“No Day But Today” to See MCC’s Spring 2023 Production of “RENT”

For the Spring 2023 musical, Middlesex Community College is proud to present the groundbreaking, Tony award-winning “RENT” by Jonathan Larson. The show will run from Thursday, April 20 through Sunday, April 23 at MCC’s Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center in Lowell.

“The Middlesex Community College Theatre department prides itself in offering productions that empower and challenge,” said Karen Oster, MCC’s Chair of Performing Arts. “For this production, we opened ‘RENT’ to the community so that anyone was welcome to audition. These connections allow our students to share their stories with others and be part of a larger community that sees the arts as a crucial addition to their lives.”

Set in the East Village of New York City, “RENT” is about falling in love, finding a voice and living for the moment, according to Oster. The musical won four Tony Awards in 1996, including for Best Musical, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A pop culture phenomenon, the songs and story have resonated with audiences for decades.

The cast includes a combination of talented performers from MCC’s theatre department and the wider community, including Vanessa Waugh, an MCC Liberal Arts and Sciences student from Tewksbury. Having been involved with theatre since the fifth grade, Waugh was looking for a college that offered performance opportunities. She was in MCC’s Fall 2022 production of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” and will play an ensemble member of “RENT.”

“Being a part of ‘RENT’ has been an unbelievable experience,” Waugh said. “I am so grateful to work with such a kind and talented group of people. ‘RENT’ tells such an important and touching story and I knew I wanted to help tell that story. ‘RENT’ is such an amazing show and I hope you all come to see it!”

Curtain times for MCC’s production are 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20; 7 p.m. on Friday, April 21; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 22; and 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 23. Tickets are $10 for MCC students and senior citizens, $15 for MCC employees, and $20 for general admission. The show is not recommended for children 12 and under.

To purchase tickets, visit: https://middlesex.universitytickets.com

MCC’s Academic Arts Center is located at 240 Central Street in Lowell. With parking not available on site, the nearest public parking facility is the Early Garage on 135 Middlesex St.

“RENT is irreverent and that makes it special,” said Sarah Alzate-Pérez, an MCC Performing Arts Theatre major who lives in Lowell. “It gives you the opportunity to explore millions of feelings in an engaging story full of energy and realism. ‘Forget regret or life is just to miss.’"