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I played Roger in the Benny Tour of Rent for about 3 and a half years. The show toured all over North America with a stop in Japan. Near the end of my time with the show I was offered an extended contract and I agreed to a certain amount of time only because the show came back to Edmonton. I wanted the people I’d lived with in Edmonton to see it; I grew up here. The show also coincided with one of my best friends getting married.

There’s something about the concept of coming to do a show like Rent in your hometown, at the Jubilee Auditorium theatre in Edmonton, a place I'd never performed at. I mean I'd performed in that space but not on the actual stage. I’d seen so much musical theatre, so many acts there. It was pretty exciting to actually get on that stage and do it.

You set milestones for yourself, especially as a performer, and the first time I performed at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, that was a huge thing; the first time I performed at the Sidetrack Cafe in Edmonton, which no longer exists but used to be the entertainment theatre place to play in Edmonton, and one of the best places to play musical performances in all of Canada, that was a huge thing. And when I played at these places, I thought, "I'm on my way; I've set another milestone." And the Jube was one of those defining places too. It was pretty exciting.