RENT Returning to Hayes Theatre Co.

Highway Run Productions' 2015 smash-hit RENT was one of the fastest-selling shows at Hayes Theatre Co, selling out before it opened, and enjoying some of the most enthusiastic audience responses to date. The hit production returns to the intimate space from March 29 for a strictly limited three-week season.

Joining the supremely talented young cast in the roles of Mimi and Joanne are two of musical theatre's most powerful voices, Angelique Cassimatis (Rocky Horror Show, King Kong, Strictly Ballroom) and Chloe Zuel (Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, Hairspray), both currently starring in the critically acclaimed production of Little Shop of Horrors at Hayes Theatre Co. Also joining the cast in featured ensemble roles are Ayeesha Ash (Bell Shakespeare Players) and recent WAAPA graduate Heather Manley.

Stephen Madsen reprises his Sydney Theatre Award-nominated performance as Mark and Linden Furnell, who won a Best Newcomer Glug Award for his performance as Roger, will return to the role. Laura Bunting, Chris Scalzo, Nana Matapule and Matthew Pearce will reprise their roles of Maureen, Angel, Collins and Benny, respectively. Completing the cast are Denise Devlin, Josh Gardiner, Jack O'Riley and Chloe Wilson.

Producers Toby Francis and Lauren Peters are incredibly proud of the success of their production. "We knew that we had created something special, but we didn't expect for the show to be received with such passion and enthusiasm," they said. "RENT is a story of love and acceptance and the cast fully embraced this. They formed a beautiful family just like the characters they were playing and we're excited to welcome four new members into this loved-up group of bohemians."

Jonathan Larson's RENT opened Off-Broadway in 1996 and quickly became a global phenomenon. The show earned 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 of his masterwork - he died suddenly in the early hours of the very day the show opened to the public - its longevity serves as a testament to the emotional resonance of Larson's creation and an embodiment of its ever-present message: "no day but today".

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