Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Rent' comes to Texas State

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
October 1, 2014

The Texas State University cast of Rent

The cast of "Rent" (left to right): Gino Chaviano, Shelby Acosta, Glenn DeVar, Julia Estrada, Ryne Nardeccia.

The Texas State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical Rent Oct. 7-12.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7-12, with an additional 2 p.m. matinee Oct 12. All performances will be in the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre at the Performing Arts Center on campus.

One of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, Rent is a rock musical based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohéme. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create art in New York City’s Lower East Side in the thriving days of the Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"Rent is one of those shows that, if encountered along one’s life journey, changes you," said Kaitlin Hopkins, director of the university production and head of Texas State’s Musical Theatre Program. "The subject matter is challenging and controversial."

Music and lyrics are by Jonathan Larson, with choreography by Cassie Abate and music direction by Greg Bolin.

Individual tickets start at $15 for adults and $8 for students, and may be purchased by phone at (512) 245-6500 or online at txstatepresents.com. The Oct. 11 performance features a 5:30 p.m. pre-show dinner in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center. Tickets for this event are $150 with a limited number of seats available.

Special Event Parking is available in the Edward Gary Street Garage, located on the corner of University Drive and Edward Gary Street, for a flat fee of $5 per event. The garage attendant will only be accepting cash.

For more information, contact Sara Mitschke at (512) 245-3572 or via email at s_m421@txstate.edu.