The producers of the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour, in conjunction with Broadway in Hawaii, announced today that they will host an open casting call for the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour on Sunday, March 3. The casting call will be held on stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall.

Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. Participants should enter through the backstage door of the concert hall. Anyone wishing to be seen must be registered by 12:00 p.m. Those auditioning should prepare a 16-32 bar cut of a song from the show or in a similar style and should have a second piece available if requested.

Audition music and specific tour information can be found here, and character descriptions follow.

Please come prepared to sing a short selection of a Pop/Rock song in the style of the show or from the show. No Musical Theatre. Please have sheet music, in the correct key, for the accompanist. Music in a binder or accordion taped is strongly preferred. No A CAPPELLA auditions will be accommodated. A recent headshot and resume, stapled together with contact information, is also required.

Please note – some finalists may be asked to travel to NYC for final callbacks later in the spring. Additional details will be provided by casting directors once finalists are selected.

AUDITION MASTER CLASS TO BE HELD IN ADVANCE ON MARCH 2

Casting directors for the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour will host an audition master class in advance of the casting call on Saturday, March 2, at 10:00 a.m. Twenty participants will be chosen to receive one-on-one feedback from the RENT casting directors. There will be a question and answer session, followed by real-world instruction on how to prepare for auditions including what casting directors look for. Students from various high schools, universities and other performing arts groups will be invited to attend as observers.

Participants interested in working directly with the show’s casting directors should email Kristin Jackson at kristin@jacksonink.net with their name, phone, photo and any performance experience.

Both the Casting Call and Master Class will be held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall located at:

Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall

777 Ward Avenue

Honolulu, HI 96814

Please note – attendees for both events will have to pay for parking in the Blaisdell parking lot.

Character Descriptions

[ROGER] Any ethnicity, male, 20s to early 30s. Rock & Roll grunge voice, like Eddie Vedder or Kurt Cobain. Leader of a rock band. He is able to project raw pain with charisma. Playing guitar a plus. Strong tenor.

[MARK] Caucasian, male, 20s to early 30s. Baritone/second tenor. Underfunded, underground filmmaker, he has turned his back on his affluent upbringing. Likable, if occasionally high-strung, he is almost the narrator of the show.

[COLLINS] African-American, male, mid 20s to mid 30s. Low baritone, bluesy, gravelly voice. Philosopher, teacher, anarchist, AIDS activist. Sing a HUGE emotional gospel style ballad.

[BENNY] African-American, Latin, Asian, male, 20s to early 30s. Baritone/second tenor, can handle pop ballads. A striver, up from the projects to the Ivy League, wants to be the next Quincy Jones. Slick and cocky, a smooth operator.

[ANGEL] African-American, Latin, Asian, male, late teens to early 30s. High tenor with falsetto. Actor must be willing to play drag. A fun guy with lots of style. Extremely warm, loveable and nurturing. Playing drums a plus. Interested in seeing transgender actors.

[MIMI] Latina, female, to play 19. Raw Rock & Roll voice with a high belt, Shakira with a touch of Ciara. Sexy and of the streets, with some dark secrets. Must convey innocence and vulnerability while being VERY savvy at the same time. Fragile drug addict.

[MAUREEN] Caucasian, female, 20s to early 30s. Huge, versatile rock & roll sound. Sexy, funny, attractive and wild; a tacky Jersey girl turned East Village performance artist.

[JOANNE] African-American, 20s to early 30s, great pop belt. Wry humor and sardonic wit, politically connected, a Harvard Graduate.

[ENSEMBLE & SWINGS] All ethnicities, all genders, 20s to 30s. Must be great pop/rock singers and actors to play various characters throughout the show, including homeless people on the Lower East Side and parents of Mark, Roger, Mimi, Joanne, etc. Must move well. Seeking quirky, offbeat, interesting people of all types. Most will cover principal roles.