April 12 - May 5, 2013
RENT
Book and Music by Jonathan Larson
Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Rent follows a year in the life of a group of friends struggling to make it in the big city. They include Mark, a filmmaker and the narrator of the story; his former girlfriend, Maureen, a performance artist; Maureen's lover, Joanne, a public interest lawyer; Mark's roommate Roger, a musician; Mimi, an exotic dancer, with whom Roger falls in love; Tom Collins, a computer genius; Collins' lover, Angel, a street musician and drag queen; and Benny, a former member of the group who, after marrying into a wealthy family, has become their landlord. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical. Photos by Tim Poitevin and Ricardo Cook.
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
Alex Davis-Brazill (Mimi) graduated with her BFA in musical theater from CWU in 2011 and has since toured in Europe with Varna International in The Magic Flute, worked as a driver at Kilimanjaro Safaris in Walt Disney World and Time Warped her heart out in SSR’s Rocky Horror Show. She could not be more excited to be a part of the cast of Rent and to be given the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people. She thanks her family and friends for their endless patience, unconditional love and steadfast belief and reassurance that this day would come. Viva la vie boheme!!!
Meghan Derr (Ensemble) This is Meghan's second show at SSR, where she last played Myrtle Mae in Harvey. Most recently, she played Enid in Legally Blonde, and portrayed multiple characters in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at SMT. She has a BFA in performing arts from Cornish College of the Arts and continues to work locally, enjoying every minute! As always, thank you to the Two M's. !Te quiero!
Brian Kerrick (Ensemble) is a graduate of the UW School of Drama where you may have seen him in On the Razzle, Big Love, Two Orphans or his solo show, Thom Pain (Based on Nothing). He most recently appeared at The 5th Avenue Theatre in On the Town as a donut vendor. Thanks to SSR’s creative team for the opportunity. Love to Brianna for her support, and to family and friends in attendance – thanks for supporting the arts!
Sarah Russell (Joanne) is excited to be making her SecondStory debut in such a wonderful show! Past credits include RENT and Rosie the Riveter! (5th Ave), Big River (Village) and Pinocchio! (Storybook Theatre) She would like to thank Jeff, Troy, and Julia for the opportunity to play this amazing role and the cast and crew for good times and all the love!!
McKenna Turner (Ensemble) is extremely excited to be making her SSR debut in Rent. She has a particular passion for this musical and encouraging social movements and discussion through art. Favorite roles in the past include Diana in A Chorus Line (SMT) and Rosy in Cabaret (The Schoolyard). Special thanks to Midnight Ryder!
Tori Spero (Maureen) is extremely thankful and excited to be part of this amazing cast and creative team. Recently seen in Winter Wonderettes at ArtsWest and Cabaret at SSR, Tori is thrilled to be back. She would like to thank her amazing parents and fiancé for their love and support. 143!!!
Amanda Louise Carpp (Ensemble) is ecstatic to be back at SSR in the ensemble of RENT! Previous shows at SSR in include Lulu/Dance Captain in Cabaret and a Phantom in The Rocky Horror Show! Other favorite roles include the title role in the musical Peter Pan (CTE), Missy Lee in the Winter Wonderettes (ArtsWest) and Little Sally in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (ASP). BFA Musical Theater Performance from Central Washington University! Thanks to my family and Chris for everything!
Brett Brennan (Ensemble) is delighted to return to SecondStory after playing Victor in Cabaret earlier this season! Last seen as Arpad Novack in Parfumerie (Endangered Species Project), Brett also spent the past two months understudying all five of the Altar Boyz (Seattle Musical Theatre). Other credits include: Victor in Cabaret (The Schoolyard), Julian Falck in the 75th Anniversary of the WPA Federal Theater Project’s It Can’t Happen Here (Global Works), and Simple in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Seattle Shakespeare Company). Brett graduated with a BFA in Theater from Cornish College of the Arts in May 2011.
