Review: Palm Canyon Theatres RENT is Due…. And They Paid It Honey!!

What a stellar performance PCT put on with their stunning direction by Luke Rainey and Rent’s incredible cast. The lighting (J.W. Layne) was stunning and lifted the shows emotion and took us swiftly from scene to scene. The choreography (Se Layne) brought laughs and the beautiful visual of community that “Rent” requires. 

I have SEVERAL “oh WOW” moments in my mind so please enjoy while I immersive myself in all of them as I write this review.  

The cast as a whole was spectacular and the chemistry they all shared was inspiring to say the least! Patrick Wallace was an INCREDIBLE Mark Cohen. His stage presence and star quality is undeniable. He helped carry the show and set the bar that each cast member met. Christine Michele completely embodied what it meant to be Maureen Johnson as she went “Over The Moon” in her Palm Canyon Theatre debut. Her co-star April Majia played a multi-layered power house Joanne Jefferson. Truly an all star cast!

One of the most impressive occurrences I’ve come across in the theater world was that in only 72 hours, Jovi Olivas stepped UP to play the role of Mimi Marquez. It’s extremely challenging to learn a role in such a short amount of time but Jovi did a phenomenal job embodying the role, even with the script in her hand opening night! A piece of paper was barely noticeable as it was taken over by the beautiful lighting design (Nick Edward) and set construction (Neil Kapple, Jackson Enzler, Joyanne Tracy). Truly stunning all around! 

Palm Canyon had really outdone themselves with this stellar production. I am so happy to see such talent and dedication here in my hometown. I could not be prouder of my community! PCT’s Rent is an experience every Coachella Valley local should mark in their calendars to come see! Catch their closing weekend November 9th-12th! For tickets visit www.palmcanyontheatre.net