West Valley Youth Theater’s production of “Rent” (school edition) debuted
yesterday at Leigh High School. The dramatic acting, captivating singing, and soaring rock score performed by a live band created a powerful performance of this iconic Broadway musical.
The audience couldn’t contain their praise, erupting in applause mid song or when a performer returned to the stage. Shows will continue through through Sunday, July 23.
A product of nearly three months of rehearsals, this show has already made quite the splash.
“Each cast member has been doing an amazing job connecting the choreography to the text and music, to tell the story of ‘Rent,'” said Choreographer Pauline Locsin-Kanter, speaking about the rehearsal process.
After plenty of sessions under the direction of Artistic Director Heather Stokes, Choreographer Pauline Locsin-Kanter, Vocal Director Truesten Tautolo, and Stage Manager Patrick Gammon, the cast was thrilled to begin practicing with a live band. In order to perfect their musicality and specify vocal cues, the band met with the performers for a “sitzprobe,” a seated rehearsal.
During the sitzprobe, performers took turns standing up during their parts, and learned to communicate with the band on setting the perfect tempo for each musical number.
“Working with the band is such a fun and unique experience because they can tailor the music to work for the specific actor,” said Keira Saban, who plays roles such as Alexi Darling and Elsie the Cow. “Unlike using musical tracks, having a band gives us more liberty to make the songs our own.”
Following the conclusion of WVYT’s “The Lightning Thief,” members of the “Rent” cast immediately sprung into action. They hand-painting wooden ramps, moved platforms, organized costume pieces, and more. Despite the difficulty of some of these tasks, the performers banded together, exercising consistent teamwork. Not only did performers help assemble the set, but some even banded together with employees and parent volunteers to assist in costuming, reviewing dances with peers, and creating props.
Aiden Curtis has been studying the lines for Benjamin Coffin III for weeks.
“It has been a great experience doing such a moving and powerful show especially while being surrounded by such amazing talent,” he said. “The amazing band, stunning set, and great actors all meld perfectly together to make a tremendous show.”
The “Rent” cast is made up entirely of local high school students, some of which have been avid performers at WVYT since they were in elementary school.
At press time, the dramatic actors were scurrying around making last-minute preparations for the big Friday night performance, which was just minutes away.
Tickets are still available at www.wvyt.org/tickets for the remaining shows this weekend on July 22, and 23 so be sure to support these local performers and attend a performance.
