Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents
RENT in Concert
Photo courtesy Steven Sandick.
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Musical Arrangements by Steve Skinner
Original Concept/Additional Lyrics by Billy Aronson
Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements by Tim Weil
Dramaturg, Lynn Thomson
Orchestrations by Sean O’Loughlin
RENT was originally produced in New York by New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon and New York Theatre Workshop.
RENT in Concert was created and produced by AMP Worldwide.
This production of RENT in Concert is licensed by Music Theatre International.
This performance lasts approximately two hours and 10 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.
Sara Brians, Director
Heidi Joosten, Conductor
Symphonic accompaniment by Contemporaneous
Program subject to change.
STARRING
Kris Carrasco singing the songs of Angel
Ruchir Khazanchi singing the songs of Benny
Candice Woods singing the songs of Joanne
Tommy Kaiser singing the songs of Mark
Alex Lugo singing the songs of Maureen
Jasiana Caraballo singing the songs of Mimi
Ben Cherington singing the songs of Roger
Terrance Lamont singing the songs of Tom Collins
ENSEMBLE
Chachi Delgado
Joseph DePietro
Rodney McKinner
Nisa Mercado
Leonay Reina
CONTEMPORANEOUS MEMBERS
Ben Goldstein, violin I
Tiani Butts, violin I
Daniel Constant, violin I
Miguel Calleja, violin II
Justus Ross, violin II
Dudley Raine IV, viola I
Hannah Selin, viola II
Helen Newby, cello I
Jordan Bartow, cello II
Pat Swoboda, electric bass
Eileen Mack, clarinet
Grant Abelson, horn
Hugh Ash, trumpet
Daniel Linden, trombone
Milena Gligic, keyboard
Violetta Norrie, harp
Adam Holmes, drums
Neil Beckmann, guitar
Tim Hommowun, flute/oboe
RENT in Concert
An ensemble of stellar vocalists and instrumentalists come together to share the iconic music of RENT like never before. This symphonic take on Jonathan Larson’s beloved musical encompasses the full score of the show, including favorites such as “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème” and “Take Me or Leave Me.”
Set in the East Village of New York, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Based loosely on Puccini's La bohème, RENT follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art while her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
Photo courtesy Steven Sandick.
About the artists
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Sara Brians
Director
Artist Bio
Sara Brians
Sara Brians
Sara Brians is an award-winning director and choreographer who loves developing new musicals in addition to directing and choreographing revivals. Sara’s Broadway credits include Matilda, Billy Elliot, White Christmas, The Hills of California, 42nd Street, The Terms of My Surrender and After the Night and the Music. Regional directing credits include Waitress, Rock of Ages, Godspell, Cabaret and Matilda, and choreography credits include White Christmas, Anything Goes, Mary Poppins, Sunset Boulevard, Guys and Dolls, Shrek, Jesus Christ Superstar and Spring Awakening, among others. She has directed and choreographed numerous industrials, concerts and entertainment events worldwide, including additional choreography for Born To Dance with Princess Cruise Line. She has performed, directed and choreographed for prestigious institutions including The Radio City Rockettes, The Kennedy Center, New York City Center Encores!, Goodspeed Opera House, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre and Theatre Aspen. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Hunter College and is an Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma’s Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre. Visit SaraBrians.com.
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Jasiana Caraballo
Mimi
Artist Bio
Jasiana Caraballo
Jasiana Caraballo
Chicago native Jasiana Caraballo is thrilled to go back Out Tonight! Her recent credits include Pump Up the Volume (The Hudson Theatres), Cindy & the Disco Ball (Garry Marshall Theatre), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (La Mirada) and Dogman: The Musical (National Tour.) Caraballo is thankful for every role that allows her to explore a character’s heart and journey, and is continually inspired by the communities each show creates. She extends her heartfelt thanks to her team at Aperture Talent and Rothman Andres Entertainment for their dedication, and sends endless love to her family and all her loved ones, whose support grounds and uplifts her every day. Welcome to the show! Let’s measure this night in love!
