THE CAPE PLAYHOUSE
UNDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ERIC ROSEN
ANNOUNCES
CASTING FOR
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING MUSICAL
RENT
BOOK, MUSIC, LYRICS BY JONATHAN LARSON
DIRECTION AND CHOREOGRAPHY
BY CHIP MILLER
JUNE 25-JULY 12
CAST FEATURES
JORDAN BARROW, ASHLEY BLANCHET, TSILALA BROCK, TERRANCE L. JOHNSON, DILLON KLENA, STORM LEVER, FRANKIE RODRIGUEZ
(May 9, 2025 – New York, NY) The Cape Playhouse will continue its summer season on June 25 with the groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT about the timeless struggles and aspirations of young artists searching for love and purpose. With book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson and direction and choreography by Chip Miller, RENT will run June 25 to July 12 at the historic Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA “where Broadway goes to summer” (The New York Times) since 1927. Tickets on sale now at www.capeplayhouse.com.
Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today. Pitting financial survival against creative freedom, a found family of artists fights the impending uncertainty of rent due, while living through the tragedy and hope of the bohemian New York underworld of the 1990s. 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.
“Jonathan Larson’s seminal rock opera RENT feels deeply urgent right now as we hold our loved ones tighter and closer,” said Director Chip Miller. “I feel so lucky to spend the summer with this material and these fantastic folks at the Cape Playhouse. The iconic melodies of RENT remind us to remember love as we fight to protect the most disenfranchised amongst us from oppressive and hateful forces.”
The cast for RENT features Jordan Barrow (Wicked) as Benny; Ashley Blanchet (Frozen, Waitress) as Maureen; Tsilala Brock (Suffs) as Joanne; Terrance L. Johnson as Tom; Dillon Klena (Jagged Little Pill/National Tour) as Mark; Storm Lever (Six, The Donna Summer Musical) as Mimi; and Frankie Rodriguez (Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) as Angel. The cast also includes Gabe Cruz; Sarah Kleist; Olivia London; Jon Rodez; and Beda Spindola. The role of “Roger” to be announced at a later date.
The show will feature sets by Britton Mauk; costumes by Nia Safarr Banks; lights by Kat C. Zhou; original concept/additional lyrics by Billy Aronson; music supervision/additional lyrics by Tim Weil; music director Tom Vendafreddo; musical arrangements by Steve Skinner; and casting by Stephanie Klapper, CSA. Eitan Markowitz will be the stage manager with Emily Kluger as the assistant stage manager.
SELECT BIOS:
JONATHAN LARSON (Book, Music, and Lyrics) was awarded the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his groundbreaking musical RENT. He also won the Tony Award for Best Musical, received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation’s Commendation Award twice, and additionally, in 1994 won the Richard Rodgers Award for RENT. RENT has been produced worldwide in numerous languages and was adapted into a feature film in 2005, directed by Chris Columbus. In 2019, Marc Platt produced a live television adaptation of RENT for FOX. In 1989, Larson was honored with the Stephen Sondheim Award by the American Music Theatre Festival, where he contributed to the musical Sitting on the Edge of the Future. The following year, he received the Richard Rodgers Development Grant for his rock musical Superbia, which was staged at Playwrights Horizons. Larson also composed the score for the 1995 musical J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, presented by En Garde Arts. Larson’s rock monologue tick, tick… BOOM! was performed at Second Stage Theatre, The Village Gate, and New York Theatre Workshop. The piece went on to be produced off-Broadway in a three-person adaptation by David Auburn, in London, Los Angeles, and other cities globally. tick, tick… BOOM! was later adapted into a feature film for Netflix, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Julie Oh through Imagine Entertainment, and was directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature film debut. In addition to his work for the stage and screen, Larson composed music for Sesame Street and contributed to various children’s book-cassettes, including scores for Steven Spielberg’s An American Tail and The Land Before Time. He also worked on film scores for Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner and conceived, directed, and wrote original songs for the children’s musical video Away We Go!. RENT, Larson’s iconic rock opera based on La Bohème, premiered on February 13, 1996, at New York Theatre Workshop and subsequently ran on Broadway for 12 years. Tragically, Jonathan Larson passed away unexpectedly from an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, just ten days before his 36th birthday. Despite his untimely death, Larson’s legacy endures through his influential works, and the work of the Jonathan Larson Grant Program (administered by the American Theatre Wing). The Grant Program supports the work of emerging musical theatre artists and has helped foster the careers of many of today’s established Broadway creators.
