VNR: UH students gear up for RENT premiere this Friday 

RENT cast members

Rehearsal at Kennedy Theatre

Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/8GR

***VOSOT script below for consideration***

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Theatre & Dance and Kennedy Theatre is proud to present Jonathan Larson’s extraordinary rock musical RENT, live on stage from February 28 to March 9.

Directed by Joshua “Baba” Tavares, this heartfelt musical, inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT reimagines the classic opera’s themes of love and sacrifice through the lens of struggling young artists in the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Since RENT’s broadway debut in 1996, RENT has touched the lives of millions around the globe, becoming a cultural phenomenon with its timeless themes of love, resilience, hope, community and identity. It earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical. Its iconic songs, including “Seasons of Love,” continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, cementing the show’s legacy as a transformative work of musical theatre.

Tavares, a recent MFA graduate from UH Mānoa and the newest assistant professor of acting in the Department of Theatre and Dance, brings a deep personal connection to the show, having played the role of Angel in the 20th Anniversary National Tour of RENT (2019–20).

“It’s about love, relationships, healing, passion, and figuring out who we are—things that never stop being relevant or important,” said Tavares. “It’s uplifting, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It’s also a great show for students to learn and grow from.”

Ticket information

Tickets are available online, with prices ranging from $5 to $25. Pre-show chats will be held at 6:45 p.m. before the Saturday performances on March 1 and 8, offering insights from the directors and designers.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance website. For ticketing inquiries, email ktbox@hawaii.edu or call 808-956-7655.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/8GR

B-ROLL: (1 minute, 27 seconds)

0:00-0:27 - Cast singing Seasons of Love 

0:27-0:45 - Students rehearsing 

0:45-0:57 - Director Joshua Baba Tavares 

0:57-1:03 - Still of Tavares performing in National RENT tour 

1:03-1:27 - More rehearsal shots  

SOUNDBITES:

Joshua “Baba” Tavares/Director, UH Mānoa production RENT 

(9 seconds) 

“A lot of our cast members are kānaka maoli, are local, have grown up here and so they have this opportunity to shine in this way, so I feel really blessed.”

(10 seconds)

“Dance—we have an incredible choreographer, so body, movement, physicality, breath all those things. It’s kind of like when you do a musical you get all those trainings in one.”

Casey Lauti/UH actor plays “Angel” in RENT

(9 seconds) 

“This show represents life today. Just enjoying it, living it as if it’s last. Living everyday like there’s no tomorrow. And just having a good time.”

Pronunciation guide:

Casey Lauti (LAU-tee)

VO SCRIPT

INTRO
UH Mānoa students are getting ready to bring a Broadway classic to life. For the first time in eight years, a traditional musical is returning to Kennedy Theatre’s mainstage. 

(NATS: Students singing – fade under VO)

VO
Theatre students are gearing up to perform RENT which opens this Friday. The iconic rock musical about love, loss and survival in New York’s Lower East Side during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The production is led by Joshua Baba Tavares, a Broadway veteran who performed in RENT’s 20th Anniversary National Tour.

SOT (Joshua Baba Tavares / Director)
“A lot of our cast members are kanaka maoli, are local, have grown up here, and so they have this opportunity to shine in this way. So I feel really blessed.”

VO
Tavares, a Hawaiʻi Island native, is the newest faculty member of UH Mānoa’s award-winning theatre department. Rehearsals started in December, and for theatre major Casey Lauti, the show carries a powerful message.

SOT (Super: Casey Lauti/Student Actor)
“This show represents life today. Just enjoying it, living it as if it’s your last. Living every day like there’s no tomorrow. And just having a good time.”

VO
RENT debuts on Friday and runs through March 9 at Kennedy Theatre. Tickets are still available. For more information, visit the theatre’s website.