Rent (musical)

Rent is a Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical, based upon Puccini's opera La bohème. Rent opened in New York City on April 29, 1996 at the Nederlander Theatre and continues to play on Broadway (the 8th-longest running Broadway musical as of May 3, 2005). The musical centers around a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive in New York's Alphabet City neighborhood under the shadow of AIDS. (In the opera, the disease was tuberculosis).

Theatrical run

The original cast, as appeared in the Broadway production from April 16, 1996 through opening night and a little after, and the album recording, was as follows:

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• Taye Diggs - Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III
• Wilson Jermaine Heredia - Angel Dumott Schunard
• Jesse L. Martin - Tom Collins
• Idina Menzel - Maureen Johnson
• Adam Pascal - Roger Davis
• Anthony Rapp - Mark Cohen
• Daphne Rubin-Vega - Mimi Marquez
• Fredi Walker - Joanne Jefferson
• Gilles Chiasson - Steve and others, Mark and Roger understudy
• Rodney Hicks - Paul and others, Benny understudy
• Kristen Lee Kelly - Mark's mom and others, Maureen understudy
• Aiko Nakasone - Alexi Darling and others
• Timothy Britten Parker - Gordon and others
• Gwen Stewart - Mrs. Jefferson and others
• Byron Utley - Mr. Jefferson and others, Collins understudy
• Yassmin Alers (Maureen and Mimi understudy), Darius de Haas (Angel, Collins, and Benny understudy), Shelley Dickinson (Joanne understudy), David Driver (Mark and Roger understudy), Mark Setlock (Angel understudy), Simone (Joanne and Mimi understudy) - swings

There have been three very successful United States national tours, plus various international productions. Arguably, the most popular of these national tours featured Andy Meeks as one of the main characters, "Mark" and Dan Rosenbaum in the role of Mark's roommate, "Roger."

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In order to provide theatergoing opportunities to those who might otherwise be unable to afford them, the first two rows of the theater (on Broadway and on tour) are reserved for sale by rush (first-come, first-serve, or lottery) two hours before the show for $20 per seat.

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