NO DAY BUT TODAY

Official RENT Blog contributor Nicole Wright saw the 2005 film version of RENT before seeing the Broadway production at the Nederlander Theatre.  Read more about her first experience at RENT through Kids' Night on Broadway!

Christmas morning, 2006.

Unwrapping the box and seeing a RENT T-shirt, while wrapped inside that, a ticket to the show! My sister, Michelle, and I were jumping up and down screaming, as she had received the same thing. We were both finally going to see the musical whose movie soundtrack blasted throughout our house ever since we received it. Counting down the days, it was finally time for us to see the show on January 30th.

Kids' Night on Broadway is an event when theatre attendees age eighteen and younger see a Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. There’s a pre-party event (for 2007, it was at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum) full of fun freebies, activities, and the opportunity to meet performers from various shows. The combination of RENT being offered as part of this deal and the fact that she now knew the story (thanks to the movie) allowed my mother to be okay with bringing two of her children to this Broadway show.

Even though I knew of many of the songs and much of the story previously, I walked into the Nederlander Theatre with an open mind. Theatre and film are two completely different mediums; additionally, I knew the cast I was about to see would be different that what I was used to, but that only helped to create a completely new chapter in my RENT-life.

I remember seeing the stage for the first time: no curtain, very simplistic, and beautiful for the production. No matter how many times you see a picture of a particular place, nothing compares to seeing it in real life. It was raw, it held multipurpose, and looked like it would be a lot of fun to play around on. It wasn’t long before the show began and I was entranced in a way that I could simply not experience with the film.

Naturally, my mind began to make connections to the film. I really enjoyed seeing how some aspects of the production were carried into the film (for example, the cast standing in line singing “Seasons of Love”) and how I could recognize some of the film dialogue used as lyrics in the show. Before I knew it, I was on my feet along with most of the audience, giving the cast a well-deserved ovation.

Photo by Joan Marcus.

After the show concluded, ensemble member Frenchie Davis made a speech on the significance of bringing kids to the theatre, encouraging all of us to “follow your dreams.”

Personally, theatre is my favorite form of art/entertainment. RENT exceeded my expectations so much that I had to return several times to see more interpretations of these songs, characters, and stories. Each experience was different from one another, because that’s how theatre is – it’s in the moment, it’s never the same show twice, and it’s different for each person. RENT’s “no day but today” message is also in the moment, which makes its theatrical connection a fantastic thing to experience.

Nicole

www.siteforrent.com

MAUREEN'S WEB

In his introductory post, Official RENT Blog contributor Andrew Milne selected Maureen as his favorite character in RENT.  Andrew is back to give us a breakdown on the allure of Maureen.

The name Maureen can mean “bitter,” “uncertain,” or “popular.” Jonathan Larson definitely knew what he was doing; Maureen is both vitriolic and attractive, spiteful and charming, vinegar and honey at once, and she catches hordes of flies. Mark and Joanne cannot get enough of her; Maureen charms them into her web until they wrap themselves tighter in her grasp, spinning them faster and faster – until she gets bored and moves on. Despite themselves, Joanne and Mark fall under her spell endlessly, and they “yearn and churn and rebound,” because no one can say no to Maureen, not even Maureen herself. Despite (or perhaps because) of her changeable (and often downright mean) moods, they find themselves drawn back to her, no matter how selfish or indifferent she becomes.

Maureen doesn’t do this because she is a bad person; it’s just because she’s an actress. All of her support, reinforcement, and confidence are external. Just as Mimi craves smack, Joanne seeks order, and Benny lusts for money, Maureen has her own addiction: attention. Capricious by trade and by nature, she’s an actress through and through; they project bravado because they don’t want anyone to sense they lack it. She needs applause like Angel needs Collins’ kisses. Not that she needs approbation; positive or negative, she just wants a reaction. This is why she makes a scene with Joanne during “Take Me or Leave Me.” She’s a diva who definitely “needs her stage;” and she sees everyone else in her life as merely players.

