PREVIEW: Rent at the Lab Theatre in Minneapolis

Though the Broadway production of Rent closed on September 7, 2008 and the national tour based on the Broadway production gives its final performance this February, the show and its message live on.

Minneapolis theatergoers will be able to see as much for themselves through the first local, professional production of Rent, which opens on February 3 and runs through February 21 at the Lab Theatre (formerly the Guthrie Lab), located in The Warehouse District near Acme Comedy Club and the former site of Theatre de la Jeune Lune.

So just what makes this production of Rent unique and sets it apart from the touring show with which Twin Cities residents may be familiar? Director and producer Andrew Rasmussen, who also directed the local premiere of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party at the Fitzgerald Theater, emphasizes that this production will be a full and engaging experience. The Lab Theatre is currently being transformed so that audience members will be transported into the show's bohemian setting from the moment they walk into the lobby. Further, the theatre is configured so that the audience wraps around the stage, bringing viewers into the show in a more personal way. Rather than sitting below the stage, looking up at a two-dimensional picture, the shape of the stage will allow the actors to take an organic approach to using the performance space, and the audience may have slightly different experiences based on where they're sitting and how they're viewing the stage.

Another element that sets this performance apart are the performers themselves. Some of the cast has musical theatre experience-Jamecia Bennett (Joanne) has been seen at the Guthrie, Ordway, and Penumbra Theatre; Reid Hermsen (Mark) at The Children's Theatre Company; and Kinaundrae Lee (Angel) has been part of an Ivey Award winning show. Others have a very different background. Maria Isa (Mimi) played a sold-out hip-hop show at First Avenue this past summer. Harley Wood (Roger) is the lead vocalist in local rock band Far From Falling. Ensemble member Paris Bennett is an American Idol alumnus. Each cast member brings unique experience, talent, and style to the table, and Rasmussen denotes that this is a perfect fit for Rent, a show about a variety of artists coming together to form a community.

Rent is a show with inherent heart and soul, but this production promises to be a celebration of local arts and talent, passion for its message, and the vibrant and emotional experience that fans have come to know and love. It's a unique chance for Twin Cities theatergoers to support an independent production that has all the energy of its original predecessor with an added local flavor and fervor.

But to truly understand what makes this production special, follow the advice of Rasmussen, who, when asked if there was one thing he could tell the audience said, "Come see the show!"

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.rentminneapolislive.com/