9 Works Theatrical to stage  ‘Rent’ in 2024

9 Works Theatrical has announced that it will restage the Broadway musical Rent in 2024.

Following the successful run of tick, tick… BOOM!, another production by Jonathan Larson will be mounted as the local theater company’s first production next year.

9 Works Theatrical previously staged Rent in 2010 and 2011 with Gian Magdangal as Roger, Sheree Bautista as Mimi, Fredison Lo as Mark, OJ Mariano as Tom, Job Bautista as Angel, Jenny Villegas as Joanne, Lorenz Martinez as Benjamin and Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Maureen.

As a teaser, tick, tick… BOOM! cast members Kayla Rivera, Reb Atadero, Khalil Ramos, Tanya Manalang-Atadero, Vien King and Jef Flores sang an excerpt of “Seasons of Love” during the show’s curtain call.

“You won’t have to wait 525,600 minutes to catch this musical,” 9 Works wrote on Instagram.

The theater company had earlier announced auditions for Rent would take place on 25 to 26 September at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in BGC, Taguig City. Applicants should bring their latest photo, curriculum vitae and should prepare a maximum of 16 Bars of two pop-rock songs in English of varying tempos. They are required to bring their own music sheet or minus one (in a thumb drive or phone). Broadway songs and songs from Rent are not allowed.

The registration period is until 11 September. All auditionees must register via tinyurl.com/9wtRENT2024AuditionForm. Applicants who will receive a text message with their assigned time slot must be in the venue at least one hour before their slot.

9 Works is looking for the roles for: 1. Roger (male, tenor, must know how to play the guitar); 2. Mark (male, tenor); 3. Mimi (female, mezzo-soprano, dancer); 4. Angel (male/ transgender, tenor, dancer); 5. Benny (male, baritone-tenor); 6. Tom (male, bass-baritone); 7. Maureen (female, mezzo-soprano); 8. Joanne (female, mezzo-soprano); and 9. ensemble (male/ female, can dance, various vocals).

Applicants must be 22 years old and up.

Rent, set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, follows a group of friends living in Manhattan’s East Village amid issues of poverty, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS epidemic, social tension and political unrest. It is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa’s opera La Bohème. It won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards the same year including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Featured Actor.

In 2005, director Chris Colombus helmed its movie adaptation with Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin and Idina Menzel in the cast.