Courtney Love isn’t new to the acting biz; after years of cultivating her signature grungy-babydoll look, she wowed audiences at the premiere of The People Vs. Larry Flynt–which she also earned rave reviews for–with a sleek blonde bob and an old-Hollywood style dress. It seemed her dreams of becoming a bonafide movie star had finally come to fruition; since then, she’s claimed roles in Man On The Moon and on Sons Of Anarchy, as well as the new drama Empire, and it doesn’t look like the acting bug is going away anytime soon. The 50-year old star has signed on to play the lead in an off-Broadway production called Kansas City Choir Boy in New York, and she says the role is a tough one.

“I play a rock star with a drug problem. And the research I have to do – it’s so tough for me!” Love, who famously battled drugs until becoming clean in 2007, said.

The show has been described as a “theatricalized concept album” by writer Todd Almond, which suits Love well; for as many acting roles as she’s taken on, at her core, she’s all rock-and-roll.

Love, whose character leaves her significant other in order to follow her dreams, admits she’s nervous about doing something so far outside her comfort zone.

“I’ve never done musical theater – I really wanted to do theatre, but probably I’m not ready to do a play quite yet. Fortuitously, Todd wrote this thing eight years ago, and I met him and I fell in love with it. It’s baptism by fire, but I’m going to hang in and give it my best,” she said.