That time of year has rolled around when TJ’s Drama Department begins to produce and construct a spring musical.
artwork by Becca Holt
Michael Palmieri and his team have put together a cast for TJ’s own production of Rent: School Edition, and they have begun rehearsals in order to prepare for the opening night on March 17, 2010.
Auditions for the roles were held last month and the cast has already been rehearsing for three weeks. The play will accompany character development through song and individual perspective from each of the seven friends who are struggling with obstacles that life has thrown at them.
The auditions were focused on vocal quality, a strong portrayal of character and a dance audition. Four judges critiqued each prospective singer and actor based on those attributes. The judging panel consisted of Palmieri, TJ Teacher Suzanna Hurja, TJ Vocal Music Director Edwina Hebert, and TJ Dance Teacher Carole Fulkerson.
The cast has completed many projects together already with last year’s musical, Footloose, and events this year such as the AIDS Walk, the Rent Project and the community service with the Children’s Hospital and the Denver Rescue Mission. “We have become a family,” Palmieri said.
The cast consists of eight leads – five male and three female – to play the individual characters intertwined in the plot of Rent. Each of the actors will have a chance to be featured as a soloist or in a small group. “In Rent, the Company plays a very vital, strong part of the show,” Palmieri said, alluding to the talent-packed group from which soloists will emerge, playing different roles throughout the play.
“The casts in the past two shows I’ve been in have been really tight, and I think that it’s inevitable in that situation. I’m confident that [fact], paired with the message the show sends and that we are trying to send, will make the experience unforgettable,” said Mina Bradley-Belcaid, who will be playing the role of Mimi.
The play Rent originated in a New York City off-Broadway venue before its initial opening on January 25, 1996. Jonathon Larson wrote the music and lyrics and then tragically died the night before the premiere, from an aortic aneurysm. Rent later went on the win the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Musical. The play’s content deals with the joys and tragedies of these New Yorkers’ lives, with an overall sense of hope. The characters confront the issues of drugs, AIDS, homelessness, loneliness, selling out and the Bohemian lifestyle, and reflect them all using music as their medium. Due to the profanity in some parts, and the heavy song, Contact, Larson’s estate authorized and supervised the creation of Rent: School Edition. “The play maintains the integrity of the show but omits some language and one song (Contact) that really wouldn’t fly in high school,” Pamieri mentioned.
Palmieri also said Rent is really about how the different aspects of human emotion – love, acceptance, compassion and kindness – are the beginning of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel. The play has caused controversy due to its graphic nature, but the Drama Department says they believe the beauty of the show and value of the message will outweigh that.
TJ’s Drama Department is known for generating public-pleasing musicals, including 2008’s production of Chicago. The play attracted the attention of the community and local news, and captivated the audience; Rent is also expected to do well at TJ’s box office. “Chicago was obviously a highlight for many of us at TJ; we believe Rent has the potential to be another high water mark for our department,” Palmieri said.
The show will be running March 17-20, but be wary of bringing younger siblings, because Rent: School Edition requires that audience members are 13 years old and up. The ticket prices are to be announced in the near future, but discounted advanced tickets will be available. “We the directors believe we have an amazing cast capable of putting on a great show, and everyone at TJ should come see it at least once. We expect magic,” Palmieri said.
Here is a complete list of cast members:
Mina Bradley Belcaid as Mimi Marque
Megan Lussier as Maureen Johnson
London Thatch as Joanne Jefferson
Andrew Craig as Mark Cohen
Keith Hussey as Benjamin Coffin
D’Aaron Moore as Angle Schunard
Joseph Powell as Tom Collins
Colby Schaller as Roger Davis
Members of the Company:
Maggie Barbour, Caitlin Barley, Cassie Cherry, Brittany Ferguson, Aviva Getschel, Gena Pinson, Anna Romero, Lorrain Seals-Williams, and Tori Wallace
