RENT EXPERIENCE:
Opened: April 29, 1996
Genre: Musical
Rent Director: Michael Greif
Rent Music By: Jonathan Larson
Rent Lyrics By: Jonathan Larson
Theatre: Nederlander Theatre
Theatre Location: 208 West 41st Street, New York, NY
Tony Award Nominations: 6
Tony Awards Won: 4
Rent, the Rock opera with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, is the second longest running show on Broadway. Based on Puccini’s timeless opera La Boheme, Rent tells the stories of young artists living in a time of plague. This landmark musical was one of the first of its kind to deal with such controversial topics as AIDS, homosexuality, and transgender issues. Since its debut on Broadway in the early ‘90s, Rent has successfully toured the United States three times. In 2005 acclaimed film director Chris Columbus adapted the story to the silver screen.
Rent follows the lives of a group of struggling young artists in New York City’s avante garde subculture. Taking place in the city’s rough neighborhood of Alphabet City, the musical introduces the audience to a unique group of friends: a heroin addict/exotic dancer, a lesbian lawyer, a filmmaker, a musician, cross-dressing gay drummer, a bisexual performance artist, a philosophy professor, and a landlord. All save two are HIV+ or have AIDS. The production features the hit songs “Seasons of Love”, “Light My Candle”, and “Take Me or Leave Me”. Year after year audiences return for the modern take on Puccini’s enduring love story/tragedy.
In 1996 Rent was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It has won the theatre world’s most esteemed awards and the most important Best Musical awards. The musical about friendship, creativity, and love in an era ravaged by AIDS has touched millions. One of the most acclaimed productions in Broadway history, Rent is not a show to miss. Buy Rent tickets today and experience the excitement of a Rent show live!