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Kris Carrasco
Angel
Artist Bio
Kris Carrasco
Kris Carrasco
Kris Carrasco is a Latino sensation (and American menace). This marks their national tour debut! Off-Broadway: House of Telescopes (Cartographer). Regional: Chasing Rainbows (world premiere), Tuck Everlasting (Jesse Tuck, under the direction of Broadway’s Joe Barros), as well as many new musical workshops and readings in New York. You can also hear Carrasco on the studio cast recording of SUEÑOS: Our American Musical (currently being developed for Broadway audiences). To everyone with a dream: NEVER give up. Thank you DGRW, Penn State University, the radical power of queer friendship and every mentor past and present. This performance is dedicated to his brothers Nathan, Joseph and Alex, and to the Black and Brown queer and trans community. @KrisDCarrasco.
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Ben Cherington
Roger
Artist Bio
Ben Cherington
Ben Cherington
Ben Cherington is honored to be performing alongside this company. Previous national tours include Parade and Les Misérables. Other favorite credits include Sweet Smell of Success (MasterVoices, Jazz at Lincoln Center), A Christmas Carol, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Pittsburgh CLO), Jesus Christ Superstar (ACT of Connecticut) and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Clinton Showboat Theatre). Endless gratitude for all the places and people Ben calls home. BFA Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.
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Chachi Delgado
Ensemble
Artist Bio
Chachi Delgado
Chachi Delgado
Chachi Delgado is super excited to return to RENT in Concert! An Afro-Latino originally from the Bay Area, Delgardo appeared in the recent 20th Anniversary Benefit Concert of In the Heights, directed by KO; multiple productions of Mystic Pizza, including at Paper Mill Playhouse and Riverside Theater; and regional productions of My Fair Lady, Choir Boy, Evita, Fun Home, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, Follies and Hello, Dolly! Television and film work includes Loop (Disney+), Freaky Tales (Lionsgate) and commercials for McDonald's and Toyota. Delgado was also a choreographer and dancer for the video game NBA 2K25. “Big shout out to Korsa Musical Theater, dear friends, big family and Whole Artist Management. Dropout 20.”
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Joseph DePietro
Ensemble
Artist Bio
Joseph DePietro
Joseph DePietro
Joseph DePietro is an actor, singer, director and teaching artist based in NYC. Broadway/Tour: The Phantom of the Opera. TV: Law and Order. Select Regional and Concert Work: The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical at The Kennedy Center, Altar Boyz, Hair, Jersey Boys, Ragtime, 1776. DePietro is passionate about his work with Co_Lab Theater Group, who use theater to provide an artistic and social outlet to folks with developmental disabilities. Favorite role to date: uncle to the best nephews and niece imaginable. For more, visit JosephDePietro.com or IG @josephdepietro. No day but today.
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Heidi Joosten
Music Director, Conductor
Artist Bio
Heidi Joosten
Heidi Joosten
Heidi Joosten is a Jeff Award–winning music director, composer, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist and educator. Since 2014, she has contributed to 125+ new theatrical, comedic and concert productions across the globe. Her international live-to-picture credits include The Witcher in Concert (music director/conductor); Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert – first national & 20th anniversary tours (associate conductor); Naruto: The Symphonic Experience (associate conductor, orchestrator, score supervisor); Labyrinth in Concert (orchestrator); Barbie: Live in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl and Royal Albert Hall (associate conductor, score supervisor); Tokyo Ghoul: 10th Anniversary Concert (score supervisor) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (associate conductor). Chicago highlights include Children of Eden (Broadway in Chicago), Assassins (Theo Ubique, 2024 Jeff Award for Music Direction), American Psycho and Alice by Heart (Kokandy Productions, both Jeff-nominated), Beauty and the Beast (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Don’t Quit Your Daydream (The Second City), Grease (Drury Lane Theater) and Hunchback of Notre Dame in Concert with the Elgin Symphony. Joosten is an active classical and educational composer, and her award-winning work has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. She holds composition degrees from UW–Eau Claire and CCPA, and is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. IG: @heidijoosten; HeidiJoosten.com.
