Jonathan Larson’s ‘Rent’ is a revolutionary rock-opera musical that follows a group of young creatives living in the East Village of New York amidst the AIDs epidemic. Winning four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, ‘Rent’ is widely regarded as a cultural and artistic phenomenon which carries Larson’s legacy decades after his untimely death the night before the show’s original Off-Broadway premiere.
Now, 30 years after its arrival on Broadway in 1996, ‘Rent’ has returned to London for a West End revival. This is the first time ‘Rent’ has been staged in the West End since a limited revival run at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2003. The anniversary production stars Gaten Matarazzo, best known for his role as Dustin in ‘Stranger Things’, Billy Nevers (Lafayette/ Jefferson; 2023 UK tour of ‘Hamilton’) and Alexa Lopez (Cosette; North American tour of ‘Les Misérables’) as the characters of Mark, Collins and Mimi respectively. Directed by Luke Sheppard, whose previous production of ‘Rent’ at the Hope Mill Theatre won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Regional Production, the revival is most definitely in good hands.
The musical has had a monumental impact on theatre culture since its release, creating a whole new generation of musical theatre fans. It saw a breakout performance from Idina Menzel, who went on to originate the role of Elphaba in ‘Wicked’, and influenced a young Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created ‘Hamilton’, another genre-fusing musical, but its most notable influence is how it changed accessibility to theatre.
The arrival of ‘Rent’ provided a mirror for the younger generation and a window into their experiences, resulting in a huge following of young fans. However, the 1990s had seen dramatic increases in theatre ticket prices and a subsequent decrease in young theatregoers who were unable to afford tickets. Aiming to keep the musical accessible and to honour Larson’s vision of a musical about young artists and creatives for young artists and creatives, the producers introduced the concept of ‘rush tickets’: $20 tickets sold two hours before the show on a first-come, first-served basis. The idea caused a frenzy of self-proclaimed ‘Rentheads’ queuing for hours outside the Nederlander Theatre before shows in hopes of getting their hands on a coveted ticket, driving the show’s immense popularity. The concept has since been adopted by a range of other high-demand shows both on Broadway and in the West End, allowing greater access to theatre shows.
The show’s focus on young adults navigating relationships through an ever-changing social landscape makes it continually relevant to new audiences, and, in a time when right-wing ideals are becoming increasingly prevalent, giving voices to LGBTQ+ characters where we can is more necessary than ever.
As a result, ‘Rent’ continues to resonate, with regular amateur productions being staged around the world, including the University of Sheffield’s very own Performing Arts Society (SUPAS). I spoke with Ellie, the director of SUPAS’s ‘Rent’, and Zara, the show’s producer, about ‘Rent’ and its relevance today:
Renee: What influenced SUPAS to stage ‘Rent’ this year?
Zara: All of our musicals are democratically selected by our members. ‘Rent’ made the committee’s shortlist as it is packed with interesting characters, challenging harmonies, important social topics and loads of opportunities for ensemble work and dance. Also, ‘Rent’ has potential for creative tech choices, without burdening us with problems which are difficult to solve on a university society budget.
Renee: How do you think ‘Rent’ remains relevant to audiences today?
Ellie: The show has messages of friendship, community and navigating relationships through tough circumstances that I think will always be relevant, and it will be really great to see these messages potentially hit a younger university audience and bring to light the physical and emotional effects that the AIDS epidemic had on so many.
Renee: Which part of the production are you most excited to see brought to life by your cast?
Ellie: Since the casting process, it has been really exciting to see the cast bring the characters to life and explore character motivations. I’m really looking forward to “I’ll Cover You- Reprise” and seeing the emotional depth the cast will bring.
Renee: What is something that you want the audience to take away from this production?
Ellie: I think the main takeaway would be the message of community and the idea of being able to lean on friends and be there for each other; that’s the feeling I really want to emulate in this production.
The SUPAS production of ‘Rent’ takes place from 25th– 28th November at The Drama Studio, with tickets available now: ticketsource.co.uk/supas
Image Credit: SUPAS
