RENT Opens at Shadowbox Live, 3/6

This weekend Shadowbox Live will open the final musical to be performed on their Easton Town Center stage: Rent.

The proverbial curtain will rise at 7 PM, Sunday, March 6th, but Executive Producer and Director Stev Guyer warns, "Don't come expecting the exact same show you may have seen before."

"Rent has a reputation for being a ‘hand-me-down' show, in part because of its rabid fan base," continues Guyer. "Directors don't want to alienate those fans. As a result, choreography, staging, and even costumes have been passed down from the original Broadway production. But the Shadowbox Live fan base has a different expectation."

Shadowbox Live recognized this early on when they took on their first book musical in 2006,The Who's Tommy. "The most common comment I got," says Guyer, "was ‘Oh, now this show makes sense and I get it!'"

Over the past five years Shadowbox Live has put its unique personality into all of its musical productions, challenging conventions and often uncovering aspects of the shows that were previously underplayed by Broadway, touring, and other professional productions.

Guyer asserts, "One thing we will not do is a knock off of any other Rent production."

Guyer's first step was to turn a critical eye on the score, concentrating much of the music on the guitars instead of the keyboards, giving the show a more distinct rock ‘n' roll flavor. Guyer then dissected the script, stripping away the casts' preconceived notions of who the characters are, what motivates them, and what inspires them.

"It was an amazing journey to go," commentEd Brandon Anderson, who will be playing the role of Roger. "The discovery of who Roger is and, more importantly why he is who he is really influenced the entire production. And it was like that for all of us."

Guyer left no stone unturned, bumping up the presence of the homeless characters, making use of Shadowbox Live's video screen, and taking advantage of the stage structure itself to bring the show into the audience.

"We've really worked hard to bring out the reality in this piece," he continues, "telling the tale of human mortality. It's a universal and timeless theme, and probably the most interesting facet of this show. Each character is dealing with the knowledge of either their own or their friend's imminent death in a completely unique way. The way these relationships develop with that knowledge overshadowing everything is what has the potential to truly touch the audience."

"That's the story that will stick with you," he says. "That's the story we want to tell."

Rent opens on Sunday, March 6th at 7:00 PM, and runs every Sunday at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM through April 17th, 2011. Tickets are $30 / $20 for students, seniors, and active military. For reservations contact the Shadowbox Box Office at 614-416-ROCK (7625) or go online to www.shadowboxlive.org.

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