RENT by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Lisa Holcomb
Music Director: Marc Lionetti
Choreographer: Melissa Ford
Performance Dates: April 4 – May 3
About RENT
Rent is a rock musical by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on the opera La bohème. It tells the story of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan's East Village, NYC , under the shadow of HIV/AIDS in the early 1990s.
This Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning show features a moving score and powerful story that made Rent an instant classic.
Audition Information
Must be 18 to audition. Rent contains explicit sexual language and references to drug use, suicide and trauma experience by people who were houseless and had HIV/Aids in the 80's and 90's in NY city.
Come prepared with up to 32 bars of a song and an accompaniment track on your phone or laptop. Sing a song that you think shows your singing voice the best, preferably in the rock style. No acapella will be accepted. A bluetooth speaker will be provided.
Dance call/call backs will be held by invitation only Sunday, January 25th from 3:00-5:00.
Character Breakdown
Roger Davis
A struggling musician and former drug addict. He is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Roommates with Mark in the loft and battles with being HIV-positive.
Gender: Male
Age to play: 20 to 25
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: F2
Mark Cohen
Filmmaker and video artist. Knee deep in his own soul-searching, Mark is the typical young artist. He and Roger are roommates in the loft. A bit of a nerd.
Gender: Male
Age to play: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Tom Collins
A computer genius and liberal professor. He is a nurturer with a smooth and relaxed disposition. Used to be a roommate in the loft and is HIV-positive.
Gender: Male
Age to play: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: F#2
Benjamin Coffin III
The landlord of Mark and Roger's apartment building. A former roommate in the loft, Benny traded in his personal morals for power and wealth.
Gender: Male
Age to play: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Joanne Jefferson
A public interest lawyer and headstrong lesbian. She is smart and purposeful in all her decisions. Carries on a tumultuous relationship with Maureen.
Gender: Female
Age to play: 25 to 40
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Angel Dumott Schunard
The eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift of dance and a magnetic personality. He becomes Tom's lover.
Gender: Male
Age to play: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Mimi Marquez
An HIV-positive stripper with drug addictions. Slender and sickly, she conceals it all at her job in the local strip club. She lives in the same building as the loft.
Gender: Female
Age to play: 18 to 21
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Eb3
Maureen Johnson
An unpredictably zany performance artist. Maureen oozes sexuality and used to live in the loft. She has recently dumped Mark for Joanne.
Gender: Female
Age to play: 20 to 25
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: C4
Ensemble
Homeless Men & Women; Junkies, Parents (Mrs. Cohen, Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson); Support Group (Steve, Gordon)
