Edgy 'Rent' kicks off at Opera House today
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Wednesday February 17 2010
IT MAY seem like 'five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes', since the young cast of Rent began rehearsals for their edgy new musical. But 'Seasons of Love' are about to be unleashed in the Wexford Opera House this week.
Bare Cheek Theatre Company in conjunction with County Wexford Youth Theatre will stage 'Rent' in the Opera House from today (Wednesday, February 17) to Saturday, February 20, before transferring to the Cork Opera House for a further run.
This cutting edge musical deals with hard hitting issues, and focuses on the lives of junkies, prostitutes, pole dancers and transvestites.
The show was officially launched last week by Ballymurn singer-songwriter, Wallis Bird, who is making a name for herself on the international stage.
Twenty-two local performers make up part of the cast of Rent, with the remaining singers from other parts of the country.
Vocally demanding the show will showcase some up and coming Wexford songsters, not least of them Marnie McCleane-Fay, daughter of director Tony McCleane-Fay, who plays one of the leading female roles.
Rent is a rock opera with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson and is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème.
It tells a story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of AIDS.
Tickets for the show are still available for Rent for all performances in the O'Reilly Theatre of Wexford Opera House. Tickets are ¤25/¤20. Booking is through www.wexfordoperahouse.ie or by telephone at 053 9122144.
