This is the story of a highly unlikely, yet very fortunate meeting. Analise Rios is an actor and singer from New York who we first met during the auditions that Betty Riggs, Lauren Zoeller, and Tom Libertiny held in Nashville for Null Paradox. What became immediately apparent as soon as Analise started singing: she’s someone very special. Our combined positive perception of her was further cemented when she performed a solid cold-read with Lauren and later worked with Betty. Analise is talented, hardworking, and does a lot of research: a characteristic that everyone in our Null Paradox family shares.

And here’s the twist: she’s perfect for the role of Victoria.

We know what you’re thinking: who is Victoria? She plays a major role in the upcoming second book. But, she’s also in Gertrude & Grace, our first book (to find her takes some very careful reading). And she is complicated. The daughter of a high-ranking official in The Ministry who rejects all of the privilege of her birthright. She risks everything to search for one thing: The Truth. About many things. Seth and the civil war between The Ministry and The Cranks to name two. And when they discover what she’s done, they’re gunning for her.

Analise has the range as an actor and singer to play the role of Victoria. The subtleness of a Victorian aristocrat. The depth and outlandish courage to give it all up. And one more thing: she effectively translates the character of Victoria through her singing. From soft to belting.

We’re fortunate to have met her. Please welcome Analise to the role of Victoria!

Interview with Analise Rios

Question~What personality traits do you share with Victoria?

Analise~

One of Victoria’s strongest traits is that she is super intuitive and aware of everything around her. That self-awareness and intuition is one of my defining characteristics as well. I am a deeply empathetic person, and easily affected by the energies of those around me. Victoria and I also share an inherent curiosity. I used to create mysteries for myself to try and solve in the back rooms of my family apartment that were filled with all kinds of knick-knacks and pictures, letters, and documents.

Victoria’s intuition, intertwined with her curiosity and headstrong nature, means that she knows when she is being lied to or when there is a secret to be uncovered, and won’t stop until it is revealed. I think we are alike in that way as well.

Question~As an actor, what do you plan to bring to the story of Null Paradox live?

Analise~

Well first off, I am grateful to be involved in Null Paradox, working alongside incredible multi-talented artists, and equally pumped for the opportunity to bring a new character to life! Because Victoria and I have those similarities I mentioned above, my goal will be to create a living, breathing, human character, in all of her strengths and flaws. Victoria is willing to risk everything to do what is right and just, and this story of a woman who brings revolution and fights for change is a story that needs to be told right now and always.

Question~When did you decide that acting was one of your passions?

Analise~

I think it was when I began reading young adult fiction novels actually, that I realized acting was something I wanted to get into. I never felt passionate about reading anything until I was exposed to that style of writing—writing that I, as a young girl growing up, could understand. Reading wasn’t ever my favorite part of school, event though my mom is, and has always been, such an incredibly avid reader. In high school, I got immersed in so many different worlds inside my books and I wished so badly to be a part of them. I started reading these characters’ word aloud and that was like my beginner-inner-actor self being nourished. I would watch the films of these books and wish I could be the person playing the female characters, so I think that is where my passion formed, and it has only progressed and grown immensely since then!

Question~What’s the story behind landing your role as Wednesday in The Addams Family?

Analise~

A Professor/Mentor/Pretty Much Sometimes Manager of mine, is good friends with the Artistic Director of a theatre in New Hampshire called Jean’s Playhouse. They were looking to fill a specific 3-track contract in their summer stock season—including Wednesday in the Addams Family, Lily St. Regis in Annie, and Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. I had been waiting (not so) patiently for the chance to play Wednesday since I saw Krysta Rodriquez play her on Broadway when I was a wee 15-year-old gal! Wednesday’s song, Pulled, had been in my back pocket since I was auditioning for college programs, so my mentor encouraged me to submit for the season at Jean’s Playhouse. I recorded a video of me singing Pulled, along with Easy Street from Annie, sent it on in, and I wound up getting the offer! Addams was such an incredible experience; I learned a lot about myself as an actor and made some fantastic friends throughout the process.

Question~What’s the one learning experience that will stay with you forever while you earned your BA in Theatre Arts at the State University of New York?

Analise~

I got my BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Platz, in the Hudson Valley, and one of the things our department encouraged us to do as young theatre professionals, was expose ourselves to areas of theatre outside our favored area of concentration. So, in addition to my acting classes, I also took carpentry, costume, paint, sound, and directing classes. There was always something to take from each class, something I enjoyed or could appreciate event though it wasn’t my preferred extension of theatre. I later realized I liked working in the paint shop and explored more scenic paint related classes. I don’t know if I would have delved into painting or gained the perspective of a technical theatre artist, and the amount of work that must be done to get a show up and running, without exposure to these classes. I am now almost two years of out college, and I understand how beneficial it is to be a jack-of-all-trades, especially as a woman in the entertainment industry. Versatility is something I first learned at New Paltz that keeps coming back up, and it’s something I will strive for throughout my career.

Question~Who are your biggest music influence(s) and why?

Analise~

My list of musical influences is constantly changing, but the handful of core inspirations that have stayed pretty consistent include: Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Jojo, Amy Lee, Hayley Williams, and Lady Gaga. I think these were all the first women of their respective genres that I heard and was mesmerized by vocally. I held mini concerts for myself in the mirror and the stuffed animals in my room, singing their albums one after the other. I definitely catch myself noticing the moments where each of their sounds shines through when I sing.

Question~What’s your favorite musicals?

Analise~

Top 3: Hadestown, Great Comet, Spring Awakening.