La Mirada Theatre & McCoy Rigby Entertainment Present RENT, Beginning Tonight

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (2014 Ovation Award Nominee for Best Season!), announce the second show of their 2015-2016 season, RENT, book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Larson, musical direction by John Glaudini, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins). RENT will preview tonight, October 23, 2015 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 24) and run through Sunday, November 15, 2015 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

An all-new production of the inspiring musical about friends and artists struggling with addiction, poverty, AIDS and most of all, love. Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. This is theatre at its best -- exuberant, passionate, and joyous. Contains mature content.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

RICHARD ISRAEL (Director) directed last year's OnStage production of Floyd Collins (LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards for Direction and Outstanding Musical in a Large Venue). Recent directing credits include 110 In The Shadeat The Actor's Co-op (LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Outstanding Musical in an Intimate Venue), The Secret Garden in Concert for The Rubicon Theatre, the original Jeff Marx/Fat Mike musical Home Street Home, Bronies! The Musical, Spring Awakening, and The Baker's Wife. Other directing credits include Kiss Me Kate for Cabrillo Music Theatre, Glorious! for ICT, Meet Me In St. Louis for MTW, and the multiple-Ovation nominated Having It All for the Laguna Playhouse. Intimate theatre credits include The Burnt Part Boys, The Full Monty, Falsettos, Gypsy, Assassins, Big-The Musical and the west coast premiere of Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins. For the Musical Theatre Guild he has directed Road Show, High Fidelity and Violet, among others. He is the recipient of the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Career Achievement Award for Directing and is a proud member of SDC

DANA SOLIMANDO (Choreographer) Choreography credits include Ragtime - 3D Theatricals, La Cage Aux Folles - California Musical Theatre, Parade - 3DT, Billy Elliot The Musical, Les Miserables - McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Miss Saigon - McCoy Rigby and The Macau International Music Festival, Little Miss Scrooge with John and Sam Caird and Paul Gordon - Rubicon Theatre Co (World premier), Spring Awakening - La Mirada OnStage, The Wizard of Oz - California Musical Theatre, Grease - Paramount Theatre, All Shook Up - 3DT, Little Shop Of Horrors - MRE, Hairspray - 3DT, South Street - Pasadena Playhouse, Jesus Christ Superstar - Really Useful (Broadway Nat'l Tour) starring Sebastian Bach and the late Carl Anderson, Swing! - multiple productions, Crystal Cruises- Route 66and Maestro. Broadway performance credits: Swing! (Country/West Coast Feature), Peter Pan (Tiger Lily), Cats(Rumpleteazer). www.danasolimando.com.

JOHN GLAUDINI (Musical Director/Conductor) For La Mirada Theatre/McCoy-Rigby-Billy Elliot, Les Miserables(Ovation nom), Cats, Spring Awakening (Ovation nom), Miss Saigon, and most recently Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby in Vancouver. For Musical Theatre West-- Sweeney Todd (Ovation award), Altar Boyz (LA Drama Critics Circle nom),Andrews Brothers (Ovation Award nom), I Love A Piano, Spamalot and Singin' In The Rain. John is a musical consultant for the Disneyland Resort and is currently the musical director for Disney's Aladdin, which will be closing in January after a 13 year run. As arranger/orchestrator: Fantasy Faire (Disneyland), Minnie's Fly Girls (California Adventure); Heaven Help Us (Florida Stage; Denver Center), The Prince and The Pauper (Lamb's Theatre), I Love A Piano (Denver Center, Florida Stage), Pete 'n' Keely (John Houseman).

The Cast for RENT features: Mark Whitten as Mark, Devin Archer as Roger, Cassie Simone as Mimi, Lawrence Cummings as Angel, John Devereaux as Collins, Emily Goglia as Maureen, Amber Mercomes as Joanne and Cooper Howell as Benny. The Ensemble will feature (in alphabetical order): Chassey Bennett , Daniel Dawson, Chanel Edwards-Frederick, Aaron Gordon, Craig Michael Lucas, Luke Monday, John Pinto, Jr. and Alyssa Simmons.

The Design Team for RENT is as follows: Set Design by Stephen Gifford; Lighting Design by Steven Young; Sound Design by Josh Bessom; Costume Design by Thomas G. Marquez; Hair/Make-Up/Wig Design by Katie McCoy; and Props Design by Terry Hanrahan. Casting is by Julia Flores, and the Production Stage Manager is Donna Parsons.

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

RENT will preview on Friday, October 23, 2015 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 24) and run through Sunday, November 15, 2015.

Performances will be 7:30pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays; 8pm on Fridays; 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays; and 2pm on Sundays. There will be no matinee performance on Saturday, October 24. Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Wednesday, October 28 and Wednesday, November 11.

Tickets range from $20 - $70 and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre's website, www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Student, Senior and group discounts are available.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is free.

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