Emma Hunton as Maureen and Corbin Reid as Joanne.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

This is why I compare her to Marilyn Monroe, not for any similar looks (for Maureen’s hair is as dark as the effect she has on her lovers’ respective psyches) but because of their shared idiosyncrasies and the similar influence they hold on others. They’re beautiful and magnetic, but unfulfilled and damaged. Marilyn once described herself as “whole superstructure and no foundation,” an affliction the two women share. Maureen has no foundation of self-worth; she draws upon her audience, changing herself for her art, becoming who she needs to be. Unfortunately, she cannot turn off this facet of her personality, and as a result, she never truly knows how talented or wonderful she is. Thus she oscillates between affection, rejection, hyper sexuality, and near-mania. This unpredictability makes her mysterious, an appealing enigma to lovers, but also makes her closed off and impossible to ever really understand. It’s what chases her to cheat – it’s nothing Joanne or Mark do; she’s just running away from her own demons into the arms of others.

Maureen is a spider, manipulative, entrancing, and consuming. She’s not a bad person; her issues just make her intemperate and fiery, and often impulsive and self-destructive. They also make her irresistible to Joanne and Mark, and ceaselessly fascinating to RENTheads everywhere. She’s the most flawed, and also the most relatable and compelling.

Andrew

www.siteforrent.com

A PREORDAINED NIGHT IN PROVIDENCE

Official RENT Blog contributor Tommy Collison traveled from Ireland to Providence, Rhode Island, to see RENT's original Mark and Roger, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.  Tommy tells us more about his experience attending the 2009 Broadway Tour.

November 21st, 8pm, Eastern Standard Time.

The young man with short, bleached-blonde hair ambles out on stage, a Fender guitar swung over his shoulder. Nonchalantly, he begins tuning the guitar. These actions, though seeming innocuous, are underscored by huge applause from the audience.

Not long after, a bespectacled man with reddish-blond hair bounds onstage, sporting a striped scarf and cradling a 16 mm Bolex video-camera like a newborn baby. Behind these two unlikely protagonists, the twenty-something-strong company files onstage.

RENT has begun.

Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp returned in 2009 on a National Tour of the show that made them famous. I was lucky enough to make it over to Providence, Rhode Island in November 2009 to see the show.

What can I say?

The show was an absolute joy, as was to be expected. Rapp and Pascal (Rascal) originated their respective roles, so seeing the original interpretations of the characters we hold so dear was magical. I’m all for new actors carrying the torch and giving new life to these characters, but there’s something to be said for the people who were part of the original 1996 company. What you’re seeing is largely what the people who went in 1996 saw, and there’s something undeniably exhilarating about that. I saw a part of musical theatre history that night.

The Providence Performing Arts Center has almost three times the capacity of the Nederlander (3,100 seats versus 1,232), but I was happy that none of the intimacy, urgency, nor rawness of the show was lost.

At the end of the night, the feeling that I felt was one of overwhelming relief and happiness that I got to see this tour before it closed. I got to meet Anthony Rapp and tell him personally how much his work (both theatric and written) has influenced and affected me, and to thank him for that.

(Yes, that’s a Mark scarf I’m sporting. My mother is great.)

Tommy

www.siteforrent.com

TAKE ME OR LEAVE ME

Official RENT Blog contributor Rori Nogee shares how RENT truly changed her life.

“Take me for what I am. Who I was meant to be. And if you give a damn, take me baby, or leave me.”

It sounds like such a simple thing, doesn’t it? To just be yourself and not give a second thought about the opinions of others? I always understood this notion in theory, but my school years made it very difficult to practice the whole self-acceptance thing. Kids can be cruel.

I figured that college would be the place to really focus on finding myself and to meet other open-minded free spirited individuals. Instead, what I found myself focusing on was a beautiful leather-jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, tattooed pointe ballerina with the grace of Baryshnikov and the raspy voice of my fearless idol, Daphne Rubin-Vega. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Mila Kunis’ character in Black Swan was based on this chick.) I couldn’t take my eyes off of her when she walked into a room, my heart beat faster in her presence, I sweat in secret places and I even had recurring dreams about her. I didn’t understand why. Why was I so consumed by her when I was also crushing heavily on one of the guys in my theater department?

