Elise Anderson, a junior voice major in the Glenn Korff School of Music, has been cast in “Rent in Concert," which will be at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on Jan. 18.
Directed by Broadway’s Sammi Cannold and conducted by Sarah Hicks, “Rent in Concert" is a full symphonic concert evening performed with live vocalists and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra and celebrates Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking Tony and Pulitzer Prize Award-winning musical.
Anderson learned of her casting four weeks after her callback on Sept. 30, in which she was given four excerpts of the script to learn and performed "Call Me" by Blondie.
“I was starting to think maybe I wouldn’t hear anything and just stop thinking about it. But I had just walked out of Suna Gunther’s office after our lesson when I got the e-mail," Anderson said. "We got to open it together and read the news. And — sorry to everyone in surrounding rooms — we jumped up and down, screamed and were so excited. I immediately called my family and was just so proud and excited."
Anderson heard about the auditions from the voice faculty. Being a fan of the production, Anderson said she knew she had to try out.
The auditions were all by video submissions. Anderson performed a cut from “The Greatest” by Billie Eilish for the initial audition in July. She received a self-tape request immediately following her audition submission and was asked to sing “Take Me or Leave Me.”
Anderson is excited to perform at the Lied Center.
“I grew up in Lincoln, so I’ve performed on the Lied Center stage a handful of times for dance recitals, choir, NMEA All-State, etc.,” Anderson said. “This will definitely be the biggest performance I’ve ever done, and I’m so excited to perform a musical on the stage. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and I can’t believe the time is here.”
The rehearsals will take place Jan. 13-17. Anderson is a featured ensemble member, which means she will be in the chorus. She has already seen "Rent in Concert" at the Lied.
“I saw it the last time it came to the Lied Center and have been obsessed with the music for so long,” Anderson said. “Growing up, there was never really anything I could sing from ‘Rent’ in my voice lessons, besides just for fun, because I was so young and couldn’t relate to the story. So getting the opportunity to now as an adult is a dream come true.”
Anderson expects this experience will benefit her a lot.
“I’m really looking forward to making connections with the directors and other members of the cast and to just get to learn what it looks like to work in musical theater professionally," Anderson said. “While auditioning, I was just thinking about how no matter what the outcome was, I was learning so much just by putting myself out there and auditioning and using my voice in a different way than I usually do in my studies at UNL."
Gunther, assistant professor of voice, said this was a tremendous opportunity for Anderson.
“I’m so excited for Elise to work with world-class talent from some of the biggest stages in the country,” Gunther said. “She’s worked very hard to prepare for an opportunity like this, and it will be wonderful for her to share her gifts and tap into the wealth of experience all around her through this process."
Anderson said she appreciates the training she has received from Gunther, who works some musical theater into her lessons every semester while focusing on a classical repertoire.
“I think the biggest thing Suna has taught me is how to adapt my voice in the moment to be able to achieve what someone is asking me," Anderson said. "This will be a huge factor in rehearsal since we only have four days to put the music together.
The cast includes Tony Award nominee A.J. Shievely (Broadway’s “Paradise Square,” “Bright Star” and “La Cage Aux Folles”) singing Mark; Tony Award nominee Crystal Lucas-Perry (Broadway’s “Ain’t No Mo’” and “1776”) singing Joanne; Tony Award nominee Sidney DuPont (Broadway’s “Paradise Square” and “Beautiful: The Carol King Musical”) singing Collins; “America’s Got Talent” finalist Jimmie Herrod singing Angel; and Lincoln native and Broadway performer Mary Kate Moore (Broadway’s “Into the Woods” and national tours “MJ the Musical” and “Les Miserables”) singing Maureen.
"Rent in Concert" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18. Tickets are available from the Lied Center Box Office or online.
