Pulitzer Prize Winning Musical 'Rent' At Lake Worth Playhouse

Lake Worth Playhouse Presents Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-Winning Musical Masterpiece

RENT

The Lake Worth Playhouse continues its reputation of offering vibrant summer musical selections with Jonathan Larson's RENT. This Pulitzer-prize winning Broadway musical based loosely on Puccini's opera, La Bohème, tells the story of eight friends living the disappearing Bohemian lifestyle in New York's East Village. The show runs July 9 through July 31 at The Playhouse, located at 713 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth.

RENT first took shape at the 150-seat New York Theatre Workshop in January 1996 with simple staging, minimal scenery and a concert-style presentation. Following a sold-out limited engage-ment Off Broadway, the show transferred to the Nederlander Theatre in April 1996 where it won an astounding number of awards.  

RENT follows one year in the lives of a close-knit group of penniless artists determined to continue reaching for their dreams even as they struggle to overcome the obstacles of poverty, AIDS and drug addiction while surviving the mean streets of Alphabet City in the mid-1990s. This uniquely American musical had a 12 year run on Broadway and was also a 2005 motion picture. The score features a mix of gritty rock ballads, bluesy soul music and pop melodies, including the driving anthem Seasons of Love, the poignant I'll Cover You, and the heart-wrenching One Song Glory.  

The show's memorable music and lyrics were penned by the late Jonathon Larson, who died unexpectedly at the age of 35 just days before the show started previews Off Broadway. Mr. Larson never had the opportunity to enjoy the many accolades his show garnered, including the 1996 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, The Obie Award, and the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. RENT has been called a "breakthrough" by Time Magazine, "an exhilarating landmark" by the New York Times and "a raw and riveting milestone in musical theater" by Rolling Stone. Today, RENT has become a global phenomenon, packing houses in the United States, England, Japan, Australia, Germany and other countries around the world.  

The Playhouse production of RENT is co-directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Jodie Dixon-Mears and Playhouse choreographer/dance teacher and community outreach performing arts teacher, Ricky Nahas, who also choreographs the show. Music direction is by Toni Stamos, who served as music director for last season's hit musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Oklahoma. The 22-member cast includes: Shane Blanford as Roger, Joey DeChello as Mark, Gregory Johnson as Tom, Deshon Allen as Benny, Samantha Brown as Joanne, Robert Martes as Angel, Ashlley Rodriguez as Mimi and Kaitrin Lynch as Maureen.  

· Preview Night is Thursday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m.

· Opening Night is Friday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m.

· Evening Performances are on July 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 at 8:00 p.m.

· Matinee Performances are on July 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 2:00 p.m.

· Dinner & Show Night is Thursday, July 8 at 6:00 p.m. and includes a pre-show dinner at Paradiso Italian Restaurant in downtown Lake Worth prior to the 8:00 p.m. performance. The all-inclusive dinner/show package price is $50 and includes a three-course meal plus premium seats for the preview performance.

Individual show tickets are $25 and $29 for opening night and all regular performances.
Preview Performance tickets are $22 and $25.
Opening Night VIP tickets are $36 and include a pre-show reception.
Dinner & Show tickets are $50 and include a pre-show three-course dinner.
Subscriptions for Season 2010-2011 are also available.
All tickets and subscriptions can be purchased through the Lake Worth Playhouse Box Office at 561-586-6410 or online at www.lakeworthplayhouse.org.

Lake Worth Playhouse is located at 713 Lake Avenue in Downtown Lake Worth. It is situated on the south side of Lake Avenue two blocks east of Dixie Highway. Free, well-lighted parking is available on Lake Avenue and surrounding side streets, with free parking lots located behind The Playhouse.

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