I confided in close friends and eventually realized the simple truth: I was attracted to this girl. While that conclusion was scary and confusing, it was not helped any by the ultra-conservative white bred atmosphere that surrounded me in upstate NY. Rumors spread. I was teased, tormented, ostracized, called names…and of course, the girl that I respected and admired and thought was sooo beautiful…was fearful of me because of what she had heard, because I was too afraid to just come out and tell her the truth myself. I felt like a derelict, like something was horribly wrong with me. How could I love two people at once? Of different sexes?? And should I apologize to this girl because…I thought she was amazing? I wished I didn’t love so hard. I wished I could change. I wished I could just be like everyone else.

So, I did what I always did when times got tough…I hopped a bus to NYC, bought a ticket to RENT and sought solace whilst sitting on the lime green stoop of the Nederlander Theatre. It was so familiar, so comforting, such a constant in an ever-changing and uncertain world. That night, when I saw the show for the umpteenth time, the lyrics and music and messages that I had memorized back in the 8th grade… were life-changing. Suddenly, the depiction of same-sex relationships on stage was a marvel.

Kendra Payne as Joanne and Rori Nogee as Maureen, performing "Take Me or Leave Me" at the Charleston Music Hall

Angel and Collins fell deeply for each other at a time when everyone in the gay community was treated like a leper because of the AIDS epidemic (a feeling I was all too familiar with on a social level). Yet, despite the impossible circumstances surrounding them, their love knew no bounds. Then, there was Maureen. Ah, Maureen. So flawed, so fickle, and yet… so loved. She captivated Mark and Joanne as well as the thousands of people in the audience. She sang right to Joanne’s face in her “take no prisoners” voice: “Take me for what I am/Who I was meant to be/And if you give a damn/Take me baby, or leave me.” No guilt, no apology, no compromise. She wasn’t perfect by any means, but she was a complete package, she OWNED her shit, and she was not willing to change for anyone. What a concept!

This rang true for all of the loveable characters in the show with their flaws and insecurities: Mark was introverted and disconnected from everyone around him, Roger was constantly brooding, in denial about his emotions and his love for Mimi, and Mimi battled with her addictions. Yet, the audience cried for these characters, envied them, celebrated them, reveled in their uniqueness, their passions, and most importantly, their devotion to one another in the face of poverty and looming death. It’s what made them human. Then, like a cartoon, a light bulb went off over my head as I realized…there is nothing wrong with me.

At that moment, the cast lined up in a single file line at the front of the stage and sang those famous lyrics, “Measure your life in love.” It was as if they were speaking right to me. It all made sense. Love was about a person’s soul, not their gender. Man, woman, straight, gay or somewhere in between…love came in all forms. Love is love, man.

It’s been a long hard road to self-acceptance, and I’m certainly not there yet, but thanks to RENT, I am well on my way. I will never again apologize for my feelings. While I have made my share of mistakes and bad decisions, you can’t choose who you love. It chooses you. All you can do is accept it, accept yourself for how you feel, and not be afraid to express it. Life is too short to waste it on worrying what other people might think about you.

Still, whenever I start to doubt myself, or hear the never forgotten jeers from people who were not my biggest fans, I close my eyes and replay the goosebump inducing song, “Another Day”: “There’s only now, there’s only here/ Give in to love, or live in fear/No other path, no other way/No day but today.” And I remember that wherever I am in life, whoever I am, and whomever I love…is perfectly okay. Roger was lucky to get one last moment to say to Mimi, “I should tell you/I should tell you/I have always loved you…,” but not all of us will get that opportunity if we spend our lives hiding in shame and silencing our hearts.

Rori

www.siteforrent.com

A LEAP OF FAITH: TAKING ON THE ROLE OF ANGEL

Official RENT Blog contributor Brandon Nichols revealed in his introductory post that he was the first person in Arkansas to originate the role of Angel in the state's first non-professional production of RENT.  Brandon is back to tell us more about that experience! 

It was 2009 at a little theatre in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. A theatre I had never been to, a theatre I knew nothing about. However, I knew they were producing RENT for their summer musical and that’s all I needed to know. I didn’t care what part I got, and I didn’t care if I had to work behind the scenes. I just needed to be a part of that show by any means necessary.

