Kelsee Sweigard News

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway... and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson's Rent continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece has returned to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, Rent follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love.

Everything is Rent at the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, FL. Jonathan Larson's Rent takes place in New York City in the Late 80's to early 90's. The audience follows a group of characters as they discover how important it is to embrace each day they are given because they do not know when it will be their last. Through the entire production on January 14, I could hear fans of the production laugh, sniffle, and applaud as the beautiful story unfolded.

For those who have been paying attention for the last 20-ish years, RENT was/is a pretty big deal. The rock opera adaptation of Puccini's La Boheme follows a group of young creatives in New York City during the AIDS crisis and was so popular during its initial run that it racked up multiple awards, including 3 Tonys and a Pulitzer. With that in mind, I believe it to be a very daunting task to perform RENT because it's easy to go through the motions and sing the songs that people know and love without really having to think about it. That being said, there were many moments where they got it right and others that might've fallen a little flat.

Broadway Across Canada has finally brought the much anticipated 20th Anniversary Tour of Jonathan Larson's acclaimed rock opera, Rent, to Ottawa. Rent is loosely based on the classic Puccini opera, La Bohème but, instead of 1890s Paris, Larson's scene is set in the gritty back alleys of New York's Alphabet City at Christmastime in the early nineties. We meet the two main protagonists, who are down on their luck. Mark (Cody Jenkins) is an aspiring filmmaker and Roger (Coleman Cummings) is a former musician. They live in a slum apartment, burning items in a steel trash can for warmth. Mark's girlfriend, Maureen (Kelsee Sweigard), left him for a woman named Joanne (Samantha Mbolekwa). Roger's girlfriend, April, committed suicide after she discovered that both she and Roger had contracted AIDS. To make matters even worse, Mark and Roger are about to be evicted by their former friend and roommate, Benny (Jason Taylor Smith), who recently purchased the building with the intention of converting it into a high-tech cyber arts studio.

Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning masterpiece RENT will return to the National Theatre by popular demand with its 20th anniversary tour production. The musical will run Tuesday, November 12 through Sunday, November 17, 2019, and is the fourth production in the venue's recordbreaking 2019-2020 Broadway at the National season.

Zoom in on NAC Southam Hall as the 20th Anniversary Tour of RENT plays Oct. 22-27.

The hit Broadway musical: RENT opened up Broadway Across Canada's 2019-20 season with it's 20th Anniversary Tour at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on September 17th. Highlighting the story of struggling artists living in the East Village of New York City, we explore their struggles with life, love, and HIV/AIDS. RENT: The 20th Anniversary Tour plays at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver till Sunday September 22nd!

RENT tells the story of six New York artists struggling to survive at the end of the millennium. With a plot so complicated, it could be an opera (Puccini's La Bohéme), RENT is also a classic and one dear to many theatre-lovers' hearts. Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson, this 20th Anniversary tour is a story that speaks to audiences young and old.

Ring in Edmonton's fall theatre season with dynamic smash hit Rent! It runs at Edmonton's Northern Jubilee Auditorium until July 8.

Soulful and evocative, beloved musical Rent captivates Edmonton with its 20th anniversary touring production.

The RENT 20th Anniversary tour rolls on for a fourth year and another swing through Minneapolis. The show's themes and heart still ring true for fans and this production's Maureen, Kelsee Sweigard.

In 1996, Jonathan Larson's rock-opera RENT changed the landscape of American theatre. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT chronicles a tumultuous year in the life of seven artists, struggling to navigate between their dreams and the harsh struggles of real life. Though first performed two decades ago, RENT's messages of love, acceptance, and loss remain poignant today.

Zoom in on NAC Southam Hall as the 20th Anniversary Tour of RENT plays Oct. 22-27.

TROIKA Entertainment presents Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit- KINKY BOOTS-with two shows at the State Theatre on Saturday April 6th.

A huge-hearted, high-heeled hit, Kinky Boots is a joyous musical celebration about the friendships we discover and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, and with songs by Grammy and Tony winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and a book by Broadway legend and four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), Kinky Boots is the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography. (An extensive list of Kinky Boots's awards is at bottom of attached press release.) During its extensive run on Broadway, the New York Times called it 'the hottest musical on Broadway!'

KINKY BOOTS rolls through town, a Kaufman and Hart classic opens in Camden, and Town continues its run of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE!

A huge-hearted, high-heeled hit, Kinky Boots is a joyous musical celebration about the friendships we discover and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, and with songs by Grammy and Tony winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and a book by Broadway legend and four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), Kinky Boots is the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography. (An extensive list of Kinky Boots's awards is at bottom of attached press release.) During its extensive run on Broadway, the New York Times called it 'the hottest musical on Broadway!'

KINKY BOOTS will be touring North America beginning December 29, 2018 after returning from an overseas tour in China and Singapore.

KINKY BOOTS will be touring North America beginning December 29, 2018 after returning from an overseas tour in China and Singapore. The tour will launch in Paducah, KY and continue across North America making stops in over 80 cities including Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Winnipeg, MB; Atlantic City, NJ; Boston, MA; Tampa, FL; and New Orleans, LA. For a complete list of tour stops, visit KinkyBootsTheTour.com.