This post is written by Amy Walton. Amy attended a media preview.
The award-winning musical production of RENT is on its 20th Anniversary Tour and has returned to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for this weekend only, January 6 – 8, 2017! The original rock musical, created by a little-known composer opened on Broadway in 1996, and two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven young bohemians following their dreams, while struggling to survive addiction, discrimination, and poverty in the AIDS epidemic of the late 1980s. It is an emotional, exciting and eclectic show of timeless themes and inspirational songs. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters — Love.
Kaleb Wells, who plays the troubled rock singer lead character Roger Davis, has an incredibly powerful voice and presence, captivating the audience in all his songs, including “One Song Glory” and “Another Day”. Another cast member, Aaron Harrington, playing the role of Tom Collins, elevates the vocals to another level – his range is unbelievable. Then, of course, Mimi, played by Skyler Volpe, is the perfect combination of sassy, and tough, youthful, sweet, and seductive. Her performances in “Light my Candle” and “Out Tonight” were so emotional; the audience could feel her pain and the depth of the character in her singing. If you can catch this anniversary tour of RENT in Costa Mesa this weekend, it is an absolute must-see. We were so glad to see it back in Orange County! For more information, please visit: http://rentontour.net.
~Amy
_________________________________A review by Amy Walton. Amy has lived in Orange County for over 12 years and loves to blog about new recipes, craft projects, and random musings over at SoTherebyAmy.com. Be yourself; everyone else is taken.
RENT 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
January 6 – 8, 2017
Segerstrom Center for the ArtsSegerstrom Hall600 Town Center DriveCosta Mesa, CA(714) 556-2787www.scfta.org
TICKETS START AT $29
PERFORMANCES
- Friday at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
*Note: The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, January 7, 2017 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.
Based on the original direction by Michael Greif (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations, RENT), Evan Ensign will restage this 20th anniversary tour. Marlies Yearby (Tony Nomination, RENT) will serve as choreographer. The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour is produced by Work Light Productions, whose other touring productions include Cinderella, MAMMA MIA!, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Vocalosity and Crazy For You.