Story of love, friendship and survival
Centre Stage Taupō producing popular award-winning rock musical Rent
Centre Stage Taupō has been busy during the winter months rehearsing the award-winning rock musical Rent by Jonathan Larson. The cast of the Bayleys season of Rent are in the experienced hands of director Sharon Shanks and musical director Kaylene Carson, who were the team behind the sellout season of Mamma Mia! last year.
Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village.
Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate
Roger, a HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies.
Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wildchild performance artist girlfriend Maureen.
The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the 1990s.
After the final rehearsal before its opening off Broadway, composerauthor Jonathan Larson went home exhausted and elated.
That night he tragically died alone of an aortic aneurysm that two hospital emergency departments had failed to detect. He was 36.
The play became an enormous critical and popular success. In addition, Rent achieved Larson’s ambition of updating musical theatre and making it socially and personally relevant to a younger audience.
Its emphasis is on love, friendship, and survival and a score blending pop, salsa, rhythm and blues, gospel, and rock music.
As the debut of Rent approached, Larson lived in poverty similar to that endured by his characters.
He stopped working in a Soho Diner only two months before the play opened and dreamed of earning enough money to afford cable TV.
Ten days before he died, Larson sold some of his books to get money for a movie ticket.
It was both tragic and ironic that
Larson never saw ticket-holders enjoy his show.
Even more uncanny are the parallels between Larson’s life and his characters’ — many of whom cling to life knowing that it could end at any moment.
Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. This is theatre at its best — exuberant, passionate and joyous. A cast of 19 brings this inspiring story to life, the Bayleys season of Rent runs from October 12 to 22 at The Playhouse, 2 Matai St, Taupō.