It’s been nearly 20 years since OPAS presented RENT as part of the 30th anniversary season. Now, on the eve of the organization’s 50th anniversary season, the show that changed Broadway forever is coming back to Bryan-College Station as part of its 25th Anniversary Tour on Feb. 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the MSC Box Office (979-845-1234) and online at MSCOPAS.org. Ticket prices range from $30-$90 with special ticket prices for students.
For a quarter of a century, Jonathan Larson’s RENT has inspired us to choose love over fear and to live without regret. This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon follows a year in the lives of a diverse group of artists and friends struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. It has become more than a musical – it’s a cultural touchstone, a rite of passage and a source of joy and strength for millions. RENT has become a part of us forever.
OPAS Executive Director Anne Black states, “It’s hard to believe it’s been a little over 25 years since Jonathan Larson’s remarkable RENT opened on Broadway. This piece is as timely today as when it premiered in 1996.” Black continues, “When it was last here in 2002, it sold out primarily because students couldn’t wait to see it. For these February performances, we look forward to welcoming some of those ‘RENTheads’ back to Rudder as well as introducing the award-winning musical to new audiences.”
Tours of RENT have crisscrossed the country almost continuously since 1996, with the latest tour alone playing 5 countries, 237 cities, and 1,005 performances. RENT received its world premiere off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on Feb.13, 1996 to ecstatic reviews and transferred to Broadway on Apr. 29, 1996. RENT won the 1996 Tony Award® for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The musical has been translated into every major language and has been performed in 27 countries across six continents.
Based on original direction by Michael Greif (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations, RENT), Evan Ensign re-stages the 25th Anniversary Tour. Original Broadway creatives Marlies Yearby (Choreography) and Angela Wendt (Costume Design) are joined by Jonathan Spencer (Lighting Design), Keith Caggiano (Sound Design), Dave Pepin (Music Supervisor), Owen Johnston (Associate Choreographer), and Matthew E. Maraffi (adapting original scenic design by Paul Clay) to make up the creative team for the tour. Casting for the tour is by Wojcik | Seay Casting.
Whether you’ve never seen RENT or have completely lost count, you can’t miss it this time around – the 25th Anniversary “Farewell Season of Love” is your final chance to experience this celebrated touring production.
The RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour is produced by Work Light Productions, whose other touring productions this season include the 2016 Olivier Award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar, a new production of An Officer and a Gentleman, and the First National tour of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations.
Courtesy of MSC OPAS