I was able to secure an audition and went through the whole process. Then came the wait! I was at my computer at home when the phone rang. I answered it, and I was told I was told that I had been cast as Angel in RENT! I’m pretty sure I hurt the other person’s ear because I was screaming at the top of my lungs… out of excitement, of course! As I began to rehearse the role, I found my greatest challenge would be learning to walk in heels. As someone who had never done it before, I found it incredibly hard to learn. Additionally, learning how to drum on a bucket was also difficult for me. Luckily, the singing and dancing ended up coming easy to me. I felt that I could really work it!

The experience I had when I was in that show was an experience I would never take back for anything. We did end up having our fair share of “theatre drama,” which got so out of control that we ended up cancelling a show because of all of the trouble backstage. Even though I was not a part of the drama, I’m so glad we were eventually able to come together to resume performances. Overcoming that gave a whole new meaning to the songs “Will I?” and “Goodbye Love.”

On a brighter note, I made so many amazing friends performing in RENT. It was so much fun! I was the “baby” in the show, being only 17 at the time. My fellow cast members really took me under their wing. Since I was playing a drag queen for the first time, I was so fortunate to have all those amazing women in the cast to help me with the makeup, heels, etc. I gained so much more respect for women and drag queens as a whole because I truly could not have done it by myself. It’s a lot of work!

The audience reaction to our show was outstanding. We were only supposed to run 3 weekends, but we sold out before we opened and had to add an extra four performances. I will never forget the crowds and their support. I also remember one night when a reporter for a local paper came to see the show. We were so nervous, because one little mess-up would go down for everyone to see.

The paper came out soon thereafter, but I wasn’t able to pick up a copy right away. I went online to check my Facebook and everyone was saying “Congrats on the review!” I thought, “What review?” So I went to pick up a Sync Weekly (the local paper), turned to the reviews section and read on. I found the review of our show, and found saw my name mentioned! See below:

“In the realm of showstoppers there’s no touching young Brandon Nichols as Angel. How he moves in those heels, we’ll never know. Purists may wonder at casting a white actor in this role, but rest assured in works well thanks to the fine talents of Nichols”

-Spencer Watson (Sync Weekly)

All in all, I wouldn’t take back that experience for anything. The support I received from my fellow cast and crew, and the Little Rock community was truly outstanding. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Brandon

www.siteforrent.com

MEET YOUR NEW OFFICIAL BLOGGERS!

Thanks to all passionate RENT fans around the world who participated in our Official Blog contest. There were so many wonderful entries that we picked 5 winners instead of 4! We are happy to introduce you to RENT's new Official Blog contributors: Andrew Milne, Brandon Nichols, Nicole Wright, Rori Nogee, and Tommy Collison! Get to know them and look out for their blog entries soon!

NAME: Andrew Milne

AGE: 17

WHERE I'M FROM: I’m a Jersey boy, born and bred (and we’re all not like the cast of “Jersey Shore,” trust me).

140-CHARACTER WINNING ENTRY: As a writer like Mark, I see Rent as the oldest human story; it is about love. Tragic, “forbidden,” unrequited, Rent is about love’s power over us all, and who it makes us.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I'VE SEEN RENT AND WHERE I'VE SEEN IT: I’ve seen the movie countless times, but I actually have never seen the play (I was too young to appreciate it when it ran the first time, and I haven’t had a chance to go since the revival), a fact I hope to remedy soon!

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN RENT AND WHY: My favorite character is probably Maureen, because I’ve had a fascination with those Helen of Troy, Marilyn Monroe-type characters since I was little. There’s something about a character with an inexplicable magnetism that attracts everyone unfailingly that I find extremely alluring; anyone who can evoke the potent permutation of lust, love, and revulsion that Mark and Joanne feel for Maureen interests me.

ABOUT ME: Right now, I’m in tech week for my senior production of Bye Bye Birdie, (and I’m currently an editor-in-chief of my school paper as well as an editor of the literary magazine) as well as preparing for college, where I hope to study journalism or communications. Someday I want to be a globe-trotting writer, recording fantastic tales of life and love, combining my two major passions: stories and traveling. My love of stories and the human condition is precisely why RENT appeals to me so; it’s a heartbreaking tale about love, loss, beauty, and the transience of life. Because RENT taught me that life is only leased, I want to live big and experience all I can.

FUN FACT: I can do a split without injuring myself.