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Tommy Kaiser
Mark
Artist Bio
Tommy Kaiser
Tommy Kaiser
Tommy Kaiser (he/him) is over the moon to be touring with RENT in Concert following his performance in the production with the San Diego Symphony. He is also an alum of the 25th Anniversary National Tour of RENT (Swing, u/s Mark, u/s Roger). Other recent credits: Frozen (Hans), Jersey Boys (Swing, u/s Frankie Valli), featured artist on In Pieces: A New Musical (Highlights). Endless gratitude to Ally Taylor Artists & Zuri Agency, the RENT in Concert team and to his friends and family for their boundless support. @tommykaiser_.
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Ruchir Khazanchi
Benny
Artist Bio
Ruchir Khazanchi
Ruchir Khazanchi
Ruchir Khazanchi is an actor, writer and musician originally from Omaha, Nebraska. As a musician and songwriter, he is currently working on his debut EP, titled True American. His writing projects have been semifinalists for the National Musical Theatre Conference and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Conference. He is represented by Lohne/Graham Management. Theatre: Dolly: A True Original Musical (The Fisher Center for Performing Arts); Once (Syracuse Stage); Legally Blonde (Paramount Aurora); Mister Dickens' Hat (Northlight Theatre); Fiddler on the Roof (The Lyric Opera of Chicago); The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (TheatreSquared); Guards at the Taj (Chester Theatre Company); The Apple Tree (Porchlight Music Theatre); Heaven Is a Place in the Sky (The Tank); Something in the Game (American Music Theatre Project); Kiss (Haven Chicago); Māyā (Symphony Space). Film: The Becomers (Dark Star Pictures); Thumb (Weed Road Pictures/Bluestone Entertainment). Northwestern theater alum. Thank you to my friends, family and teachers. Instagram: @ruchir.khazanchi RuchirKhazanchi.com.
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Terrance Lamont
Tom Collins
Artist Bio
Terrance Lamont
Terrance Lamont
Terrance Lamont is overjoyed to be reprising his dream role with RENT in Concert! His performance credits include: RENT (Collins), the Muny, the Kennedy Center and Paper Mill Playhouse; BHANGIN’ IT (Jake), La Jolla Playhouse; and Dreamgirls (C.C. White), national/international tour. He sends much love to his friends and family for their unending support! Socials @TerranceLmnt.
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Alex Lugo
Maureen
Artist Bio
Alex Lugo
Alex Lugo
Alex Lugo (they/them) is a Black, queer and nonbinary artist from Miami. Seen on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Hadestown, as Toby on HBOMAX’s And Just Like That and on The Late Late Late Show with James Corden. For my family, Adreanna, Ben and TNB2S+ pioneers. With endless gratitude to the DGRW Team. @alexmarialugo AlexMLugo.com.
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Nisa Mercado
Ensemble
Artist Bio
Nisa Mercado
Nisa Mercado
Nisa Mercado is thrilled to be back with AMP Worldwide for RENT in Concert. Her favorite credits include The Wiz at Virginia Repertory Theatre and A Chorus Line at Virginia Theatre Festival. She attended Shenandoah Conservatory for her BFA in Musical Theatre. She wants to thank her wife, mom, grandparents and friends for their endless love and support.
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Rodney McKinner
Ensemble
Artist Bio
Rodney McKinner
Rodney McKinner
Rodney McKinner is from Memphis, Tennessee. His passion for singing and performing began when he was a child, and his love for the stage has only grown deeper over time. After receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Oklahoma in 2023, McKinner completed two contracts as a lead vocalist with Royal Caribbean International. During this time, he had the opportunity to sing and travel all over the world, visiting over 25 countries. He would like to thank his friends, family, teachers and wonderful agents at Henderson Hogan for their constant support. IG: @rodney.mckinner.
