A Reflection on My Time in RENT

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to say goodbye to another amazing Black Tie production. This year's culprit?

RENT

Let me tell you, it's been an amazing ride. From selecting the show in the summer to having a cast in October, to really getting into the rehearsal process after Christmas break, and finally putting on the show, I couldn't have been happier. The cast was dedicated and all loved the show as much as the exec did, which means a lot and shows on stage.

Our set was designed by our VP Finance, Tom, and it was a blast to perform on. Scaffolding climbing, jumping, and hanging was a highlight of probably everyone's experiences, especially when we were first allowed up. 

The cast, too, were amazing. Our leads (Mark, Roger, Mimi, Angel, Colins, Maureen, Joanne, and Benny) worked so well together, forging relationships that carried outside of the show as well.  The supporting cast was just as close. We probably bonded over our multiple quick changes and crazy choreography. (Contact, anyone?)

The band was phenomenal. With Jennie as our musical director, she got herself a band of 3 other members, two of which had already performed in a Black Tie show in the pit (Chris on guitar and Evan on drums), and one newcomer (my own Dallas, playing bass). They were so, SO tight and the music was AMAZING. It still amazes me how they whipped the music together so quickly. Just goes to show how professional they all are. Sorry about the cramped playing space, though! (They were under the scaffolding)

And of course, what's a show without costumes and lights, am I right? Tommy and Justin had, as far as I can tell, a blast with the lights. They even rented some AMAZING LED lights that turned every single colour imaginable, and had fun coming up with light combinations. For instance, red, white, and blue for "What You Own" and a rainbow chase for "To faggots, lezzies, dykes, crossdressers too" in "La Vie Boheme". With over 200 light cues, you better hope they had fun! And the costumes were so incredible. Maria and Hilary had so many different costumes they had to put together that I was amazed they got it all together in time. Maria even made SPECIAL costumes for our Angel, like the Santa Claus dress and the Pussy Galore dress. Both are gorgeous and I wish I could have worn them!

That all being said, it's our backstage crew that brought everything together. Our SM, Ali, who was also VP Tech for Black Tie, took on a lot when she decided to stage manage the show, but she did such a good job. Our ASMs, Chelsea and Sarah, made sure everyone was ready to go on stage at all times and helped so much backstage. Greg, our MLX, Sam, our sound op, and Brittany, our spot operator made sure that things ran smoothly from up in the booth, and Crystal made a video that makes me tear up every time I watch it.

And, of course, I can't forget about our director, Karen. She dedicated herself to making this show as amazing as the exec envisioned it, and succeeded. Even with all of her other commitments, she still found the time, somewhere, to help us create this show and take it to the next level. Thank you, Karen. Thank you.

But in the end, the people I want to thank the most are the Black Tie Exec. Ricky, our President, Tom, our VP Finance, Alexis, our VP Marketing, and Ali, our VP Tech. We put in so many hours and work into this show and although there were some extremely difficult times, we pulled through and organized the best show that Mount Allison has seen in years. I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of all of us, and I loved working with every single one of you. I'm going to miss not being on the exec next year, but I'm pretty sure it'll be absolutely phenomenal, and you guys will pick a great show (hint: GODSPELL).

Now, with that being said, I'm going to sleep. Cat is sick and needs rest so she can catch up on the work that didn't have time to be completed during the show run.