinosa, El Teatro Tapia and Teatro Julia de Burgos. “

It is very safe to say that Christine has had life full of amazing achievements, and she will go on to achieve a lot more. She is an amazing, multi-talented performer, and I know she will achieve all of her dreams.

Christine, go get ’em!