KGMB9.com Extra: Watch full-length numbers from the show here.

The Tony award winning musical Rent opened on stage at Saint Louis School. An All-Star high school cast is behind a special school version of the New York story.

RENT
July 10 - 13, July 17 - 20
Thursday-Saturday 7:30 pm, Sunday 4:00 pm
Mamiya Theatre, St. Louis School
www.saintlouishawaii.org

“RENT” is a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical known for its contemporary look at the problems plaguing the youth of the 21st century. At its central core is a message of unconditional love, kindness, and compassion for one another in the human race. RENT’s Broadway run will be ending in September, but in July the Saint Louis Center for The Arts will be the first in Hawaii and one of the first in the country to present the special School Edition of the show recently released by Music Theatre International.

The production team is led by the director Kyle Kakuno with the musical direction of Roslyn Catracchia and set design by James Davenport. Kakuno is known for introducing Broadway musicals to the islands having staged “FOOTLOOSE” and “AIDA” for the first time in Hawaii in 2002 and 2005 respectively. His drama program at Saint Louis School was recently ranked one of the top ten programs in the country out of 1,100 that were adjudicated by the American High School Theatre Festival. Kakuno took the production of “AIDA” to Edinburgh, Scotland as part of AHSTF and the Fringe Festival. Catracchia is an accomplished composer best known for her work with the late-Lisa Matsumoto and Ohia Productions. This production is her first since the tragic loss of one of her best friends and working partner in December. Davenport returns to the islands as a guest artist from New Zealand where he teaches Scenic Design and Technical Theatre at the University of Victoria in Wellington. Choreography for the show will be done by Ramon Del Barrio who is coming off a national tour where he danced with Broadway legend Chita Rivera in her Broadway-hit show “Chita Rivera: The Dancers’ Life”. Del Barrios’ credits are impressive and include working with other performing legends such as Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey and theatre moguls Joseph Papp, Harold Prince, and Stephen Schwartz.

Part of the ticket sale proceeds will be donated to four organizations The Life Foundation; Gregory House Programs, Save the Food Basket and the Jonathan Larson Foundation. In addition, there will be a Q and A session with the audiences following Thursday night performances with representatives from these organizations.

The cast of “RENT” is an all-star high school ensemble with students from Saint Louis School, Punahou School, Kamehameha Schools, Sacred Hearts Academy, La Pietra Hawaii School For Girls, Kaimuki High School, McKinley High School, and Roosevelt High School.

SHOWTIMES: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are scheduled to begin on
July 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinee performances on July 6,
13, and 20 at 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Dr. Richard T. Mamiya Theatre, Saint Louis School, 3142 Waialae Avenue

TICKETS: Now on sale at 550-TIKS (8457) or online at www.honoluluboxoffice.com. Tickets are $27.00 Adults / $22.00 Students/Military/Seniors 60 and over. Special $15 tickets for
seats in the first two rows will be on sale at the Mamiya Theater Box Office. These special rate
tickets will be available on the day of the performance and sold on a first-come first-served basis.

Patrons may begin standing in line for tickets at 4:30 PM for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances and 1:00 PM for the Sunday matinee show. There will be a 4 ticket limit per patron.

Part of the ticket sale proceeds will be donated to The Life Foundation; Gregory House Programs, Save the Food Basket and the Jonathan Larson Foundation.

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