The lights dimmed, the band played, and the group of college students prepared to face a packed audience. It was the opening night of “Rent”. The young actors prepared for many weeks, long hours, and faced many challenges as they prepared for the big night.
The spring musical, “Rent,” was held in the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center at MC, Rockville campus on Wednesday Feb.25, 2015. “Rent” is a story about friendship, love, heartbreak and tragedy that takes place during the mid-‘90s AIDS epidemic.
Each actor faced his or her own personal challenges while preparing for the musical. Rachel Johnson, who played as Mimi said that the biggest challenge for her was singing throughout the entire musical, “something is pushing against your voice, it is a rock show,” she said.
A big challenge the theater team had to overcome was the weather. Due to conditions, the cast and crew missed about 30 hours of rehearsal time. “[Opening night] ended up being a final dress rehearsal,” said director David Gram.
Audiences of all ages went to enjoy the show and to support the actors and the theater team members. Much of the audience that attended the show, did not belong to the MC community and found out about the musical through social media networks such as Facebook or through GoldStar.
Sabrina Berriez, an MC student said she personally did not know any of the cast members, but had watched the movie version of “Rent” and was excited to see it being performed on stage.
The audience seemed very enthusiastic and supportive on opening night. “Rent” is definitely a musical that will touch the audience. Although it may not be suitable for younger viewers due to some strong language, it is exciting to watch a classic musical brought back to life though a new generation of actors.