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Leonay Reina
Ensemble
Artist Bio
Leonay Reina
Leonay Reina
Leonay Reina is thrilled to be a part of RENT in Concert on tour! Off-Broadway: Little Miss Sunshine (Second Stage Theatre). Regional: Evita (American Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theater Company), Because of Winn-Dixie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Delaware Theater Company). Film/TV: Good Funk (directed by Adam Kritzer), Nicki (Freeform, unreleased). Other Credits: 9 to 5 (Doralee Rhodes), She Loves Me (Ilona), Pippin (leading player). Pace BFA Musical Theater. @leonayreina.
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Candice Marie Woods
Joanne
Artist Bio
Candice Marie Woods
Candice Marie Woods
Candice Marie Woods (they/she) is thrilled to join the company of RENT in Concert, lending their voice as Joanne. Broadway and national tour credits include 1776 Revival (Joseph Hewes/u.s. John Adams), Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations (Diana Ross), The Book of Mormon (Ensemble/u.s. Nabulungi), Nice Work if You Can Get It (Flo/Ensemble), Catch Me if You Can (Ensemble), Hairspray (Dynamite) and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (swing), Legally Blonde (US tour) (Pilar), Dirty Dancing (ensemble/female lead vocalist). Some international performances include Deena Jones in Dreamgirls (Korea Tour) Let's Broadway Camerata, (Brazil) - featured soloist. Recent regional credits include Becky in Waitress (Pioneer Theatre Company), Millie Davis in Trouble in Mind (Dallas Theatre Center) and Brenda in Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse). On-screen, Woods has been seen on Law & Order (Rachelle Jones) and as a soloist at the Kennedy Center Honors honoring Berry Gordy. They send love to their family and friends for their continued support, with special Titi kisses for Jolie, Ava and Sean.
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Contemporaneous
Artist Bio
Contemporaneous
Contemporaneous
Contemporaneous is an ensemble whose mission is to bring to life the most transformative music of today's world through performances, commissions, recordings and educational programs. Described as "exact and detailed, but also lively and openly dancing" (The New York Times) and "leading new music towards its better self" (I Care if You Listen), Contemporaneous is based in New York and active throughout the United States. Contemporaneous has premiered over 200 new works, and has been presented by such institutions as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, PROTOTYPE Festival, Merkin Concert Hall, MATA Festival, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Bang on a Can, and has worked with such artists as David Byrne, Donnacha Dennehy, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Dawn Upshaw and Julia Wolfe. Contemporaneous' programming has also received acclaim from community members, artists and press of all kinds, with the ensemble’s recent performance of Stranger Love being listed as one of 2023’s “best classical music performances” by The New York Times.
Contemporaneous champions "dream projects" of musical creators across the world and leads participatory programs for public school students in the communities where the ensemble performs. These workshops are designed to instill a passion for new music and to convey the power of careful listening and meaningful expression through music. The ensemble has held residencies at such institutions as Colgate University, Hamilton College, City University of New York, the University of New Orleans, Williams College and Bard College, where the group was founded in 2010. Contemporaneous is a federally tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, supported by a dedicated community of listeners.
Tour staff
Aaron Quintana, Tour Manager
Grace Griffin, Production Stage Manager
Mario Alonso, Audio Engineer
Sebastian Villota, Audio Engineer
James Ecton, Merchandise Manager
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Sammi Cannold, Consultant
Sean O’Loughlin, Orchestrations
Dylan Mattingly, Contemporaneous
Adam Deremer, MTI
Peter Dunn, Casting Consultant
Scott McRae, Janen Music
Diane Burrell
Road Rebel
LuxBus
Sunny Trails
TriState Coaches
One Heart Collective, Merchandise
Solotech AV Technologies
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