RENT Opening: April 29, 1996 Co-Starring: Anthony Rapp, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jesse L. Martin Book, Music, and Lyrics: Jonathan Larson Musical Director: Tim Weil Director: Michael Greif Producers: Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon, and the New York Theatre Workshop Official Site IBDB: RENT IMAGE GALLERY • MEDIA • DISCUSSION ADAM'S RUN • New York, New York Theatre Workshop: January 25, 1996 to March 3, 1996 • New York, Nederlander Theatre: April 29, 1996 to November 2, 1997 (Previews: April 16 to 28) • London, Shaftsbury Theatre: April 21, 1998 to September 12, 1998 • New York, Nederlander Theatre: July 30, 2007 to September 10, 2997 PLOT SYNOPSIS In New York's East Village, a group of bohemians struggle to express themselves through their art and strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic. Roger is an aspiring songwriter who has emotionally shut down after his girlfriend's suicide. Despite his attraction, he is reluctant to start a new romance with his downstairs neighbor Mimi Marquez, an exotic dancer struggling with "baggage of her own." Roger's roommate Mark is a filmmaker trying to balance art and commerce. His girlfriend Maureen, a self-indulgent performance artist, recently left him for a lawyer named Joanne. Also part of this close-knit circle is Tom Collins, a professor of philosophy who, after being mugged, is rescued by his soul mate, a high-spirited street drummer, Angel Shunard. Benny, who alienated his friends after he married their landlord's daughter, has reneged on his promise to provide rent-free artist space to his bohemian friends. Once a close friend, he is now viewed as the enemy, threatening them with eviction. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION Roger Davis is an aspiring songwriter who has emotionally shut down after his girlfriend's suicide after finding out that they were both HIV positive. He aspires to write one great song before he dies, but is unable to do so until he meets his muse, Mimi Marquez. However, despite his attraction to her, he is reluctant to start a new romance her due to both his HIV status as well as his past emotional scars. SHOW TRIVIA RENT won four Tony Awards in 1996 for best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, and best featured actress in a musical (for Wilson Jermaine Heredia). In the alleyway behind the Nederlander Theatre there is a wall of autographs signed by famous audience members who went to see RENT "back in the day." Included on this wall are messages from Robert De Niro, Billy Joel, and Nicole Kidman, among others. Credit: Official Musical Site, IBDB, and Yahoo! Movies BACK • HOME