HATHAWAY BROWN THEATRE INSTITUTE KICKS OFF SUMMER SEASON WITH THE
PULITZER AND TONY AWARD-WINNING ROCK MUSICAL RENT
Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute (HBTI) will present the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical that defined a decade, RENT: THE SCHOOL EDITION, July 3-12 at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Set in New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Written by Jonathan Larson, RENT was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple Tony and Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical. RENT is a pop culture phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates for audiences of all ages. Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, RENT follows a year in the life of a group of young artists struggling to survive and create in the shadow of HIV/AIDS during the 1990s. How these bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts provides a compelling narrative for a groundbreaking musical that reverberates louder than ever two decades after its debut.
Performances for RENT: THE SCHOOL EDITION will be Friday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 5 at 2 p.m., Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m., Friday July 10 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m. Performances are in The Ahuja Auditorium at Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122. Tickets are $11-15 and may be purchased online at www.hb.edu/HBTI_tickets, by calling 216.932.4214 ext. 7270 or at the door (if available) the day of the performance.
Directed by veteran director and HBTI co-founder Fred Sternfeld, RENT: THE SCHOOL EDITION will also feature musical direction by Mario Clopton, choreography by Bebe Weinberg Katz, set design by Ron Newell, properties by Lydia Chanenka, costumes by Jackie Guerra, lights by Scott Chapman, and sound design by Carlton Guc.
The musical boasts a cast of talented young HBTI students, including Adam Hass-Hill as Roger, Matt Gittins as Mark, Leah Saltzer as Maureen, Isabel Billinghurst as Joanne, Rachel Hoy as Mimi, Grant Michael Guyton as Tom Collins, Michael Swain-Smith as Benjamin Coffin III, Cycle Ezekiel Black as Angel Dumon Schunard, and Hannah Kulawiak as Alexi Darling. Also in the cast are Seth Bryte, Sweta Datta, Halle Dray, Danielle Duke, Jenna Freireich, Natalie Fischer, Ashley Foster, Sydney Keller, Sophie Longo, Ona Martini, Jessica Miller, Jack Philbin, Hannah Schmidt, Mary Sikorovsky, Carson Strnisa, Karson Taylor, Ryan Vincent, Morgan Faith Williams, and Ally Yellets.
Now in its third year, The Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute was created by the Performing Arts Department of Hathaway Brown School for students in first grade through college. HBTI offers three sessions (June 15-July 2, July 6-24, and July 27-August 7) with coursework in drama, dance, and music. HBTI provides high-level training from working artists to young people interested in the performing arts, as well as professional-level production experiences. Students of HBTI's staff of professional artists have gone on to perform on Broadway, in regional theatre, and in film and television.
In addition to RENT, HBTI will present the musicals Little Women from July 17-26, directed by India Burton, and Oklahoma!, directed and choreographed by Bebe Weinberg Katz from July 31-August 9.
This year, HBTI is also pleased to offer a Summer Subscription Package. When you select this option, you'll receive one General Admission ticket to three separate shows. The $39 cost for this package is a $6 savings from the regular rate. Visit HBTI's online box office at www.hb.edu/HBTI_tickets for more information and purchasing.
Visit www.hb.edu/summer for complete description of dates, courses and registration as well as a listing of HB's many other summer offerings. Questions may be directed to Kathleen Osborne, HB's director of marketing and communication, at kosborne@hb.edu or 216.320.8785.
