by Harper Strom
Talking Broadway
August 15, 1999

©1999 Talking
Broadway

Sometimes, during the course of conversation, a particular person's character can seem to reach out and grab you; to clearly separate itself from the other 5.9 billion or so lone personalities on this ever-fascinating little rock of ours. I recently had the pleasure to share a few moments with such a person, the endlessly charming Sandra DeNise.

Sandra was still on the rebound from an unpleasant kidney infection as she spoke from her Charlotte hotel room. She is a relatively new member of the "Benny" touring company of Rent and takes her fair share of roles in the lauded rock-opera. "Working as a swing and understudy, I am responsible for covering 'Maureen,' 'Mrs. Cohen,' and different ensemble members. Also, I cover the "Season's of Love" solo, which can be pretty nerve-racking, if you think about it. That is sort-of the song from Rent, and many fans know every word and inflection by heart."

The Atlanta native has been involved in the theatre since a very early age, getting her start in local church productions. Sandra spent her childhood involved in community theatre, and after high school she was accepted into the Tisch School of Drama at NYU. At New York University she participated in school productions, which eventually led to her casting in Rent. "I was in the school's production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and a casting director for Rent was in the audience. She talked to a few of us one day, got our names and stuff, and that was about it for then. About a year or so later, I decided to call up and see if anything had come up. It just happened that there was a spot open, and I came in for an interview and made it."

While Sandra continues to enjoy her time in Rent, the future holds many options for this talented, young performer. "After Rent, I know that I want to return to New York City. I guess I'll just start looking into things, going to auditions and all that. I would love to get back into the legit theatre, so hopefully something will come up!"