RENT 20th Anniversary Tour to Hit the National Theatre This June

The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour will play the National Theatre, where the original touring production made its Washington-area premiere 20 years ago, for one week only, June 20 through 25, 2017.

Tickets starting at $48 are on sale now at www.thenationaldc.com, or by calling (800) 514-3849. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling (855) 486-2516. For more information, call (202) 628-6161 or visit www.thenationaldc.com.

A day-of-performance lottery for a select number of prime orchestra seats at $20 each - cash only, limit two per person - will be held at the theater two hours before each performance. The tradition of the $20 tickets began in 1996 in New York when the show moved to Broadway after a sold-out run in a small downtown theater. The producers of RENT are committed to continuing that tradition in each city on the tour.

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway... and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson's RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love.

The show received its world premiere off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on February 13, 1996, to ecstatic reviews and transferred to Broadway on April 29, 1996. RENT is winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is one of only five musicals to win both awards.

Based on the original direction by Michael Greif (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations, RENT), Evan Ensign will restage this 20th anniversary tour. Marlies Yearby (Tony Nomination, RENT) will serve as choreographer.

The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour is produced by Work Light Productions, whose other touring productions include Cinderella, MAMMA MIA!, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Vocalosity, and Crazy For You.

For more information, visit www.thenationaldc.com or www.rentontour.net.

JAM Theatricals began programming and managing the National Theatre in 2013. Recent presentations include the pre-Broadway engagement of If/Thenwith Idina Menzel, Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury, Jersey Boys, and the Washington premieres of Motown The Musical, American Idiot, and Newsies. Located at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the National Theatre opened in 1835 and is one of the oldest continuously operating Broadway theaters in the nation. Over the years, the National has hosted a multitude of memorable events, including the pre-Broadway presentations of the musicals Show Boat; Hello, Dolly!; and West Side Story. Many of the world's greatest performers have graced the National Theatre stage including Robert Redford, George C. Scott, Will Rogers, Helen Hayes, James Earl Jones, Eartha Kitt, Sir Laurence Olivier, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Katherine Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Ian McKellen, Debbie Reynolds, and Audrey Hepburn.

Under the direction of co-founders Arny Granat and Steve Traxler, JAM Theatricals manages more than 25 Broadway series markets across North America and has produced more than 45 shows on Broadway, receiving 27 Tony Award nominations and winning nine Tony Awards. Productions this season on Broadway include Fiddler on the Roof, The Color Purple, and Waitress.

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