CMT Mainstage Present
Rent
July 26 – Aug 4 • Featuring local performers ages 14-20*
*High School Rule Applies
Auditions: May 20
Rent
Set in the East Village of New York City, 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 Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s 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; 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.
Kevin R. Hauge
Bio
In his 29th season as Artistic Director at CMT, Kevin has led the nation’s premier theater company for youth in taking on increasingly challenging and professional-quality productions. His innovative approach to productions includes incorporating modern techniques and technology, culminating in recognition of artistic excellence from the National Endowment for the Arts in the form of ten grants. Kevin was an Honorable Mention for the 2016 Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education, an honor given to only twenty educators throughout the entire nation. A recipient of the prestigious Lin Wright Special Recognition Award by the American Alliance for Theater and Education, he’s been the guest speaker at the International Association of Theater Educators Conference in Washington D.C., and the Education and Technology conference in New York City. Kevin has collaborated on productions in a variety of venues all over the world. He’s staged ice shows, magic shows, musical revues, industrial shows, corporate parties, television specials and book musicals for a variety of companies, including Tropworld (Atlantic City), Harrah’s (Reno), Six Flags Parks (nationwide), and Royal Viking Cruise Lines (worldwide). Some of the unique productions Kevin has worked on include You’re in the Movies (MGM Grand) in Las Vegas, World of Wonders (Everland) in Seoul, South Korea, and a special Easter Celebration (The White House) in Washington D.C. Kevin has appeared several times as a guest artist with the San Jose Symphony, and has served on the Exhibits Committee at the Tech Museum of Innovation.
Sarah Bylsma
Bio
is a Bay Area native who grew up singing and dancing. She received a BA in theater with a minor in dance from Millikin University in Decatur, IL. She has been teaching dance to all ages at various studios and organizations for the past 20 plus years. At CMT, over the past two seasons, she choreographed, co-choreographed and/or assisted with Kinky Boots, The Little Mermaid, SpongeBob the Musical, Mary Poppins, Head Over Heels and The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and performed in White Christmas, Kinky Boots, Mary Poppins, Something Rotten, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and School of Rock. When she is not performing or teaching, her full time job is a senior account executive at Heffernan Walton Insurance Services and the mother to a lovable kitty named Winnie.
Chris Filice
Bio
Chris Filice is a teacher, conductor, and singer from the San Francisco Bay Area. Chris received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Arts in Teaching at Westminster Choir College. As a member of the Westminster Williamson Voices, Chris sang on the GRAMMY-nominated recording of James Whitbourn’s Annelies. After graduating from Westminster, Chris returned to the Bay Area to work as the Director of Choirs at Livermore High School, where he taught for eight years. Chris recently moved back to the South Bay where he grew up, and currently serves as the Director of Choirs at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale. Chris is currently the Assistant Conductor of the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco, and is excited to be taking on the role of Interim Artistic Director for the 2024-2025 season. In addition to IOCSF, Chris currently sings in The Same Stream, a professional choral ensemble under the direction of James Jordan.