a texan in new york

Texas stage star shines bright in Rent's 20th anniversary summer tour

The next time you’re in the audience of a touring Broadway show, take a look across an aisle or in the next row for that musical theater-loving kid enthralled and singing silently along. Ten or 15 years from now, that child just might be the star lighting up the stage in that same musical.

Such is the case of Texas-born-and raised Cody Jenkins, who plays Mark Cohen in the Rent 20th anniversary tour as it turns summer into a season of love at the Hobby Center.

Texas strong
Jenkins is proof a Texas theater kid can make it to New York and back on tour with a show that helped him first to dream of Broadway. When CultureMap catches up with Jenkins as he prepares to head back to his Lone Star home state with the Rent production, he is quick to recount the support he had along the way. He gives props and thanks to the Texas acting and musical educational organizations that helped foster his love of the arts and gave him the skills to tackle a Tony Award-winning Broadway show. Growing up in Fort Worth, he especially cites getting involved with Kids Who Care at a young age.

“They were a really big reason why I continued in theater and continued to grow as an actor,” he says of the performing arts organization.

Jenkins saw Rent for the first time in Dallas almost 10 years ago, when original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp toured. Jenkins had been involved with youth productions of West Side Story and immediately made a connection with the camaraderie and friends are family message of both shows.

“Once I saw it, I thought: I have to do this show,” he says.

Jenkins later jumped into the show his senior year at Texas State University, where he went for its “fantastic” acting program.

“I would definitely tell all kids who want to pursue acting to give Texas State a look, because it’s a very good school. I credit my love for Shakespeare and acting to the school. It opened my eyes to how great acting is,” says Jenkins.

A man of all seasons
Now as part of this unprecedented 20th anniversary tour, Jenkins finds himself in the “strange happenstance” of having inhabited three roles in the show. He began with the tour playing Gordon while also understudying one of the main characters, Roger, roommate and best friend to Mark. Now with the latest cast turnover, he plays the budding filmmaker and lynchpin character Mark full time.

Jenkins best describes who Mark is when he describes his poignant solo, “Halloween.”

“A lot of Mark is on the outside. He’s the camera man, always observing. He’s very much connected to the other characters, but “Halloween” is where we get to see him dealing with all the emotions that he’s been pushing away,” he explains, adding, “He’s felt like he’s so connected, involved and holding everyone together, but in reality he’s been on the outside looking in.”

With Rent still going strong 20 years from its mid-’90s debut and likely will still beguile 20 years from now, I asked Jenkins why audiences continue to sell out the show with each revival and new tour.

“I think it’s about the honesty in the show and about how real these people are,” he ponders. “I think there’s a moment in the show for everyone. People love to coming back and hear the story and music and see the spectacle. The music is so beautiful and the orchestration so stunning.”

While many fans might think of “Seasons of Love,” as the highlight of the show, Jenkins feels the one song that embodies Rent's honesty, authenticity, and cycles of love is actually “Without You,” as a “beautiful picture of how life continues to go on when people come and go from out lives.”

But as the tour heads to Houston, Jenkins seems still in wonder at how far he’s come, yet full circle.

“I’ve always had very strong ties to Rent. It’s a dream show to do, and I’ve done it; and this is a dream role to do, and soon I’ll be able to say I’ve performed both my dream roles in the show. It’s so wild to me to be in that place now.”

---

Rent runs August 6-11 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St. For tickets and showtimes, visit the show’s site.

A limited number of seats in the first two rows of the orchestra section will be available for $25 for in-person purchases at the Hobby Center Box Office on the day of each performance only, two hours prior to the show.

The cast of the Rent 20th Anniversary Tour.

Photo by Carol Rosegg

The cast of the Rent 20th Anniversary Tour.

theater music celebrities

building ballet's brand

Houston Ballet recruits ex-Netflix exec to serve as first-ever CMO

Photo by Grace Hwang

Adama Sall starts as the Houston Ballet's first-ever chief marketing officer on January 26, 2026.

The Houston Ballet announced it has hired Adama Sall as the organization’s first-ever chief marketing officer.

Sall, who starts her tenure with the Ballet on January 26, will oversee all marketing and brand strategy as part of the executive leadership team. Sall brings more than 20 years of experience building global, culturally influential brands to this newly created role.

“Having worked with the best and the brightest, Adama is passionate about what Houston Ballet is set to accomplish, including building a brand that feels essential, modern, and deeply integrated into people’s lives,” executive director Sonja Kostich said in a statement. “We are focused on aligning how we show up across ticketing, digital platforms, public relations, events, education, and community engagement — so that every touchpoint tells a cohesive, compelling story. This is not about following traditional ballet marketing playbooks, this is a rare opportunity to shape the identity of an already stable, well-resourced organization and bring fresh creative energy to an institution poised for reinvention. We are thrilled to have her joining us at this pivotal moment for the Company’s growth.”

Sall is excited for what comes next.

“Sonja's vision for elevating Houston Ballet into a global cultural force resonates,” Sall tells CultureMap. “It reflects the kind of bold ambition I grew up with in advertising: building iconic brands, reshaping categories and setting aspirations that inspire not just an entire organization, but the culture at large.”

Throughout her career, Sall has worked with both top creative agencies and held in-house leadership roles at some of the most innovative, culture-shaping companies in the country. She is known for collaborating with deeply creative teams and partners who are ready to think differently, and for translating big, imaginative ideas into scalable strategies. She has partnered with leading agencies including Mekanism, Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO, McCann, TBWA\Chiat\Day, and R/GA, and has led brand strategy for some of the world’s most recognized companies, including Disney, Coca-Cola, HBO, Gap, Peloton, Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, Samsung, Jeep, Nasdaq, HP, GE Appliances, and UPS.

During her time as director of global brand strategy at Netflix, she helped create brands that maintained consistency in different mediums worldwide. That worked is credited with helping the streaming platform drive "global cultural conversation," according to press materials.

“Arts marketing is similar to my work in entertainment at Netflix,” she said, explaining how marketing an organization like the Ballet can be unique. “We weren't just selling a product or a service. The marketing was centered on building meaning, emotion and cultural value. In the arts, brand doesn't just support the mission, it is the mission made visible. At its best, arts marketing invites people into something that matters, amplifying artistic intent.”

As chief marketing officer, Adama will develop integrated marketing campaigns that elevate Houston Ballet locally, nationally, and globally. She will oversee digital, social, content creation, public relations, and brand storytelling, all designed to raise Houston Ballet's profile and make a compelling cultural case for ballet overall.

“I'm eager to dive in,” Sall said. “One of my favorite parts of brand strategy is listening and learning, then translating those insights into a fresh perspective that inspires people to see ballet in a new light. Houston Ballet is a powerhouse, and I can't wait for more people to discover it.”

Sall holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University and is a longtime mentor, educator, and advocate for diversity in the creative industries.

In a press release announcing her appointment the Ballet noted that Sall’s hiring reflects a continued evolution toward a more integrated, future-facing approach to the Ballet’s brand and audience engagement.

houston ballet business