No Day But Today – "Rent" Onstage at Encore Theatre

By Michael Newman

Just in time for the Season of Love is Encore Theatre’s upcoming production of Jonathan Larson’s award-winning musical masterpiece, Rent.

Winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, Rent is a powerful rock musical that follows a year in the lives of struggling artists in New York City's East Village, grappling with love, loss, and the pursuit of dreams against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis. With an electrifying score and unforgettable characters, this record-breaking phenomenon celebrates resilience, friendship, and the enduring spirit of "La Vie Bohème."

Cast of Encore Theatre's production of "Rent"

 

Encore’s production of Rent is led by first-time director Evan Huckabay, who fell in love with the music and themes of the show from the first moment he saw it. “What drew me to pursue Rent as a director was, quite simply, my love of the show. I first watched it with my high school girlfriend (who had the same name as me) on a mini-DVD player in her parent's kitchen. Even in that format, on that tiny screen with barely any volume, it blew me away. Its themes of acceptance, love, and redemption in the face of overwhelming loss and uncertainty spoke to me as a young man and have stayed with me ever since. As a first-time director, it has been possibly the most challenging but creatively fulfilling endeavor of my life.”

 These challenges include having to adapt to a smaller stage, and learning difficult, but beautiful music. “Truthfully, Rent is more complex to stage than it seems on the surface––it is most often staged in large theaters with a lot of vertical space. Of course, at the lovely Encore Theatre, there isn't much vertical space to speak of, which means that we've had to figure out creative ways to suggest that verticality. In addition, the music is quite challenging, being that Rent is an opera. The great majority of the dialogue is sung or rhythmic, set to music in some way, and most of the songs are back-to-back in terms of timing. The level of focus and attention required by the cast and crew to get these cues right is high. I feel so lucky to be working with people that are so dedicated to the process.”

Despite Encore’s smaller space, Evan explained that he chose this theater largely because of the people involved. “My first experience with Encore was as an actor in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the beginning of 2025. During that time, I got to work with so many wonderful people, and they have shown me nothing but support and friendship. I knew that Encore would be the place to stage the show because I would have such an incredible network of support built in. Additionally, on a technical level, I saw so many possibilities. Even though Encore has a relatively small stage, I knew that meant there would be a lot of opportunity to play with the space and create something special.”

Encore audiences can truly expect something special, especially when it comes to the show’s best-known song, “Seasons of Love.” “Hearing the cast sing the beautiful music and words of Jonathan Larson (the playwright of Rent) has been the most gratifying thing, hands-down. Our last rehearsal this last week began with the opener of Act 2, "Seasons of Love," which is so simple in terms of blocking––everyone comes out and stands in a straight line at the edge of the stage. When the cast began to sing, I was completely overcome with emotion. Rent is, in its DNA, a celebration of life––and I never feel more blessed than when I get to hear all those wonderful people up there celebrating life together.”

Evan hopes that if there’s one thing the audience takes away from the show, it’s “that they take away what I believe Jonathan Larson intended for them to take away. The ethos of Rent is summed up in the repetition throughout the show of "No Day But Today." Jonathan was the exemplar of this motto. He worked in obscurity as a composer for many years because he loved life and what he did. His most pure expression of this love for life and refusal of regret and fear was Rent. "No Day But Today" was his message to the world, and, more than anything, I hope that is what comes across to audiences coming to see the show. Give into love and live every day as if it may be your last.”

Be the first to experience the story that has inspired generations with its raw energy and passionate message of hope and love, only on Encore’s stage for a limited time! Shows run February 6-21, with evening shows at 7 p.m. and matinee shows (the 8th and 15th) at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at encoretulare.org, over the phone at 559-686-1300, or at the box-office the day of the show.