Alyssa Maas (Ensemble) is absolutely thrilled to be a part of SSR’s production of RENT! Past roles have included Lucy (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown), Martha (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Rose (Secret Garden), Soupy Sue (Urinetown), and Meg (Little Women). Alyssa is also a CWU BFA Musical Theater alumni, and while attending CWU she participated in the Varna International Summer 2011 tour in Bulgaria and Italy (The Magic Flute, Verdi’s Requiem, A Night on Broadway). Alyssa would like to thank her mother and all her friends and family for their support, Jeff, Troy, Julia, and everyone at SSR for this AMAZING experience! Love to you all! <3 www.wix.com/alyssahopemaas/alyssahopemaas
Andrew Murray (Mark) is extremely humbled to return to the SSR stage alongside the amazing cast and crew of this production. Previous roles include: Sparky (Forever Plaid), Alexander (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day), as well as a feature in Joseph and the....Dreamcoat. He holds a BA in Drama and Anthropology from the University of Washington, and spends his days teaching Theater at a Preschool for the arts on Upper Queen Anne. Extra love to all my family who made it out to see this show!
Ian Kelly (Roger) After spending 2 years performing on Celebrity Cruise Lines, Ian is thrilled to work on this groundbreaking musical with such an incredible cast and crew. While on cruise-ships Ian has been lucky enough to travel all over the world, while soloing on some incredible music. Including songs like; Bring Him Home (Les Miserables), December '63 (Jersey Boys), and Tonight (West Side Story). Most notably Ian has been Barbershop Quarteting where he won a bronze medal at the International Championships in 2011. Along with SSR, Ian would like to thank his incredibly supportive family. Love you Mom and Dad!
Michael Plantz (Ensemble) is a recent transplant from Ohio, by way of Pittsburgh, PA, where he earned a BFA in Acting from Point Park University. He was led to the Pacific Northwest to reunite with sister Christine and his three beautiful nieces, and by the University of Washington, where he will earn a clinical doctorate in Audiology (on a completely unrelated note). Michael is thrilled to join the cast of RENT and hopes this will be the beginning of a long relationship with SecondStory Rep! Honest Living.
Joshua Downs (Collins) is a Seattle native who recently graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Theater and Music. He is thrilled to be making his 3rd appearance at SSR after having played Joey in Zombie Prom and Christmas Present/Marley/Mr. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol. Other favorite credits include Final Fantasy: The Improvised Adventures (Unexpected Productions), Horace Vandergelder (Hello, Dolly!), Beadle Bamford (Sweeney Todd), Lord Capulet (Romeo & Juliet), Frosh (Die Fledermaus), and Sorin (The Seagull). Upcoming roles: Shrek (Summer Repertory Theater, Santa Rosa). Joshua would like to thank his friends and family for their support and free housing as well as Jeff, Troy, Julia, Mark and Jen for allowing him to play a role he's been dying to play since he was 16. "Give in to love or live in fear".
CJ Conrad (Ensemble) is excited to be a part of this production of RENT. This is CJ’s second show here at SSR. CJ is a trained dancer and has been performing in the Puget sound area for the last couple of years now. Other notable performances include Mark in Altar Boyz (SMT), A Christmas Carol (SSR), Big River (Village Theatre), Nick Beckett in What The Butler Saw (Centerstage!), and many featured dance roles including Hello Dolly!, The Who’s Tommy, and Pinnochio. CJ would like to thank the cast and crew for all of their hard work to make this production something special, and his friends and family for their endless support. Love.
Eric Hagreen (Benny) is excited to return to SecondStory Rep in this thrilling production. Eric is a proud graduate of Ithaca College and is currently touring with 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre Company. Past credits include Jonny Warner "Zombie Prom", Max "Cabaret" (SSR); Robert "Proof", The Old Man "Fool for Love" (Ithaca College); Moritz Steifel "Spring Awakening", Tom Collins "Rent" (Cornell University). Thanks to Troy, Kiki, L-Dawg, Kelsey, and the Hagreen Clan for all the love and support.
Bo Mellinger (Angel) is ecstatic to be in a pair of heels once again! After graduating from AMDA New York in 2008, he toured nationally with the Boston Chamber Theatre and made his way to Seattle after his second tour. He has been featured at SMT (The Altar Boyz, The Drowsy Chaperone), Balagan Theatre (Spring Awakening), SecondStory Rep (Joseph...Dreamcoat, The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret), Showtunes Theatre (Real to Reel), and premiered three new musicals (Puss 'N Boots, Pick-Up Artist: The Musical, The King's Proposal). Recently, he assisted Troy Wageman with the direction and choreography for The Winter Wonderettes at ArtsWest. Look for him onstage this summer in Sound Theatre's The Wild Party and Balagan's Les Miserables! Much love to Justin and Kaitlin for keeping my head on right!
