Rent
27 January – 11 February
Playhouse Theatre, QPAC
The multi-Tony Award winning rock musical by Jonathan Larson, Rent, will embark on an Australian tour in 2024, opening in Brisbane and moving on to Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Canberra.
Step into the vibrant streets of New York City’s East Village, where 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, Rent is a celebration of life, love, and the human spirit.
This all-new production of Rent is directed by Shaun Rennie, with musical director Andrew Worboys and choreographer Luca Dinardo. Noah Mullins (West Side Story) plays the role of Mark, a struggling documentary filmmaker and best friend of Roger, an HIV-positive musician recovering from heroin addiction, played by Jerrod Smith (The Lovers). Martha Berhane (Hamilton) is Mimi, Calista Nelmes (Jersey Boys NZ) plays spirited performance artist Maureen, Mark’s ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend of Joanne, a tough, headstrong Harvard-educated lawyer played by Thndo (Dreamgirls). Philosophy teacher Collins is played by Nick Afoa (Miss Saigon), with Carl De Villa (Kinky Boots) in the role of Angel, while the role of Benny will be played by Tana Laga’aia (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Completing the cast are Anna Francesca Armenia, Kelsi Boyden (also Resident Director), Mariah Gonzalez, Sam Harmon, Lawrence Hawkins, Josslynn Hlenti, Hannah McInerney, Sam Richardson, Chad Rosete and Theodore Williams.
Rent opened Off-Broadway in 1996 and quickly became a global phenomenon, earning 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 – he died suddenly on the day Rent 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”.
For ticketing and further information about the Brisbane season, visit the QPAC website
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