U.P. Historical Vista Theater Opens Season With “Rent”

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Vista Theater production of the popular musical "Rent" a success despite late start due to cold!

Negaunee, MI – In the Upper Peninsula as many of us know the winters can drag out… therefore, the Vista Theater located in Negaunee didn’t open this year until April. Director Andy Kulie said heating such a large building can be expensive. So, auditions for Rent were held in April when the theater opened and they put the entire show together in just seven weeks. The cast rehearsed up until opening night and on Thursday, June 12th they went on stage for their first live show.

Cast members of the Vista Theater production of “Rent” perform onstage in Negaunee, MI. (photos by Ryan Henry)

Director Kulie said they came up with different ideas throughout the year for the plays they would like to perform. “We always try to present a wide variety of productions at the Vista Theater, including family oriented musicals like the upcoming production of Cinderella, to shows like Rent that appeal to a younger audience,” Kulie said. “Rent was a popular option because it has a strong following, has great music, a great message, and is just generally a very high-quality play.”

Since the opening night Kulie said they saw an increase in attendance as the nights went on.

“Word of mouth is always an important factor in getting people into the seats for a production,” Kulie said. “I strongly believe that the performances really moved people to spread the word.”

Director Kulie said Rent was successful in many ways; one being their ability to put together a very complex production.

“The music, the acting, and the technical aspects of the production were challenging,” Kulie said. “But I believe we met the challenge quite well.”

Some of the main characters in the play were Mark Cohen played by Ricky Peterson, Roger Davis played by Michael Doak, Mimi Marquez played by Jessica Carpenter and Tom Collins played by Luke Anderson.

Peterson, who played the part of Mark had this to say about what he felt was the most difficult part of producing the show…

“The music! The Music written by Jonathan Larson, is really great and challenging,” Peterson said. “But given that the show is mainly music, that was something we all had to work on.”

Peterson said the best part of the show was meeting and gaining so many friends.

Doak who played the part Roger in Rent said the best part was the emotional roller coaster.

“Every night my character went through anger, depression, suppression, fear and love almost the whole spectrum of human emotions,” Doak said. “As an actor it was such a treat to portray a character with that amount of depth and color.”

Doak said his strength would be his experience with that character.

“My ability to connect my own life’s experiences allowed me to more accurately portray my character,”Doak said. “As a company I’d say vocals, it never got tiresome listening to the music.”

Kat Klawes, an audience member, said the Vista Theater is one of the more authentic theaters she has been to, the history and the style of the theater helps the audience become engulfed in the theater experience.

“I recommend that everyone sees at least one rendition of Rent in their lifetime,” Klawes said. “It is one of those shows I believe has something for everyone.”