By Megan Fitzgerald, PhD

Emmy Award–winning performer Jai Rodriguez brings An Evening with Jai Rodriguez to the Sunshine Cathedral Center for the Performing Arts as part of its 17th season on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. Best known for his breakout role on Queer Eye and his work on Broadway, Rodriguez uses the intimate cabaret-style setting to reflect on his career and connect with audiences. Ahead of the show, he spoke with OutClique about what makes this night different and why live performance continues to matter.

1. OutClique: For audiences coming to An Evening with Jai Rodriguez, how would you describe the experience — what can they expect when they walk into the room that night?

 Jai Rodriguez: This is a tricky one because I have played the Fort Lauderdale area before, so I don’t know how many folks will go in assuming this is just the kid from Queer Eye and not much else. Some people may know, “Oh, he was on Broadway.” What I love is that I’ve built a show where, whether you’ve followed my career for the past 20-some-odd years, you have no idea about my professional work at all, or you know the TV stuff but don’t know me as a singer, all of those categories are covered. This show is built for you. It gives folks who recognize me the behind-the-scenes stories they want. If you’ve never heard of me, you can come in blind and have a great evening of exceptional storytelling and fabulous music. That has become my favorite medium of entertainment: live cabaret. Unlike a concert, where people just sing and maybe talk a little, this is a perfectly metered 90 minutes. You’ve got recognizable songs reinterpreted because the stories ahead of those songs bleed into the music. It works seamlessly as this sort of postmodern cabaret, in a way that feels almost Moulin Rouge-esque.

2. OutClique: This event blends storytelling, music and conversation. How did you shape the flow of the evening, and what parts of your career felt most important to share live with an audience? 

Jai Rodriguez: I begin at the beginning. The opening number is a song called “Live and Living Color” from Catch Me If You Can, and it sets up that I’m going to tell this story through the lens of TV. I start with my upbringing on Long Island, getting my first agent, my first Broadway show, and then landing the big TV show everyone knows, Queer Eye. So much of what people don’t know is what I lean into. Thankfully, Queer Eye is a pop culture phenomenon with a new cast, so even if you didn’t see my version, you at least know what the show is when I reference it. Then I go into stories about what happened after that, because people always say, “Oh my God, I love you on that show. So what have you been up to?” What they’re really asking is, “What have you done in the past 20-some-odd years?” Most times I’ll share things they know but didn’t recognize were me in that role, because thankfully I’m sort of a chameleon in television. Or I’m giving them things they weren’t even aware of, like being the first male reality star to cross over into a series-regular scripted network role with my sitcom Malibu Country, which starred Reba, Lily Tomlin, Sarah Rue and myself. 

3. OutClique: You’ve performed everywhere from Broadway stages to television sets. What’s different about connecting with an audience in a more intimate live setting?

Jai Rodriguez: The difference is that a live performance is a conversation, full stop. You don’t really get that elsewhere. You do get it in sitcoms. When I was doing Malibu Country, we had a live audience. You can feel where the jokes land, and they’re on the journey with you. An evening with Jai Rodriguez is me taking you by the hand on this journey, but we’re going together. That’s what separates it. It’s such an intimate thing. I tell stories and share pieces of myself that scripted roles don’t allow me to do. It becomes this magical conversation that only happens in an evening like this. 

4. OutClique: Many people still feel a strong connection to your time on Queer Eye, while others discovered you through theater or more recent projects. How do you balance nostalgia with where you are creatively now? 

Jai Rodriguez: Balancing nostalgia is a great question because you want to give folks what they know you from — the projects they want to hear about. They want to hear about Rent. They want to hear about Queer Eye. But what don’t they already know? I do a good job of setting up what Rent is and what Queer Eye is for those who may not have seen them. Since it’s been a while, I also give a bit of a refresher on who the other characters and cast players were. It brings folks together and brings people in. What I’ve realized is that if you begin a story, you have to end a story. I’m deeply moved by performances like Elaine Stritch’s At Liberty, which I saw on Broadway the same year Bea Arthur had her one-woman show where she sang and told stories. These are icons. My biggest inspirations are Lily Tomlin and John Leguizamo and what they do in their one-person shows, and I like to believe I’m walking in their footsteps. 

5. OutClique: There’s a post-show meet-and-greet available for a limited number of guests. What do those one-on-one moments mean to you? 

Jai Rodriguez: There are only 50 meet-and-greet opportunities available because of time. The reason we capped it at 50 is that we want to create an intimate moment where people aren’t rushed or forced. We can gather almost cocktail party–style, and I can have personal time with everyone. We can make great photo moments happen, or videos if people want me to send messages to their family members. I can sign memorabilia — oftentimes people bring old playbills or other items. Most importantly, it’s an opportunity for me to stay up close and personal and say thank you. People have a lot of options for how they spend a Friday night in South Florida, and they chose to come out and see me. This is my opportunity to share my gratitude. One of the biggest gifts is that time. I highly encourage folks, especially since it’s Valentine’s Day weekend, to grab their special someone, their friends or their family and make the meet-and-greet happen. You can ask me things I maybe didn’t cover in the show and want to know more about. I’m an open book, and the meet-and-greet is where you get to find out the really good stuff.