The musical that rocked Broadway is back, and making its debut this week at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, RENT plays for five weeks only from 27 September until 1 November.
Jonathan Larson’s exhilarating, multi-Tony® Award winning RENT takes audiences to the vibrant streets of New York City’s East Village in the early 90’s, where young people navigate poignant social issues and dreams are born, friendships are tested, and the power of love prevails against all odds.
Featuring the iconic songs Seasons of Love, Take Me or Leave Me and La Vie Bohème, this groundbreaking phenomenon, inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, is more than a musical; it’s a celebration of love, life, art and the resilience of the human spirit.
The electrifying cast for RENT includes Henry Rollo (The Rocky Horror Show) as Mark, a struggling documentary filmmaker and best friend of Roger, an HIV-positive musician recovering from heroin addiction, played by Harry Targett (Dear Evan Hansen). Kristin Paulse (Tina The Tina Turner Musical) is Mimi, a reckless and passionate exotic dancer who lives only for today. The Voice finalist Calista Nelmes (Jesus Christ Superstar) reprises her award-winning performance of the spirited Maureen, current girlfriend of Joanne, a tough, headstrong Harvard-educated lawyer played by Imani Williams (Hadestown).
Philosophy teacher Collins, father-figure and friend, is played by Googoorewon Knox (Hamilton) with Jesse Dutlow (& Juliet) as Angel, an HIV-positive drag artist with a passion for life in the face of inevitable adversity. Benny, played by Tana Laga’aia (Jesus Christ Superstar), is the former friend and current landlord of Mark, Roger and Mimi.
Completing the cast are Anna Francesca Armenia, Kobe Brown, Sam Harmon, Lawrence Hawkins, Carmel Rodrigues, Chad Rosete, Eliza Soriano, Stacey Thomsett, Bree Tipoki and Theodore Williams.
Jonathan Larson’s RENT opened Off-Broadway in 1996 and quickly became a global phenomenon. The show earned Larson multiple Tony® Awards along with a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a distinction not received again by a music theatre work until 14 years later. Though Larson himself never saw the impact of his masterwork – he died suddenly in the early hours of the day the show opened to the public – its longevity serves as a testament to the emotional resonance of his creation and an embodiment of its ever-present message “no day but today”.
Book now for RENT at the Sydney Opera House – there’s No Day Like Today to get your tickets!