Laurie Roberts (Costume Designer) has been designing at SSR since 2009 and RENT marks her 20th show for the theater. Her credits include Godspell and Sweeney Todd for the Summer Teen Program, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White for the Theater for Young Audiences and Putnam County Spelling Bee and The 39 Steps for the mainstage. SSR is a community of artists full of heart and passion for their craft and she is so happy to be a part of the team once again. Thanks to Mark and Jen and the cast and crew of RENT for the experience. No Day But Today...
Katerina Gawlak (Stage Manager) is just over the moon to be working on RENT!, her 8th production with SSR! Her past favorite productions with SSR include The Rocky Horror Show and most recently their production of Cabaret. Big thanks go to Mark & Jen for continuing to let me squolf around and Troy & Jeff for somehow trusting me with their show-baby. Even bigger thanks go to my sister-wives Alyssa and Sam for their constant enthusiasm, support and generous sharing of booze. The rest of the thanks go to little baby Seamus for all the little things. Word
Matt Hohensee (Guitar) is a music director, pianist, and guitarist, and has performed at the 5th Avenue and the Village Theatre since moving to Seattle from California. His credits prior to that include the San Francisco companies of Wicked and The 25th... Spelling Bee, American Idiot at Berkeley Rep, and many shows at TheatreWorks and American Musical Theater of San Jose.
Leigh Olson (2nd Keyboard) has been working on the stage and in the pit for too many years to say. Favorite roles include Minnie from “Hello, Dolly!”, Lois/Bianca from “Kiss Me, Kate!”, and Daisy Mae from “Lil Abner”. Favorite shows that Leigh has music directed are “Return to the Forbidden Planet” at Driftwood, “Godspell” at the NW Savoyards and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Everett Historical Theater. Being a part of “Rent” has been on Leigh’s bucket list for years and she’s grateful to be working at Second Story Rep with this amazing cast and production. “No day but today!”
Mark Chenovick (Set Design/Technical Director) has been designing, building, and painting sets since the mid-eighties. Having the fortune to begin his theatrical career under the tutelage of Don McLaughlin in his hometown of Helena Montana, Mark continued his training at the University of Washington where he was accepted into the Graduate Design Seminar his sophomore year. With subsequent degrees in Art History and Drama, Mark went on to serve as technical director/designer for multiple organizations including: Virginia Musical Theatre, Fort Peck Summer Theatre, the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Little Theater of the Rockies, and the Norfolk Governor’s School for the Arts. As Technical Director/Production Manager of the national tour of Anything Goes (starring Gloria Loring) Mark travelled around the United States and Canada realizing that there is no place quite as wonderful as the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, and following a brief stint as a carpenter at The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C., he moved back to Seattle. Locally he has worked behind the scenes for the Village Theatre, Seattle Musical Theatre, Redwood Theatre, and, of course, SecondStory Repertory.
Mark Chenovick (Sound Design) I began my sound design journey splicing reel-to-reel tape together in the basement of the original Penthouse Theater on the University of Washington campus but it was my brief time in the MFA program at Utah State University, where I learned the joys of digital sound design, and subsequently, became hooked on sound design for life. Having provided composed and curated underscoring and soundscaping, original and sourced sound effects, and performance amplification services for multiple theaters across the US, I have felt the most at home at SSR. Special thanks to Squolfie, ‘lil Squolf, and my extended family. You are the music of my life. #bandistoohot #sorrynotsorry
Mark Chenovick (Projection Design) has designed projections for over 100 shows in the last ten years. Prior to that he worked with CJS design, a website design and hosting company, developing custom websites for clients ranging from Draper Valley Farms to Seattle Film Group. He also co-created and ran the now defunct SeattleActor.com, a website focused on Seattle area theater, featuring audition listings, helpful articles, and show reviews. In addition to projections, Mark also designs all of the marketing materials you see at SSR including; posters, show graphics, and website. All my love to Jen. Enjoy the show!