Rent: Musical Analysis

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The production, Rent, is a rock musical that is based on a group of distressed artists having a hard time striving in the days of Alphabet City with HIV/AIDS constraining their lives. The original playwright, Billy Aronson, came up with the musical as a renewal of the opera La Bohemia of 1988. Aronson collaborated with Jonathan Larson, a playwright and composer, and created one of the most popular Broadway musicals to date. I watched and experienced a production of this musical at California State University Long Beach, University Theater, on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at exactly 8:00 pm. This production was directed by Joanne Gordon and choreographed by Brian Moe. Other than the director and the choreographer, the stage ambiance and organization would not have been a success without the role of the design crew which of whom includes: Scenic Design by Yuri Okahana, Costume Design by Kathryn McGaughey, Lighting Design by Kelsey McGill, Musical Director by Jarod Sheahan, Scenic Artist by Kate Fechtig, and Property Design by Lin Xiyu. The design crew definitely made the best of their stage space and provided the best translation of the musical. …show more content…
Schmidt {Mark} as the film maker, Sarah Kennedy {Mimi} as an exotic dancer, Kayla Kearney {Maureen} as a performance artist, Christian Sullivan {Angel} as a young trans girl and a street performer, Nicole Royster {Joanne} as the lawyer, Paul Tran {Collins} as an anarchist professor, and Brandon Pascal {Benny} as the landlord of Mimi, Roger, and Mark’s apartment

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