Alan Hoskins, Supervisor of Public Information
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
College Advancement
Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer-prize winning Broadway musical, “Rent,” will be performed at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 22-25.
Directed by Dr. Charles Leader of the KCKCC Drama Department, performances will be at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Performing Arts Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.
Based loosely on Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” the musical follows a year in the lives of seven friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York’s East Village.
Maureen, played by Skye Reid, deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art while her partner, Joanne, portrayed by Tiffany Schweigert, wonders if their relationship is worth the effort. AIDS and both its physical and emotional complications pervade the lives of Roger (Shea Coffman), Mimi (Jennifer Dawn Coville), Collins (Brandon Durkes) and Angel (Fred Rucker).
Benjamin (Demetrius Hodges) has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the out with his former friends while Brian LaFave as Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general, always behind the camera recording the events but never playing a part.
Leonora Remmert is the Musical Director of the fast-moving, non-stop rock and roll production and features more than two dozen songs, the best known of which is “Seasons of Love.”
“I think it’s relevant for Wyandotte County, Kansas City and today even though it was written 12 years ago,” said Dr. Leader. “The students love it. While it’s about sex, drugs and rock and roll, it’s really about redemption and ultimately salvation.”
In addition to the main cast, members of the Ensemble include Katie Myers, Brandy Hovver, Amanda Harrison, Chris Testerman, Prisca Kendagor, Allison Romero, Stanley Morgan, Yvonne Her, Sparkle Jones, Tracy Thomas, Jasmine Robinson, Vanessa Hall, Orlando Irons, Katherine Garry, Gabbi Brown, Megan Buchanan, Ronnita Shaw, Jessica Kent and Juan Reyes.
Choreographed by Michael Joy and Paula Chappell-Long, Randy Winder is in charge of Sets, Lighting and Property Design; Kelly Vogel, Costume Design; Brian Lechner, Technical Direction; Ian Corbett, Sound Direction; and Felicia Drury and Jamie Shurtz, Graphic Design.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for non-KCKCC students and senior citizens with group rates available to groups of 10 and more. Tickets will be available at the door or reserved in advance by calling 913-288-7106.