CHIP MILLER (Direction and Choreography) is a director and producer, currently in the role of Associate Artistic Director at Portland Center Stage at the Armory. They were previously the Artistic Associate / Resident Director at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Directing: Sweeney Todd, Clyde’s (co-production with Syracuse Stage) Liberace & Liza – Holiday at the Mansion: A Tribute, Choir Boy, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rent, August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, Hedwig & The Angry Inch, the world premiere of Redwood (PCS), Larry Owens’ Sondhemia (Carnegie Hall), Journeys to Justice (Portland Opera), the world premiere of American Fast (Artists Repertory Theater), School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play, Welcome to Fear City, Sex with Strangers, A Raisin in the Sun, (KCRep); the world premiere of Becoming Martin (The Coterie); dwb: driving while black (Lawrence Arts Center, Des Moines Metro Opera, Greensboro Opera); 4:48 Psychosis (The Buffalo Room). Chip has developed work with playwrights including Kevin Wilmott, Kara Lee Corthron, Brittany K. Allen, Catherine Trieschmann, Darren Canady, Andrew Rosendorf, Susan Kander & Roberta Gumbel, Michelle T. Johnson, and Michael Finke. They have developed work at The William Inge Theatre Festival, NYU’s New Plays for Young Audiences, La Jolla Playhouse’s DNA Series, Portland Center Stage’s JAW Festival, The Midwest Dramatists Center, KCRep’s OriginKC New Works Festival, The Colorado New Play Summit, The Living Room Theatre, and Musical Theatre Heritage.
JORDAN BARROW (Benny) made history as the first Black actor to play ‘Boq’ in Wicked in North America. New York: Love Life (NY City Center Encores!), The Tempest (Shakespeare in the Park). Other credits: Rent, Peter Pan, The Miracle Worker (Paper Mill), Sousatzka (Elgin Theatre), America V2.1… (Barrington Stage), Witness Uganda (Wallis Annenberg). TV: Pose (FX), Broad City (Comedy Central), Amy and Peter are Getting Divorced. University of Michigan Graduate.
ASHLEY BLANCHET (Maureen). Broadway credits include Waitress with Sara Bareilles (Dawn), Frozen, Beautiful (ACCA Award), Annie (Star to Be), and Memphis. Select Regional: Belle in Beauty and the Beast (St Louis MUNY), Maria in The Sound of Music and the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Paper Mill Playhouse), and Kate Mullins/Charlotte Cardoza in Titanic at CityCenter Encores!. Film/TV: “The Good Fight,” “The Equalizer,” WonderPets, Noggin123, “Better Nate Than Ever,” and Raquelle in the short animated film “Are You Okay?” by WonderMedia.
TSILALA BROCK (Joanne) recently made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical Suffs as Dudley Malone. National Tour: Book of Mormon. Select Regional Theater: Blues for an Alabama Sky (Barrington Stage), Parable of the Sower (SIFA, NYUAD), Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing (Cincinnati Playhouse, St. Louis Rep), Twelfth Night (Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse). TV/Film: “Brooklyn Love Stories” Dir. Brian Shoaf, “Mysteries of Laura” (NBC), “Happyish” (Showtime), “Broad City” (Comedy Central). Carnegie Mellon University Alum.
TERRANCE L. JOHNSON (Collins). His performance credits include: RENT(Collins) The Muny; RENT: In Concert (Collins) The Kennedy Center; RENT (Collins) Paper Mill Playhouse; BHANGIN’ IT (Jake) La Jolla Playhouse; Dreamgirls (C.C. White) National/International Tour; and Once On this Island (Ti Moune) FIPAP.
DILLON KLENA (Mark). His credits include: Jagged Little Pill (1st National Tour), Rutka: A New Musical (World Premiere @ Cincinnati Playhouse), Newsies (Musical Theatre West), Mamma Mia! (McCoy Rigby Entertainment), Story of My Life (Chance Theater), Spring Awakening (Malibu Playhouse), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (OBCT), Children Of Eden (CSUF), The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Fox Theater). Readings/Workshops: Starry, SAT.
STORM LEVER (Mimi) STORM LEVER BROADWAY: Anne Boleyn in Six. Duckling Donna in The Donna Summer Musical. 1st NATIONAL TOUR: Anne Boleyn in Six, Duckling Donna in The Donna Summer Musical. OFF-BROADWAY: Dorothy in The Wringer (City Center). REGIONAL: Sheila in Hair and Polexia in Almost Famous (The Old Globe); Wendy in Fly (La Jolla); Savannah in Freaky Friday (Signature Theater); Emotional Creature (Berkeley Rep). TV/FILM: No One Called Ahead.
FRANKIE RODRIGUEZ (Angel) will soon be seen in the Hulu series Chad Powers, opposite Glen Powell and most recently appeared on the HBO Max series The Sex Lives Of College Girls and previously on the Disney series High School Musical The Musical The Series. He has also appeared on Modern Family, Will and Grace and Bunk’d. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The American Academy.
ALSO UPCOMING IN 2025 SEASON:
Prior to the season opener in June, Broadway and TV star Claybourne Elder will return to The Cape Playhouse in IF THE STARS WERE MINE May 24 and 25. In a show that Broadway World touts as “A delight from start to finish!”, Elder, currently starring as John Adams in the HBO hit series “The Gilded Age,” brings his signature charm, humor and powerhouse vocals to this dazzling event that’s part cabaret, part stand-up and entirely unforgettable. Accompanied by music director, Rodney Busy, Elder has performed IF THE STARS WERE MINE to standing ovations from more than 30 sold out crowds across the country. Tickets on sale now at www.capeplayhouse.com.
BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY
Written by Alan Janes
Directed by Meredith McDonough
June 4-21
BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story is the electrifying story of Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when “That’ll Be the Day” hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later on “the day the music died.” The show features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “Peggy Sue” and “Oh Boy” plus Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” and the Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace.” Discover his historic performance at the Apollo Theater, his time with The Crickets, and meet the love of his life, Maria Elena. Buddy Holly left an enduring legacy as one of the pioneers of rock and roll.
ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL
Book By Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrica by Lynn Ahrens
Directed by Eric Rosen
July 16-August 2
From Tony winners Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, creators of such Broadway classics as Ragtime and Once On This Island, this dazzling show will transport you from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, the couple embark on an epic adventure to help Anya find a home, love, and family.
“A lavish confection of elegance, mystery, and occasional great humor …with images of girls in white ball gowns, Swan Lake, vodka, French champagne, and caviar!” – Broadway World
COME FROM AWAY
Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen
Arrangements by Ian Eisendrath
August 6-30
Come From Away is based on the true story of the time when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland, played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe, were diverted to Gander’s airstrip on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the people of Gander cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family.
“A totally, soul-feedingly wonderful musical.” – Time Out
JOAN
New Play Written by Daniel Goldstein
Executive Producer Melissa Rivers
September 3-20
Comedian. Trailblazer. Force of nature. From Greenwich Village nightclubs to “The Tonight Show” to Hollywood’s red carpets, Joan Rivers made and remade her career through triumph and tragedy. This is the story of a pioneer and the story of a mom—who were one and the same. Get up close and personal with the famously edgy, fearless, and loving legend in this hilarious and heartbreaking account of an American icon.
“Keeps the audience laughing” – Theatermania
ABOUT THE CAPE PLAYHOUSE:
ERIC ROSEN (Artistic Director) was appointed Artistic Director of The Cape Playhouse in August 2023. Prior to joining The Cape Playhouse, Rosen was Artistic Director of Kansas City Repertory Theater (KC Rep) from 2008 to 2018. He guided the organization through a period of significant change, transforming a 44-year-old company into a respected incubator and engine for the development of stories that reached Broadway and stages worldwide. His programming at Kansas City Rep included large-scale, pre-New York musicals, including the Tony-nominated A Christmas Story, The Public Theater’s Venice, and Lincoln Center Theater’s Clay. Before joining KC Rep, Rosen co-founded and led Chicago’s About Face Theater, a nationally recognized and community-focused LGBTQ arts organization that has provided innovative theater and educational programming for nearly three decades. While there, Rosen built and directed the creative strategy, designed programming slates that earned 24 Joseph Jefferson “Jeff” Awards, and developed and launched the pre-Broadway premiere of I Am My Own Wife, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play. As an independent artist, Rosen has developed projects for PBS and directed at major regional theaters across the country, including the acclaimed production of tick, tick…Boom! at Bucks County Playhouse in 2023 and the much-lauded Arena Stage production of Indecent, for which he received the Helen Hayes Award for Best Director. He has been recognized with Joseph Jefferson and Barrymore Awards, and his work at About Face Theater earned him awards from Human Rights Campaign and Equality Illinois, and he was inducted into Chicago’s LGBTQ Hall of Fame. He divides his time between Dennis and NYC, with his husband, actor Claybourne Elder, and their son Bo, their proudest achievement.
THE CAPE PLAYHOUSE was founded in 1927 by visionary Raymond Moore and was created as a premier summer theatre, bringing the magic of Broadway and Hollywood to Cape Cod. Dubbed by the New York Times as “the place where Broadway goes to summer,” the Playhouse has hosted an extraordinary lineup of legendary performers, from Gertrude Lawrence and Bette Davis to Betty White, Humphrey Bogart, and Henry and Jane Fonda. Now, 98 years later, The Cape Playhouse continues to captivate audiences with world-class productions created exclusively for its stage. As a not-for-profit organization, it also nurtures the next generation of theatre lovers through educational programs for children and teens, as well as select concert experiences. Nestled off historic Old Kings Highway in Dennis Village, the Playhouse sits on a picturesque 22-acre campus shared with the iconic Cape Cinema and the Cape Cod Museum of Art. From the moment you arrive, you’re immersed in the charm of lush green lawns, a storybook box office and concession stand, and a postcard-perfect gazebo. Inside, the historic wooden auditorium—complete with original pew seating and soaring gothic arches—transports you to the golden age of summer theatre.
Single ticket prices range from $50 to $135 with discount opportunities for ticket packages, groups of 10 or more, military, student and 30 Under 30. Box Office phone number: 508-385-3911. For tickets and more information available at www.capeplayhouse.com.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
Cape Playhouse Press Contact:
Kirsten Wickson/508-385-3838
kirsten@capeplayhouse.com
National Press Rep:
Candi Adams PR/917-776-1170
candiadamsnyc@gmail.com
