The 5th Avenue Theatre Hosts Spotlight Night on RENT Tonight, 6/20

The 5th Avenue Theatre takes Seattle behind-the-scenes of RENT at the latest installment of the 5th's free Spotlight Night series. Hosted by 5th Avenue Theatre Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, the event takes place at 7:00 PM tonight, June 20, and will introduce audiences to the passionate young cast of Seattle-based stars, and will feature thrilling musical performances, and conversation with the creative team behind this exciting new approach to the beloved rock-opera.

RENT is the musical that changed it all, defining a new generation of musical theater fans. Now the 5th brings Seattle its own new vision for the long-standing hit. Fresh from the sell-out hit First Date (a co-production between The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT – A Contemporary Theatre), RENT director Bill Berry will sit down with Spotlight Night Host David Armstrong to talk about the first time he saw the show as a young artist in New York in the '90s, and his innovative, new approach to the rock musical today.

This fresh direction for RENT comes with a local cast of up-and-coming stars in roles sure to redefine their careers on Seattle stages. At Spotlight Night, audiences will have the opportunity to meet cast members including Daniel Berryman, Aaron C. Finley, Naomi Morgan, and Ryah Nixon, and hear musical excerpts from their breakout roles in the show.

The 5th will give the Spotlight Night audience a captivating overview of the evolution of the rock musical, from Bye, Bye, Birdie to RENT, and take a look at how Broadway both resisted and embraced this new genre. Seattle's brightest up-and-coming musical theater stars will sing selections from a number of shows that have changed the art form over the last few decades, shows that have bridged the gap between the Golden Age of Broadway and the current era of rock and pop musicals.

Spotlight Night will also explore the history of Bohemianism, from Puccini's celebrated opera La bohème (the inspiration for this landmark musical), to the lifestyle that for more than 100 years has been associated with young artists, musicians, writers, and actors. Rock singers and Broadway belters will set the mood, illustrating how this universal story of impoverished artists has traveled from the 1890s Latin Quarter of Paris to the 1990s East Village of New York.

RENT Spotlight Night will take place at 7 PM, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at The 5th Avenue Theatre. To reserve tickets to this spectacular free event, or for additional information, please visit http://www.5thavenue.org/show/RENT-spotlight, call 206-625-1900, stop by the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle. Spotlight Night is made possible through the generous support of U.S. Bank.

RENT plays July 21-August 19 (press opening July 26) at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Avenue, Seattle). Tickets start at $29, and may be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900, or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle.

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