Manlius Pebble Hill students present spring musical ‘Rent, School Edition’

Manlius Pebble Hill School students will present their spring 2014 musical “Rent, School Edition” this weekend at the school. They will repeat the performances the March 28 and 29.

The musical is described as “exuberant, passionate and joyous,” according to the licensing agency Music Theatre International. It portrays “a year in the lives of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive in New York’s Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves, and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.”

The show is loosely based on Puccini’s opera, “La Boheme,” The book and the musical were written by Jonathan Larsen. There are 27 students students in the cast and seven crew members.

Michele Koziara, chair, MPH Performing Arts Department, is director; music director is Annmarie Gregory and technical director is Alex Koziara.

While this show is the “School Edition” adaptation of the original Broadway rock musical softens the delivery of adult content and themes, it may not be appropriate for younger children.

If you go

What: “Rent School Edition”
When: March 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 23 at 2 p.m.
Where: Coville Theater, Manlius Pebble Hill School, 5300 Jamesville Road, DeWitt, NY 13214
Tickets: $12. Tickets are available online through TicketLeap.com

Crew members: Leigh Preston, Will Maresco, Ryley Amond, Meghan Arnold, Hamish Gibbs, Shay Resncik-Gertz and Joel Kaigler

Lead characters:
Mark Cohen – Tristan Spearing
Roger Davis – Rupert Krueger
Tom Collins – Ishaaq Miller
Benjamin Coffin III – Alexander Downey
Joann Jefferson – Grace Allyn
Angel Schunard – Tevin Johnson
Mimi Marquez – Alexandra Purdy
Maureen Johnson – Shannon Quinn

Ensemble:
Jenae Butler
Joan Fang
Matthew Hinshaw
Gabriela Holliman-Lopez
Anna Izquierdo
Nicholas Jerge
Elena Karpoff
Luella Karpoff
Lydia Kelly
Lexi Layhew
Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala
Jaya Mohan
Seamus Mulhern
Mitchie Qiao
Hanna Seraji
Gabrielle SextonDwyer
Hank Sheehan
Arthur Sicilia
Sofia Verheyen

Orchestra:
Jacob Hamlin (bass) and Griffin Walsh (guitar)

Faculty members: Michael Copps (piano) and Ryan Strader (drums)