Annual Muir Musical Presents “RENT” April 12-14 at UC San Diego

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The annual Muir Musical at the University of California, San Diego returns with a production of “RENT.” The 1986 Broadway musical tells the story of young artists in New York City’s East Village trying to make a living while staying true to their ideals. The UC San Diego production is completely student-run, from the acting and directing to the sound, costumes, sets and even the marketing and financial management. The show runs April 12-14 on the UC San Diego campus and is open to the public.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Muir Musical. It was founded in 1991 by sophomore Orren Webber who envisioned the production to be an outlet for students interested in musical theatre, but whom were not necessarily theatre majors. While the show is sponsored by Muir College—one of the six undergraduate colleges at UC San Diego—students from across all six colleges and various majors are involved.

Students rehearse for the premiere of “RENT” at UC San Diego.

“It’s incredible to see the talent that is here on campus,” said Kenneth Villanueva, a fourth year economics major and the marketing manager for the Muir Musical. “At UC San Diego, we tend to focus on the academics, but there are a lot of very creative and artistically talented people here.”

Except for one single-year hiatus, the Muir Musical has put on a full-scale Broadway musical production every year since its inception, with plays such as “Pippin,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,” “Cabaret,” “Kiss Me, Kate” and “Seussical the Musical.”

“The Muir Musical has always been the highlight of my year,” added Villanueva. After three years of playing trumpet in the pit orchestra for the show, this year he is behind the scenes as the production’s marketing manager. “We’re doing ‘RENT’ this year, which doesn’t have a pit orchestra, so I had to find some other way to be involved,” he said. “There was no way I could not be a part of the show during my last year at UC San Diego.”

Students rehearse for the premiere of “RENT” at UC San Diego.

In addition to serving as a creative outlet for students, the show is an opportunity for students to build professional and personal skills, according to Patricia Mahaffey, Dean of Student Affairs at Muir College. Students learn leadership and project management, which help them to build self-confidence and creativity. It also gives students a chance to form lifelong friendships.

“I’ve learned so much by participating in the Muir Musical over the last four years,” said Villanueva. “It’s definitely helped me with my communication and time management skills, and I’m also doing better quality work for all of my classes.”

“RENT” will run April 12-14 at 8 p.m. at the Mandeville Auditorium on the UC San Diego campus. Tickets are $12 and available through the UC San Diego Box Office. For more information about the production, visit the Muir Musical website.