RENT at Weathervane Theatre to Run Longer After Extension Due to Audience Demand

Weathervane Theatre has extended its production of RENT through August 14, six days beyond its originally scheduled August 8 closing, citing audience demand. The show, which opened July 15 and runs in alternating repertory at the New Hampshire theatre, is directed by Producing Artistic Director Ethan Paulini, choreographed by Ashley McManus, and music directed by Noah Huseman. The cast includes Chloe Mendoza Smith as Mimi Marquez, Jacob A. Butler as Roger Davis, Jorge Donoso as Mark Cohen, Grace L. Kramer as Maureen Johnson, Jewell Noel as Joanne Jefferson, Jeremy Lloyd as Angel Dumott Schunard, Robert H. Fowler as Tom Collins, and Paul Trenier as Benjamin Coffin III. Weathervane is also presenting Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM! this season, marking what the theatre describes as the first time both of Larson's pieces have been staged by the same company in a single season.

How do you measure a year in the life?

Set against the gritty pulse of New York City's East Village, RENT is the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical that redefined a generation. Jonathan Larson's electrifying story follows a group of young artists as they chase love, identity, and creative freedom amid the AIDS crisis. Bursting with heart, humor, and urgency, RENT celebrates connection and chosen family, powered by unforgettable songs like 'Seasons of Love,' 'La Vie Bohème,' and 'Take Me or Leave Me.' Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, RENT is a revolutionary portrait of love, loss, and hope.

RENT is directed by Weathervane Producing Artistic Director Ethan Paulini, choreographed by Ashley McManus, and music directed by Noah Huseman.

Thirty years after its premiere RENT's universal themes still ring true.

'RENT is, ultimately, about love, art, and the power they have to create community,' said Huseman. 'In today's post-COVID world of isolation and self-idolatry, to reflect on the AIDS epidemic is to grapple with our own mortality and ask, 'How can we live more?' Jonathan Larson's brilliant lyrics and powerful musical storytelling evoke one supreme answer: there is truly 'no day but today.'

The cast of RENT features Chloe Mendoza Smith (Mimi Marquez), Jacob A. Butler (Roger Davis), Jorge Donoso (Mark Cohen), Grace L. Kramer (Maureen Johnson), Jewell Noel (Joanne Jefferson), Jeremy Lloyd (Angel Dumott Schunard), Robert H. Fowler (Tom Collins), and Paul Trenier (Benjamin Coffin III). Dani Barrett, Max Desantis, Tyne Dougherty, Nolo Gonzalez, Margaux Marak, Shai Vaknine, and Lew Whitener make up the ensemble. Robert H. Fowler is the dance captain.

RENT includes design by Jeremy Baldauf (lighting), Cass Burgess (properties), Ira Kramer (video), Alexander Pikiben (sound), and Rien Schlecht (set and costumes). Additional creative team: Reed Davis (production stage manager), Sam Powers, Rien Schlecht, Hannah Showalter, Aasrith Veerapaneni (assistant stage management), Seth Bowen (technical director), Christa LeBlanc (scenic charge), and Jeremy Baldauf and AP Pikiben (production management).

Harry Burns (bass), Noah Huseman (keys), Jessie Lanham (drums), and Ben Natti (guitar) make up the band of RENT, under the direction of Huseman.

Paying special tribute to RENT's 30th anniversary and its creator, Weathervane is also presenting Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM! this season. The first theatre to ever present both of Jonathan Larson's pieces in one season, get to know the man behind the phenomenon.

Single tickets for RENT are available for purchase at weathervanenh.org or by calling 603-837-9322. Group rates are available for parties of 15 or more. Contact info@weathervanenh.org for more information.

Weathervane's 61st season runs now through October 11. Additional season 61 productions include TICK, TICK...BOOM!, XANADU, COME FROM AWAY, PETER PAN GOES WRONG, GLOCK 17., PUTTING IT TOGETHER, PAPERBOY, and ANYTHING GOES. Single tickets are now available at www.weathervanenh.org. Season 61 tickets start at $34.

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ABOUT THE WEATHERVANE

The Weathervane Theatre was founded in 1965 by Gibbs Murray and the late Tom Haas and is led by Producing Artistic Director Ethan Paulini. It has presented high-quality professional productions of plays and musicals for over half a century. One of the few remaining alternating rep companies in the United States, the Weathervane is recognized as a historical institution nationwide, boasting among its alums recent Tony nominee Elizabeth Stanley, Tally Sessions, four-time Tony nominee Judy Kuhn, and recent Tony Award Winners Sam Pinkleton and Ari'el Stachel.

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