Nicholas Rodriguez, a Montclair State University junior, will sing the National Anthem at Saturday afternoon’s Tyson Fury vs. Steve Cunningham 12-round heavyweight fight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Rodriguez, who is in the Musical Theatre Program at MSU, was also featured this season on American Idol.
He was also recently profiled on NBC Dateline, and can be seen on the webisode American Idol: The Road to Hollywood. Rodriguez’s MSU performance credits include The Break, Rags, Sweet Charity, and last season’s critically acclaimed production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. He is a past recipient of the prestigious Sterling Scholarship, and has already been cast in the role of Black, in the upcoming MSU production of Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party.
On Saturday just before the main event, the Bordentown, NJ native will experience another star-making moment when he takes the stage in center ring at Madison Square Garden before one of the most anticipated fights of the year. If he can score a knockout with his rendition of the National Anthem, Nicholas Rodriguez will take another big step up the ladder of his entertainment career.