***

NAME: Brandon Nichols

AGE: 20

WHERE I'M FROM: Cabot, Arkansas

140-CHARACTER WINNING ENTRY: Rent a musical that I live by. It's a world of music, art, friendship & love. Life's too short. Friends are forever. @RENTOffBroadway

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I'VE SEEN RENT AND WHERE I'VE SEEN IT: I have seen the stage version 2 times, the motion picture 27 times, Filmed Live on Bway 17 times.

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN RENT AND WHY: My favorite character in the show is Maureen! She isn't afraid to put it all out there, she says what she thinks and she knows how to stick by her friends when it really matters. Most of all she loves to have fun AND she is a performer. ;)

ABOUT ME: Currently I am still auditioning for things here in Arkansas. I just auditioned for two shows The Full Monty & Spring Awakening! I am also currently working as a Performing Arts Instructor teaching kids how to become better performers. I would have to say, at some point in my life, I want nothing more than to hit that Broadway stage (or any stage for that matter) in NYC! I've always had a passion to perform RENT in NYC more than any others. I first heard of RENT when I was in Charlotte's Web a long time ago. I immediately fell in love with the show, making my mother buy me the "Best of RENT" CD, later buying the full soundtrack. Ever since then that show has shown me that it's okay to be yourself, continue doing what you love to do and always cherish those closest to you.

FUN FACT: A fun fact about me is that I was actually the first person in Arkansas to originate the role of Angel in the first Non-Professional production of RENT!

***

NAME: Nicole Wright

AGE: 20

WHERE I'M FROM: Deer Park, NY

140-CHARACTER WINNING ENTRY: Nicole_M_Wright: @RentOffBroadway RENT means love: love of one another, love of what you do, love of life. It's a celebration of individuality and gives hope

HOW MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN RENT AND WHERE I'VE SEEN IT: Broadway (4x), Off-Broadway at New World Stages (5x), community theatre (BayWay Arts Center - East Islip, NY - 1x), and college production (Hofstra University - Hempstead, NY - 1x). Total = 11x

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN RENT AND WHY: Angel, because her heart is so huge. She loves herself and is comfortable in her own skin; because of this, she is able to spread the love around to Collins and the rest of their friends.

ABOUT ME: I’m currently a junior at Hofstra University pursuing a BA in mathematics with drama and general business minors. I hope to find a career that somehow combines my passion/obsession for theater with my love of math. My favorite activities and much of my spare time all revolve around theater, and I have met most of my friends through shows or other theater-related activities. I first heard of RENT through its signature song, “Seasons of Love,” and just became immersed in its story and music. I saw the movie before I saw the Broadway production, and after begging my parents, my mom took my sister, Michelle, and I to the Kids Night on Broadway performance in 2007. There is absolutely nothing that beats the feeling of live performances, and with RENT, I definitely felt a need to go back and re-live that feeling. Any person trying to live their life to the fullest can connect with RENT. The show has helped me celebrate my life and who I am rather than take everything so seriously.

FUN FACT: I can make my eyes go in opposite directions, like a fish.

***

NAME: Rori Nogee

AGE: 20 *cough* something…

WHERE I'M FROM: I am a born and bred New Yorker! I grew up on Long Island and currently reside in Manhattan.

140-CHARACTER WINNING ENTRY: “As a NYC artist living La Vie Boheme, whether watching “Rent” from the audience or performing Maureen, each show was an emotional catharsis, a spiritual cleansing.”

HOW MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN RENT AND WHERE I’VE SEEN IT: 69 times on Broadway, 10 times on the final Broadway national tour (in 5 cities), and once at the Hollywood Bowl. You know, ish… But who’s counting? Um…

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN RENT AND WHY: I’ve always been most partial to Mimi. I love her complete lack of inhibition, the way she acts on instinct, her vulnerability, her fearlessness in loving another with her entire soul, and how passionately she goes after what she wants.

ABOUT ME: Hi. I’m Rori and I’m a RENT Head. I have been since 1997. I am also an actress, a singer/songwriter, a playwright, an artist, a musician, a goof, and a hopeFUL romantic.

At this moment in time I am blogging from Sonora, California where I am performing in a production of Gypsy at Sierra Repertory Theatre. I play Mazeppa, the stripping trumpet player. I make my mother proud.

