Idol Stars Winckler & Robinson Join 'Rent' National Tour

New cast changes for the national tour of Rent have announced: Heinz Winckler will be playing Roger Davis and Anwar Robinson will be taking on the role of Tom Collins.  Winckler was the winner of the first "South African Idol" in 2002 and the 4th place finalist in the 2003 inaugural "World Idol" competition, in which he competed against "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson. Robinson was the 7th place finalist on the 4th season of "American Idol."

On stage, Winckler played Tony in the Toronto production of West Side Story. Winckler has recorded three hit albums with Sony BMG, including: "One Step Closer," "Come Alive" (both South African Music Award nominees for Best Pop Album) and "Moment of Truth."

Robinson will make his stage debut in this touring production of Rent. American audiences will recall Robinson as the Music Teacher who was rocketed to television stardom on season four of the pop-culture phenomenon "American Idol."  His vocal range quickly landed him a coveted spot in Idol's Top 10.

Now in its 12th anniversary season, Rent is the theatrical experience that transformed how a generation feels about musicals, changed Broadway forever and inspired a major motion picture.  Rent is a joyous, breathtaking and often heartbreaking musical that celebrates a community of young artists as they struggle with the soaring hopes and tough realities of today's world.

Rent, written by Jonathan Larson and directed by Michael Greif, opened at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre, on April 29, 1996, following a history-making, sold-out, limited engagement at off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The musical went on to win every major best musical award, including the Tony Award, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Rent is the 7th longest running show in Broadway history.