Seasons of Love; ALT presents RENT

Amarillo Little Theatre presents "RENT," Feb. 15-25 at the ALT Adventure Space located at 2751 Civic Circle.

The well known musical, written, composed and lyricized by Jonathan Larson, recipient of a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Musical, will take stage at ALT for the first time in the theater's history, already including several sold out showtimes.

"RENT," a re-imagining of Puccini's "La Bohème," follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. They fight for justice and visibility during the AIDS crisis, as well as revel in the beautiful bonds of friendship and chosen family. With its profound message of joy and hope in the face of uncertainty, this timeless musical reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters — love.

"I think this is such a relevant story today, even though there has been so much time since it originally premiered on Broadway. This being our first time doing it here in Amarillo is really special, and honestly a great honor to be a part of telling the very meaningful and relevant story behind 'RENT,'" Colton Harada, portraying Mark Cohen, said.

"With the production being held in the Adventure Space, I think it definitely makes people feel more of the impact of what 'RENT' is really about ... being so close in such an intimate setting really allows the audience to feel the emotions - the joy, the pain, the fear of these characters," Harada added.

ALT has assembled an amazing cast to bring this cultural phenomenon of a musical to life. With a mixture of talented ALT veterans and fantastic newcomers, the cast includes Harada, Brendan King as Roger Davis, Frank Salazar as Tom Collins, Ashton Colbert as Benjamin Coffin III, Kiara Tennille as Angel Schunard, Jay Hayes as Joanne Jefferson, Kallie Huckabay as Mimi Marquez and Brooklynn King as Maureen Johnson. The ensemble includes Ikaris Bard, Trey Becerra, Socorra Carrillo, Michele Colbert, Caitlyn Downs, Saturn Horton, Hunter Lee, Bobby McCauley, Kota McDaniel, Jesse Neel, Daniel Rice, Jordan Smith, Kaeclyn Tenorio, Daniel Thompson, Zachary Todd and Joseph Ward.

This rock musical is directed by Jason Crespin with Jennifer Akins serving as the music director and Christeen Bernet as the choreographer. Carla Fistoe is the assistant to the directors, with Gabe Scherman as a production assistant and Nicholas Schaffer as assistant music director.

Huckabay, portraying the guarded Mimi Marquez, spoke about her motivation to grant audiences the perfect performance and the writer of "RENT"'s story and how it has played a role in her acting.

"There is definitely some pressure to make everything perfect, because so many know and love the story. I want to do the show justice, not only for everyone in the audience, but also for Jonathan Larson who created the show and unfortunately passed away the night before the Broadway preview performance. He never got to see his work at its full potential and what it has come to mean for so many. I want his story to be told, and I want it to be told correctly," Huckabay said.

According to Crespin, all of the ALT presale shows had sold out for the production, leading to the theater adding an additional showtime on Friday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. to allow more community members to view the production.

On Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the ALT adventure space, the ALT Board of Directors invites the community to enjoy a silent disco night including '90s themed genres such as "90s legends," "Pop Centric" and "90s ALT." The event will include themed cocktails, "Lunchables" and more. Couples admission for the event is $96, commemorating ALT's 96th anniversary and the year "RENT" debuted on Broadway in 1996.

For each performance, ALT has worked in collaboration with the Panhandle AIDS Support Organization (PASO) hosting a table in the lobby sharing information and raising funds for AIDS awareness.

According to Crespin, ALT will also have a piece from the National AIDS Memorial Foundation, showcasing a 12-by-12 square of the AIDS Memorial Quilt hanging in the lobby of the Adventure Space, available for viewing from Feb. 15 though Feb. 25.

"I am so excited to not only have it see it for myself, but also to educate more people about what this was and what a big movement it was in the '90s, and so 'RENT' will be an all-around, really cool experience for both longtime fans of the production while also spreading awareness about this horrible disease," Crespin said.

ALT has also collaborated with the Amarillo Public Library (APL), allowing for library card holders to "Check Out" tickets to the production for free. Library tickets are limited; visit the APL downtown location for more information or ticket "Check Out."

Performance dates include:

Thursdays, Feb. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.,

Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 8 p.m.,

Friday, Feb. 23 at 11 p.m., and

Sundays, Feb. 18 and 25 at 2:30 p.m.The Feb. 24 performance will be exclusively packaged with a '90s "RENT" Party; call the ALT box office to reserve for this date.

In addition, ALT will host an Ovation Series Talk Back Event, sponsored by Kevin and Roxann Ball, immediately following the Sunday, Feb. 18 performance.

This production is rated R for strong language and mature subject matter. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to the performance for this production.

Tickets can be reserved by calling the box office at 806-355-9991, or by ordering online at amarillolittletheatre.org .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: ALT celebrates all seasons of Love with RENT