RENT 20th Anniversary Tour Comes To Van Wezel

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has announced that tickets for the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour are on sale now. The Broadway musical will play April 9 at 7:30 p.m. and April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Van Wezel Box Office, by visiting www.VanWezel.org or by calling (941) 953-3368. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling (941) 363-2025.

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 won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Based on original direction by Michael Greif (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations, RENT), Evan Ensign re-stages the 20th anniversary tour. Original Broadway creatives Marlies Yearby (Choreography), Angela Wendt (Costume Design) and Tim Weil (Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements) are joined by Jonathan Spencer (Lighting Design), Keith Caggiano (Sound Design), MiRi Park (Associate Choreographer) and Matthew E. Maraffi (adapting original scenic design by Paul Clay) to make up the creative team for the tour. Casting for the tour is by Wojcik | Seay Casting.

The RENT 20th Anniversary Tour is produced by Work Light Productions, whose other touring productions include Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Something Rotten!, and the upcoming tour of the 2016 Olivier Award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Tickets start at $47. Purchase at VanWezel.org, the Box Office or by calling (941) 953-3368. Groups of 10 or more should contact (941) 363-2025. These performances are sponsored by Wilde Lexus Sarasota and ABC7. Pre-show dining is available Mattison's at Bayside located in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and can be reserved at VanWezel.org or through the Box Office.