{"id":28436,"date":"2019-03-05T08:16:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T13:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=28436"},"modified":"2019-03-05T08:16:24","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T13:16:24","slug":"on-stage-broadway-hits-area-with-rent-and-rotten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=28436","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Broadway hits area with ‘Rent’ and ‘Rotten’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, <\/span><\/strong>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rent<\/p><\/div>\n

This week, the national tours of two Tony Award-winning musicals will visit the area \u2013 \u201cRent\u201d in Philadelphia and \u201cSomething Rotten\u201d in Wilmington.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRent\u201d, which had record-breaking sales when it played Philadelphia on numerous previous occasions, has established itself as one of America\u2019s all-time best Broadway shows. Based on Puccini\u2019s opera \u201cLa Boheme\u201d, it swept all the major theater awards, including the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the National Tour of \u201cRent\u201d is coming back to Philly as part of the Kimmel Center\u2019s Broadway Philadelphia series. The hit musical will run from March 5-10 at the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

The show\u2019s playwright Jonathan Larsen passed away the night before the Off-Broadway premiere of \u201cRent\u201d in January 1996. Most likely, if he were still alive today, he would be astounded by the show\u2019s success \u2013 more than 20 productions worldwide, including Broadway and London\u2019s West End, and numerous awards such as Pulitzer Prize for Drama, three Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score) and four Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics).<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the characters in the play are dropouts from the real world \u2013 artists, musicians, writers and their friends who are trying to survive on the outer fringes of society.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ironically, Lyndie Moe, who plays the key role of struggling performance artist Maureen Johnson, is also a dropout \u2013 a college dropout. Moe is a Delaware resident who dropped out of Rider University after just one year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Kansas until I was in fourth grade,\u201d said Moe, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen, my family moved to Delaware \u2013 to the Pike Creek area. I graduated from Delaware\u2019s Cab Calloway School of the Arts and then went to Rider University as a BFA major.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI left Rider because I got this role in the National Tour of \u2018Rent.\u2019 I auditioned in spring 2017, got the role and then left Rider after my freshman year. I found out in June 2017 and we started the tour three months later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI figured it was a good move to leave school \u2013 if I\u2019m already working, why not keep it going. I can always go back to school later. And, Delaware is still my home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering that Moe wasn\u2019t even born when \u201cRent\u2019 first arrived on Broadway, it is not a show she grew up with.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I actually watched the movie was after my second audition callback,\u201d said Moe. \u201cIt came out a long time ago, I watched it when I was a little kid, but I really didn\u2019t understand it that much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I watched the movie during the audition period, I got familiar with the show. I really got into \u2018Rent.\u2019 I watched it and read it. I knew about Maureen. I knew that it was my dream role.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Maureen is Mark\u2019s ex-girlfriend and Joanne\u2019s current girlfriend. She is very flirtatious and cheated on Mark. Larson considered Maureen a lesbian, despite her previous relationships with men, and he specifically identified her as \u201clesbian\u201d in the script itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maureen is an outrageous, bisexual performance artist. It is assumed that she left Mark for Joanne, though this is never explicitly stated. Through it all, Maureen is always upfront \u2013 is always the Maureen her friends know and care about.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love how genuine she is \u2013 genuine and generous,\u201d said Moe. \u201cAnd, she\u2019s unapologetically herself. She is a big advocate for equal rights, and she speaks her mind. She\u2019s weirdo \u2013 and she\u2019s very smart. I can learn a lot from her. I love Maureen so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRent\u201d has a cast of \u201coutcasts\u201d \u2013 Mark, a struggling documentary filmmaker; Roger, a rock singer\/guitarist ex-junkie who is HIV-positive;<\/span><\/p>\n

Mimi, a Hispanic-American S&M club dancer and heroin addict; Joanne, a gay Ivy League-educated public interest lawyer; Tom, a professor and anarchist with AIDS; Angel, a drag queen street percussionist with AIDS; and Benny, a former friend\/roommate of the group who turned into a \u201cyuppie scum\u201d landlord.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show looks at all their lives and how they interact with each other and with society.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Rent\u2019 is all about accepting people for who they are,\u201d said Moe. \u201cThe characters struggle with AIDS, relationships and drugs. They all come from different paths of life, but they get along and care about each other. People can relate to this \u2013 about changing life or reaching out. It\u2019s a beautiful thing that Jonathan could make a show like this.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful that we get to share \u2018Rent.\u2019 There are so many different types and we don\u2019t dwell on the differences. It\u2019s great for people to be able to see this melting pot. It\u2019s important to get the message across. The show has remained so popular all these years because of the message. It\u2019s timeless.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cRent\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/HWY0oCzKYOs<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show will run at the Merriam Theater now through March 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ticket availability for the March performances\u00a0are currently limited. \u201cRent\u201d returns October 18-20, 2019. Tickets are on sale now.<\/span><\/p>\n

