Collins Pennie, 25-year-old actor/artist, will play the role of Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III in the musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl later this summer!
The show will debut on August 6th, 2010, and will run through August 8th. The musical is being directed by How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and has a star-studded cast that includes actor and comedian Wayne Brady in the role of Collins, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens as Mimi and bombshell Nicole Scherzinger, front woman of The Pussy Cat Dolls, as Maureen.
Growing up in the Brooklyn projects in numerous foster homes, Collins Pennie knew from a young age that he had dreams bigger than what his community could offer him.
READ MORE ABOUT COLLINS!
He began putting his heart and soul into pursuing a career in the entertainment industry by honing his singing, acting and dancing skills and eventually reaped the fruits of his labor when he landed the role of Sean on the hit CBS drama As the World Turns. Pennie continued to have success with supporting roles on show like CSI: Miami, Law and Order and Without a Trace. Pennie launched his big screen career in the late 2000s with supporting roles in the drama Half Nelson and the slasher remake Prom Night. In 2009, he landed a more prominent role in the showbiz musical Fame. Currently, Pennie plays the role of Marcus Leeds on the hospital drama Hawthorne, starring award-winning actress and producer Jada Pinkett Smith. Rent is Pennie’s first major theatrical debut and his extraordinary acting, singing and dancing skills are sure to make this Broadway masterpiece one audiences will not want to miss.
In addition to acting, Pennie has become a seasoned model after taking a photo of himself into the famed Ford Modeling Agency and being signed on the spot. Soon thereafter, he became the youngest African-American model to work with Calvin Klein and appeared in the successful “CK One” fragrance campaign.
With a 12-year run on Broadway, a Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize, Rent is one of the most groundbreaking and popular shows of all time. Called “the best show in years, if not decades,” by Variety magazine, Rent is an entertainment staple. To see Collins Pennie and the rest of the magnificent cast work their magic in this work of art, visit www.hollywoodbowl.com and get your tickets now.
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