"RENT!" is hot ticket for Shelterbelt Theater
Emily Johnson
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Entertainment
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Based off Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Bohéme," the Tony Award and Pulitzer prize-winning musical, features a group of young, self-proclaimed Bohemian artists and musicians that struggle to make a living in the face of poverty, illness and social revolution in New York City's Lower East Side.
Director Todd Brooks said he has high hopes for the show, which opens Nov. 19 and runs Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 13.
"There were over 70 people who tried out and I'm working with some of the best people we have in Omaha," Brooks said. "The reason that we are putting on 'RENT!' is that I'm with a theater called SNAP! Productions, whose mission is to promote art and entertainment [and] to celebrate tolerance and diversity, and of course 'RENT!' kind of hits that mission right on the nose as far as embracing a community despite our differences."
Though the Shelterbelt Theater is a smaller venue than the Broadway show is accustomed to, Brooks said he feels that the more intimate setting opens the door for new opportunities.
"'RENT!' is more of a performance piece, which means that you don't have to have huge sets and you don't have to have huge things coming in and out and fly spaces and enormous set changes and things like that," Brooks said. "Ours is a real modular set where we have three different tables and chairs and that's basically all that's out on the stage besides a few other pieces We kind of manipulate the environment to simulate certain areas of New York City."
UNO Graduate student Tim Vallier and senior Mallory Vallier have roles in the show. The couple is actively involved in Omaha theater and has been fans of "RENT!" for years.
"'RENT!' is an amazing show that I've been following for some time," said Tim, who's getting his master's degree in vocal performance and music composition. "I think one of my favorite moments was the very first rehearsal. We all got up and the first thing we did in the first rehearsal was we learned the song 'Seasons of Love,' which is a very iconic song for the show and I just remember thinking, 'This is unreal.' One of my favorite shows that I've always sort of idolized and never thought I'd get to be a part of was happening."
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