A limited number of seats in the first two rows of the orchestra will be available for $25 (cash only) for each performance of \u201cRent. The $25 (cash only) tickets are available for in-person purchases at the Merriam\u00a0Theater Box Office, located at 250 S. Broad St., on the day of each performance only, beginning two hours prior to the show. The ($25) tickets are limited to two tickets per person, while supplies last.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note:\u00a0Lottery opens\u00a0two hours prior to each performance; Lottery entries will be accepted for approximately a half-hour; 10 winners will be selected an hour and a half prior to each performance; Winners can buy up to two tickets for $25 cash only; One entry per person, per performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cSomething Rotten!,\u201d which is running from March 7-10 at The Playhouse on Rodney Square (10th\u00a0and Market streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577<\/a>,\u00a0www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) as part of the 2018-19 Broadway in Wilmington season, is an original musical comedy<\/a> with a book by John O\u2019Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world, as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary — William Shakespeare.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bottom brothers are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as \u201cThe Bard.\u201d When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, the brothers set out to write the world\u2019s very first musical. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething Rotten!\u201d is a hysterical, joyous celebration of everything theater fans love about Broadway.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Second National Tour\u2019s talented cast features Matthew Janisse as Nick Bottom, Richard Spitaletta as Nigel Bottom, Mark Saunders as Brother Jeremiah, Matthew Baker as Shakespeare, Greg Kalafatas as Nostradamus and Jennifer Elizabeth Smith as Portia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe tour started rehearsal in late May,\u201d said Saunders, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Amarillo, Texas. \u201cWe teched late September in Columbus, Georgia and then opened in Detroit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty familiar with \u2018Something Rotten!\u2019 before I auditioned. I had seen the show in New York. I was in New York for a show trip and wanted to see \u2018The Crucible.\u2019 But, tickets for that show were too expensive so we bought tickets for \u2018Something Rotten!\u2019 I saw the show and fell in love with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Saunders has been performing since he was a child. He trained in the BFA Musical Theater program at Lindenwood University prior to moving to New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also saw the show when it played at the Fox Theater in St. Louis before I moved to New York,\u201d said Saunders. \u201cI was impressed by the musical references throughout the show. It\u2019s so cleverly written. Nothing is dumbed down. It\u2019s just hysterical \u2013 a smart fun show.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe show works on two levels. You don\u2019t have to know anythingh about Shakespeare or Broadway to get the humor. It\u2019s just a funny show. You can go and have a good time. Everyone who has see the show loves it. It\u2019s really universal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For fans of Broadway — and theater in general \u2013 the show works on two levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also a part of the audience who really get all the theater references,\u201d said Saunders, whose favorite credits include Nicely-Nicely Johnson in \u201cGuys and Dolls,\u201d Ronette in \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors,\u201d Miss Andrew in \u201cMary Poppins\u201d and Davey in \u201cThe Lieutenant of Inishmore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey get excited about the first number (“Welcome to the Renaissance”). They either get it or they don\u2019t. If they do, we know it right away. We have a special heart for theater people who come to the show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brother Jeremiah is a leader of The Puritans and is determined to keep the world of theater out of his town.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Jeremiah is on a mission and he\u2019ll stop at nothing,\u201d said Saunders. \u201cHe\u2019s so funny \u2013 and he\u2019s also kind of delusional. He\u2019s so intent on stopping this production.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have so much fun playing the role of Brother Jeremiah. I\u2019m a bubbly kind of person and Brother Jeremiah is the antithesis of that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll the characters in the show are great, and the music is wonderful. It\u2019s a two-and-a-half hour show but it moves really fast. There are a lot of funny scenes and the show just flies by.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cSomething Rotten\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/66_EN1EZKyY<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show will be presented at the Playhouse on Rodney Square on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.; March 8 at 2 and 8 p.m.; March 9 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and March 10 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40-$100.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times This week, the national tours of two Tony Award-winning musicals will visit the area \u2013 \u201cRent\u201d in Philadelphia and \u201cSomething Rotten\u201d in Wilmington. \u201cRent\u201d, which had record-breaking sales when it played Philadelphia on numerous previous occasions, has established itself as one of America\u2019s all-time best Broadway shows. Based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7441],"tags":[6269,5153,11326,11327,11328],"class_list":["post-28436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-kimmel-center","tag-rent","tag-something-rotten","tag-the-playhouse-at-rodney-square"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28436"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28437,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28436\/revisions\/28437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}