Gabrielle Ruiz has represented the Rio Grande Valley on Broadway, on screen and in countless other projects for years.

The Edinburg native said she never forgets her roots, and the Valley will always feel like home to her.

“It's a big space, but it also feels familiar and intimate, and I’m very proud of that,” Gabrielle said. “It's special to give a lot of credit to my public school education, and I think the teachers to this day are the heart and the soul of creating the next generation.”

Gabrielle graduated from Edinburg North High School in 2003. She said she credits her early arts experiences — like singing in choir under the late David Custer — as foundational to her career.

“That is what has been a tremendous part and impact on my career,” Gabrielle said.

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Gabrielle grew up going to Melba’s Dance Studio in McAllen, which led her to audition for prestigious schools such as Juilliard, NYU and Oklahoma City University.

Gabrielle earned her BFA with a focus in dance performance from Oklahoma City University in 2007. Her first professional stage work was with Music Theatre Wichita.

“I finally knew this is where I belong, I'm really good at this, and I really love doing this. This is fun, hard work,” Gabrielle said.

After college, Gabrielle moved to New York City and starred in Broadway productions that included the first national tour of "A Chorus Line," "In the Heights" with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the revival of "Evita" with Ricky Martin.

Gabrielle later landed roles in the shows “Orange is the New Black” and “Law & Order: SVU.”

She later auditioned for the show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and went from being a recurring guest star on the show to a series regular.

Gabrielle has also done voice-over work in video games and animated series. She said that right now her focus is on growing her family. 

Gabrielle Ruiz is Made in the 956.

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