CMT San Jose to Stage RENT, 7/29-8/7

Children's Musical Theater San Jose (CMT San Jose), a nationally acclaimed theater company honored 10 times by the NEA and the oldest operating performing arts organization in San Jose, now in its 48th year, presents the Tony Award-winning musical Rent, the final show in the 2015-2016 Mainstage series. Rent, directed by CMT Artistic Director Kevin Hauge-who is celebrating his 20th anniversary with the organization-runs July 29-August 7 at the historic Montgomery Theater (271 Market Street, downtown San Jose). Tickets for Rent, ranging in price from $18 - 24, go on sale June 14 at www.cmtsj.org or by calling 408-288-5437.

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a cultural phenomenon, with songs that rock and a story that resonates. With music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson and loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Boheme, this inspiring musical is the story of young artists and musicians living in New York's Lower East Side following their dreams yet struggling with addiction, poverty, AIDS and, most of all, love.

CMT's production of Rent will feature high school students ages 14 - 20. Thanks to a National Endowment for the Arts "Art Works" award of $10,000, the production will include a "Second Screen Experience" on August 5 and 6. During these select performances, audience members will be able to engage with the live performance through digital content, live back stage streaming, production videos, behind-the-scenes exclusives, and social media.

To produce and direct the Second Screen Experience, CMT is working with Producer/Creative director Dean Whitlow. Beginning with auditions and callbacks, Dean is working with Kevin Hauge, his artistic team, and the entire cast to capture video content that can be used throughout the entire show. Content is planned to be hosted on local app: UsherIn and will only be accessible to those in the theater during select Second Screen performances. During the rehearsal workshop, cast members will work with Dean to create content, photograph, build script, and edit production videos that will be incorporated into project. The goal of the Second Screen Experience is not only to bring the audience closer to the production process, but also to engage today's youth with ground breaking experience that allows them to bring their own creative expression to the production in today's digital age.

With the casting commitment of CMT, Mainstage shows feature two casts, which rotate during the run of the show. The combined casts of Rent features nearly 100 South Bay performers aged 14-20. For a complete list of the rotating cast, please go to http://www.cmtsj.org/content/rent and click on Cast List.

The performance schedule for CMT San Jose's production of Rent playing July 29-August 7 at The Montgomery Theatre (271 Market Street in San Jose) is:

Friday, July 29 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 30 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 31 at 1 and 6 p.m.
Thursday, August 4 at 7 p.m.
Friday, August 5 at 7 p.m. *
Saturday, August 6 at 2 and 7 p.m.*
Sunday, August 7 at 1 p.m.

* Second Screen performances where engagement with mobile device will be encouraged.
For tickets and more information, please visit www.cmtsj.org.

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