Thirty years ago, “RENT” debuted at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City, ushering in a bold new era for Broadway musicals.
Its raw storytelling, contemporary sound, and focus on young artists struggling in New York set “RENT” apart from anything Broadway audiences had seen before. Three decades later, the impact of the musical still resonates.
‘RENT’ Celebrates 30 Years, But How Did It Start?
The groundbreaking Broadway musical “RENT” was created by playwright and composer Jonathan Larson, who drew on his own life as a struggling artist in New York City. His story follows a group of bohemians who form a chosen family as they navigate life’s challenges together.
According to Playbill, the idea for the musical came from Larson’s own life. He and his roommate, Jonathan Burkhart (cinematographer, film producer, and co-founder of the Nantucket Film Festival), lived in an apartment that was used as a basis for the type of home shown in the musical.
“We literally had one extension cord that snaked all the way through the apartment,” Burkhart told Playbill. “There was no heat except from the oven, the shower was in the kitchen, and the floors were all [expletive] up. The toilet was in its own room, and the floorboards were so rotten that certain boards you stepped on, like pieces of wood, would come out. It was a mess.”
The Story of ‘RENT’ Came From Jonathan Larson’s Own Experiences
Jonathan Larson used his and Jonathan Burkhart’s struggles as young artists to form the core story of “RENT.” He met Billy Aronson, who was referred to him by Playwrights Horizons, who had an idea to bring the iconic opera “La Boheme” into the 20th century.
Larson and Aronson worked on three songs that would eventually appear in the musical: “Rent,” “Santa Fe,” and “I Should Tell You.” However, Larson decided to go forth with the project on his own and Aronson was content with being given credit for original concept, lyrics and compensation if the show ever got off the ground.
The composer said of the musical, “My whole thing is that American popular music used to come from theatre and Tin Pan Alley, and there’s no reason why contemporary theatre can’t reflect real contemporary music, and why music that’s recorded or that’s made into a video cannot be from a show.
It took Larson years to get “RENT” off the ground. He first approached the New York Theatre Workshop with the idea in 1992 reported Broadway World. Revisions, readings, a long casting process, and other starts and stops led to its off-Broadway preview in January 1996.
However, Larson never got to see his musical debut. He died just 10 days shy of his 36th birthday, the night the show was set to debut, of an aortic dissection as a result of undiagnosed Marfan syndrome.
‘RENT’ Opened With an Unknown Cast Who Would Go On To Become Huge Stars
In an Instagram post, the award-winning musical was celebrated for its 12-year Broadway run. After opening on April 29, 1996, the musical played its final performance on September 7, 2008.
The original cast of “RENT” would contain a who’s who of future big-time Broadway, film, and television stars.
Anthony Rapp (Mark), who would go on to star in the films “Twister,” “Road Trip,” “A Beautiful Mind,” and CBS’s “Star Trek: Discovery.” Adam Pascal (Roger) would continue his Broadway career with roles in the musicals “Aida,” “Memphis,” “Chicago,” “Something Rotten!” and “Pretty Woman: The Musical.”
Idina Menzel (Maureen) starred in the 2005 movie adaptation of the musical. She also had a recurring role on “Glee” and was the voice of Elsa in the “Frozen” franchise.
Jesse L. Martin (Tom) played Detective Ed Green on “Law & Order,” appeared in the film version of “RENT,” and starred in the film “A Joyful Noise.” Taye Diggs (Benny) starred in the films “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Go,” “The Best Man,” and “Chicago.”
After “RENT,” Fredi Walker (Joanne) toured nationally with “The Lion King” as Rafiki. Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel), who won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, appeared in the “RENT” film and also guested on “Law & Order: SVU,” “Medium,” and “Without a Trace.” Finally, Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi) would go on to appear in “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Les Misérables,” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
A film adaptation followed in 2005, and in 2019, FOX brought the musical back to life with “RENT: Live.” A new production of “RENT” is set to open in London’s West End in the fall of 2026.