I started performing when I was 7 years old in dance recitals. By the age of 10, I somehow catapulted to Broadway in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From that moment on, I never stopped singing, dancing, or loving all things musical theater. The highlight of my career thus far has been playing Maureen in a beautiful production of RENT at the Charleston Music Hall in South Carolina.

I aspire to once again perform on Broadway, snag some dream roles in various rock and Sondheim musicals, write my own rock musical, and in the near future, produce my original play, Down This Road, which received staged readings in NYC last summer. My ultimate goal as a performer is just to continue to be able to support myself by doing what I love.

RENT has had a profound affect on my life. In the late ’90s I was an artsy outcast in school with a poor self-image. Then, I saw RENT. I was introduced to self-assured, passionate characters who reflected my own values and quirks. Suddenly, I began to love and accept myself, and was shown how deeply I could love others. RENT shaped the kind of music I like, the kind of performer I want to be, the kind of material I want to write, and even how I dress! I live my life according to the mantra, “No Day But Today.” And just in case I forget, it is tattooed across my body. Yes, really.

FUN FACT: My favorite movie of all time is Titanic and I plan to be at the front of the line for a 3D viewing...in Sonora, California.

***

NAME: Tommy Collison

AGE: 17

WHERE I'M FROM: Limerick, Ireland.

140-CHARACTER WINNING ENTRY: “After traveling halfway across the world to see RENT, it showed me the beauty of life in the face of its fragility: in love”

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I'VE SEEN RENT AND WHERE I'VE SEEN IT:

• Dublin, Ireland.
• Wexford, Ireland.
• Cork, Ireland. (Same production, three separate times.)
• Limerick, Ireland. (Our Youth Theatre - Centrespace Youth Theatre - put it in on 2010. I played Mark; those were some of the best times of my life.)
• Providence, RI. (Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal’s 2009 tour.)
• New York City, NY. (Very first opening preview, July 2011.)

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN RENT AND WHY: I adore the fact that Roger’s character is so deep and multi-faceted, but I’d have to say that my absolute favorite character in RENT is Mark. We’re just so similar in so many ways. We’re both goofy, socially awkward and we want the best for our friends. We also have the flaw of sometimes putting our work in front of everything else. (For Mark, it’s his movie. For me, it’s writing, studying or chess.)

ABOUT ME: I’m a bisexual high school Junior in Ireland. I’d love to go to a US college and do some sort of English major when I finish school, so I’m taking the SAT outside of school at the moment too. When I’m not studying, I’m reading, playing chess, or hanging out with my boyfriend, Jared. I also listen to A LOT of music from a wide range of artists and genres. I’m a voracious reader of everything from crappy teenage romance novels to John Milton’s Paradise Lost (which, I maintain, is one of the best things ever written). I also love weird foods like guacamole, or Stilton.

I discovered RENT in summer 2009, when our theatre company showcased it. I got the OBC album and practically broke the CD through overplaying. My personal connection would be having had the luck to star in a local production of it in 2010. I played Mark and got to work with an amazing group of young people.

FUN FACT: I like the Ruy Lopez opening and people keep telling me that I’m a dead-ringer for Anthony Rapp.

RENT'S OFFICIAL TASTI D-LITE FLAVOR: SEASONS OF YUM

RENT and Tasti D-Lite are pleased to announce that the Official RENT Tasti D-Lite flavor is Seasons of YUM! The winning flavor name for Strawberry Cheesecake was submitted by Laura W. of Jeffersonville, Indiana! Laura will receive a Playbill signed by the Off-Broadway cast of RENT and a $25 Tasti D-Lite TreatCard.

Mark your calendar! Seasons of YUM will be served every Sunday in April at the Tasti D-Lite location at 1588 Broadway (between 47th and 48th) in New York City.

A New York phenomenon since 1987, Tasti D-Lite is the frozen treat that’s lower in calories, carbs and sugar than frozen yogurt and ice cream. Tasti D-Lite offers over 100 delicious flavors every day, which are made with natural ingredients and contain no artificial sweeteners. Visit www.tastidlite.com for more information.

For more information about the Off-Broadway production of RENT, visit www.siteforrent.com.