RENT Opens Music Theatre Of Connecticut’s 39th Mainstage Season

Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC) MainStage will launch its 39th season with Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical Rent, running September 26 through October 12, 2025. Performances will take place Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., with an additional Sunday evening performance at 7 p.m. on October 5.

Loosely inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, Rent follows a year in the lives of young artists and musicians struggling to create and survive on New York’s Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the musical has become a cultural landmark with songs that defined a generation, including “Seasons of Love” and “La Vie Bohème.”

The MTC production will star Jacob Heimer (Beautiful on Broadway) as Roger, Joe Tolentino (Rent with director Adam Pascal) as Mark, Cedric Leiba Jr. (Rent tour, Miss Saigon) as Angel, Darrick Penny (Rent with Adam Pascal) as Tom, LaDonna Burns (Rent national tour, MTC’s Ghost, CT Critics Circle Award winner) as Joanne, Olivia Fenton (Moon Over Buffalo, Hank Williams: Lost Highway) as Maureen, Gabriela Gomez (Disney Cruise Line’s Aladdin) as Mimi, and Matt Mancuso (Ghost, As You Like It) as Benny. The ensemble includes Sadie Seelert (Mary Poppins on Broadway), Leeanna Rubin (Annie national tour), Carlos Pérez (The Little Mermaid), and Charles Romano (Sweeney Todd).

Directed and choreographed by Chris McNiff with music direction by David Wolfson, the creative team also includes Theresa Stark (stage management), Dan O’Driscoll (fight & intimacy direction), Marty Marchitto (scenic design), Scott Borowka (lighting design), Claudia Ruck (props), Diane Vanderkroef (costumes), and Jon Damast (sound).

Special Performances

• Saturday, September 27 at 8 p.m. – Opening Night

• Sunday, October 5 at 7 p.m. – Norwalk High School Theatre Company Benefit

Ticketing Information