Photo Coverage: Rent Film Cast Performs on The Today Show

The Rent film, which is directed by Chris Columbus (who adapted Jonathan Larson's book with Stephen Chbosky), will be released by Columbia Pictures/Revolution Studios on November 23rd. The original cast--Menzel, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp--is intact but for Daphne Rubin-Vega and Fredi Walker; their respective roles of Mimi and Joanne will be played by Rosario Dawson and Thoms.

With its groundbreaking rock score by Larson and a story that captured the current of its generation, Rent is set in late-90's New York (updated in the film) in the East Village, where a group of artists love and live La Vie Boheme even under the shadow of poverty, failure, illness and death. The La Boheme-based show, which has been running at the Nederlander Theatre since its opening in 1996, won the Pultizer Prize and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as 3 others. Tragically, Larson died a few months before the show opened. It has since run over 3,850 performances and is the 8th longest-running musical in Broadway history.

To learn more about the Rent film, visit Rent">www.sonypictures.com/Rent.

Photos copyright Dima Gavrysh / Retna Ltd.

Anthony Rapp, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tracie Thoms & Adam Pascal Jesse L. Martin For the first number, they were cheered on by Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms & Idina Menzel Tracie Thoms Adam Pascal, Tracie Thoms, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs and Rosario Dawson The cast poses for the camera Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, & Rosario Dawson, Katie Couric, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, & Rosario Dawson Anthony Rapp Adam Pascal Taye Diggs Rosario Dawson Idina Menzel