Awards

Rena Strober is honored with a Craig Noel Award in San Diego for her performance in ZHIVAGO at the La Jolla Playhouse.

On Jan. 29, 2007, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented the fifth annual Craig Noel Awards for Excellence in Theatre, honoring the outstanding achievements on San Diego stages in 2006.

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Rena Strober, Zhivago, La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Matt Bogart, Zhivago, La Jolla Playhouse Ron Choularton, My Fair Lady, Cygnet Theatre

Press Quotes

Rena Strober
in Beauty and The Beast

Rena Strober is a strong, spunky Belle who touches your heart, brings on the tears, and uplifts the spirit with her articulated, up-and-down-the-scale mastery of Belle’s reach-inside-and-make-you-feel songs : Home (We Are Where We Shall be Forever) with Maurice (her father), and the splendid song that delivers the essence of falling in love, A Change in Me .`

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Rena Strober
in Spaghetti & Matzo Balls

Spaghetti and Matzo Balls is co-written by Rena Strober and her brother Dean, with the musical direction of William Hindin. Strober discusses her life growing up in Middletown, NY, singing at popular Italian Restaurant Rao's, as well as collaborating with Italian tenor Michael Amante. Accompanied on bass and fiddle, Rena performs a mesmerizing version of the Italian operatic pop classic "Con te Partiro."

Other remarkable musical numbers in her set include Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," and a rendition of the Italian national anthem, which Strober delivers after discussing her experiences in the Ms. Italian-American pageant. Rena also talks about meeting former president Bill Clinton, and her grandmother, Sunny Strober.

Strober opens her heart to the audience and discusses how she overcame one of the biggest events in her life: surviving a shooting at Rao's. She delivers a poignant rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" in response to the traumatic event. Through great personal strength, as well as the love and support of her family, Strober is living proof of a person who was able to triumph over serious obstacles. Her finale performances of "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" from the Sesame Street soundtrack, as well as a Yiddish version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," are real treats for the audience.

Strober's talents are not limited to vocals; she's a true entertainer. She has the presence needed to command the stage and believes in what she is says, making eye contact with the audience, which inevitably loves her in return. Strober's use of sincere storytelling and mellifluous vocals will make you laugh, sing along, and at times, Strober even breaks your heart. Throughout the musical, the theme of her play is always conveyed, illustrating the importance of family values, and although Rena may be a part of two families, she only has one home.

– The Knight News

Blessed with a clear and powerful voice that needs no amplification (and gets none- she fills the Triad with an all-natural sound), Strober sings opera, pop, jazz, showtunes and folksongs in Yiddish, Hebrew and Italian with equal skill, weaving the songs into the narrative gracefully-- and, best of all, to good dramatic effect..With her quick wit, the uptempo songs are bright and lively, and with her dramatic strengths, the ballads are powerfully poignant. Dean Strober's direction keeps the energy and humor up, and never lets the show become too serious for its own good. William Hindin's music direction sets the mood for each moment, and nicely underscores the emotional arc of the story.

– BroadwayWorld