BROADWAY's NEXT BIG STAR: RENT Tour's Aaron Harrington

On the 20th Anniversary Tour of RENT, theatre fans alike gathered to experience the late Jonathan Larson's revolutionary score. Among the talent onstage, the breakthrough performance of one very special actor brought the whole house down. Aaron Harrington, who plays the role of Collins, is very new to the theater world. This is his first show, and it all happened after a surprising turn of events brought him to the stage.

Maeve: How did you get involved in this production of Rent?

Aaron: I initially moved up to New York for a PR and marketing job, and they gave the job away. So, my friend sent me the audition information to the open calls. I went in with no headshot, resume, or book or sheet music. Now I'm here doing the tour, which is awesome.

Maeve: How has the theatrical environment been for you thus far?

Aaron: It's new to me, and I'm really loving it. I want to do it more and more!

Maeve: Are there any other roles you would love to play one day?

Aaron: Hamilton is definitely on the radar. Lion King one day- I've even thought about doing Shrek. I want to play Shrek! I love his part. Children of Eden, Waitress... I just want to be around that music, it's so amazing.

Maeve: What has been your favorite experience on this tour?

Aaron: There's been two. The first was was with a girl in the lobby when I was trying to go incognito to see a friend of mine. The girl grabbed me, and said she's seen the show and shared her story with me about her having leukemia. It got really emotional, and she was just thanking us for doing this show. At that point, I realized this was so much more than just doing a show... These are people's lives. It may not be the same disease we talk about, but there's people going through different things and struggling with them. You never know how you're going to end up in this life. It's all in God's hands, who knows what happens to you. It was just such an honor, and I was so thankful she shared that with me.

My second favorite experience was performing in my hometown. My mom came, and all my siblings- I'm one of nine. They all came, and they loved the show. They're always trying to keep up with everything. It was one of the best feelings to perform where you were born and raised and knew NOTHING about musical theater. It was where I saw my first show, which happened to be Wicked. It was magical.

Maeve: What does this whole show and experience mean to you?

Aaron: This show literally reminds me to live life to the fullest potential, and to take every opportunity that I possibly can. Life is so short, and I've lost so many friends ranging ten years old to fifty years old. They lose their lives for different reasons, and sometimes it's so sudden and nobody knows why. You just have to live you life to the fullest potential. Life is way too short for me to be sitting at a desk job working nine to five when I know it doesn't make me happy. It's not even about the money- it's about what makes me happy, and what makes me feel like my purpose in life is fulfilled. This, it turns out, is what I think I was born to do.

Maeve: What would you like to say to everyone who has seen the show, and to future audience members?

Aaron: We pour ourselves out onstage to represent Jonathan Larson very well. This is a story that has been told for twenty one years about love and acceptance. We just want to promote that to everyone who comes here. As long as they get that message, we've done our job. We will continue to do this job, because we love it. We love the people, and when they come and share our stories with us. Come with an open heart and mind, and come say hello!

The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour was cast by Joy Dewing Casting. Jonathan Larson's RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love. The show received its world premiere off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on February 13, 1996 to ecstatic reviews and transferred to Broadway on April 29, 1996. RENT won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour is produced by Work Light Productions, whose other touring productions include Cinderella, MAMMA MIA!, Motown, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and Vocalosity.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RentOnTour or http://rentontour.net/

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