Nearly 20 years after it opened on Broadway, Rent has made its way to the Fox Cities and, while I won’t actually list 525,600 reasons you need to see this production, I will give you a five.
1) Adam Pascal. He originated the role of Roger on Broadway, played him in the movie version of Rent, and flew to Appleton this week to work with the Lucky Taco Production actors. Want to see a Tony nominated actor give a master class? Come to the Appleton North auditorium today at 1 p.m. and watch him work. Admission to watch the class is just $10.
2) The cast. I watched a rehearsal last night and I’m very excited to see the full show. First-time director Crescent Cundy has cast this show beautifully.
3) The venue. I can’t think of a more appropriate setting for Rent than the Refuge, a place whose mission is to encourage artistic development. Watch these young actors belt these tunes in that special place and know that the future looks bright.
4) The story. You can interpret Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize and multiple Tony winning masterpiece a multitude of ways. I see it as a Carpe Diem tale about the rent between definitions of success, and about the vital role of artistic expression in our lives.
5) The price. On Broadway, Rent producers famously reserved the first two rows at each performance as $20 seats so that the people the show was about could afford to see it. Seats at this production of Rent cost only $10, but they are limited. Doors open 90 minutes before the show starts and I highly recommend you pick up your tickets then. It’s an intimate setting, perfect for this story, and seating is limited to 70 people.
The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights and 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. We’ll see you at the master class, and then at the actual production.
It’s time now, to sing out, though the story never ends…
Enjoy these pictures of the Rent cast, join us at the Master Class this afternoon, and come see this wonderful production!
