Stocking Productions to Present RENT, 5/24-26

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, RENT "follows a year in the life of a group of friends struggling to make it in the big city. They include Mark, a filmmaker and the narrator of the story; his former girlfriend, Maureen, a performance artist; Maureen's lover, Joanne, a public interest lawyer; Mark's roommate Roger, a musician; Mimi, an exotic dancer, with whom Roger falls in love; Tom Collins, a computer genius; Collins' lover, Angel, a street musician and drag queen; and Benny, a former member of the group who, after marrying into a wealthy family, has become their landlord. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical. Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award® for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages."

RENT first appeared on the stage as a workshop production in 1994. Two years later, the show officially opened Off Broadway. In a sad twist of fate, following the final dress rehearsal, Jonathan Larson, the show's creator, died never being able to see the opening of his show. A few months later, at the end of April 1996, RENT opened on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre. The show ran for the next 12 and a half years for a total of 5,139 performances. During the run of the show, RENT took home a number of awards including four Tonys, six Drama Desk Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama. 

The original Broadway company boasted performances by Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, and Taye Diggs. All of whom would reprise their roles in the 2005 motion picture released by Columbia Pictures. 

During the summer of 2011, only a few years after closing on Broadway, RENT returned to the New York stage with an Off Broadway revival at New World Stages, where it is currently still performing.

Stock♦ing Productions' RENT brings together a diverse group of performers that includes Jordan C. Allen as Angel, Leah Bebee as Maureen, Jason Harding Beall as Roger, Xavier Lyles as Benny, Ashley Parker as Joanne, Natalie Stephenson as Mimi, Jordan B. Stocksdale as Mark, and Carl Williams as Collins, with Jackie Gaver, Michael Iacone, Anthony Marchese, Matthew Crawford, Andrea Robison, Joseph Waeyaert, and Taryn Wood. 

RENT has a book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, and is directed by Genevieve Williams, with music direction by Jordan B. Stocksdale, and choreographer by Jaimie Hoover. 

The limited engagement will be at The Way Off Broadway Theatre in the Willowtree Plaza off the Golden Mile (Route 40 West) in Frederick, Maryland with performances Thursday evening, May 24, Friday, evening May 25, and Saturday evening, May 26, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and must be purchased with cash or check. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the theatre's Box Office or calling (301) 662-6600. 

Stock♦ing Productions, under the direction of its Founding Artistic Director, Jordan B. Stocksdale, and Executive Producer Laura Walling is an independent theatre Production Company. Previous productions include A New Brain, The Rocky Horror Show, and Into the Woods.www.stockingproductions.webs.com

More Articles by This Author...