The Broadway cast of Rent has remained together since the show opened at the Nederlander Theatre, April 29, 1996, but on April 5, Daphne Rubin-Vega will leave the show to take a movie role. Rubin-Vega plays Mimi Marquez, the tragic character based on Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme. According to Don Summa of the Richard Kornberg press office, Vega's role will by played by Marcy Harriell, who may even step in for the Saturday April 6 matinee (Rubin-Vega will definitely appear in the Saturday night performance).

This marks another big career move for Rubin-Vega, who lists in her Playbill bio not only Randy Newman's Rent in La Jolla, but "scrubbing floors and doing laundry." The film beckoning the actress is called "Wild Things," produced by Mandelay and Tri-Star.

Harriell played Maria in the 1995 U.S. National tour of West Side Story, and she was part of the workshop for Paul Simon's Capeman musical.

In other Rent cast news, the Boston company has changed Rogers (the Adam Pascal role). Sean Keller has been replaced by Manley Pope. All the other Boston Renters, however, are still in place.

For tickets and information on Rent on Broadway, call (212) 307 4100.