It's time to celebrate la vie bohème and the residents of Alphabet City. New York Theatre Workshop’s virtual gala 25 Years of Rent: Measured in Love, celebrating the silver anniversary of Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, streams March 2 at 8 PM ET. Among those scheduled to appear are original cast members Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Fredi Walker-Browne, Kristen Lee Kelly, Gilles Chiasson, Rodney Hicks, Aiko Nakasone, and Byron Utley.
A special segment with over 130 Rent alums from productions around the world, including Jordan Fisher, Josh Grisetti, Brennin Hunt, Amber Iman, Amy Spanger, Taylor Trensch, and Mike Wartella, is planned. In addition, the digital event features original compositions created by Dear Evan Hansen creators Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Be More Chill composer Joe Iconis, The Lazours, and Rona Siddiqui.
READ: To Days of Inspiration: Explore the Evolution of Rent Through Jonathan Larson's Own Notes
Also joining in the festivities are Sebastian Arcelus, Annaleigh Ashford, Martha Banta, The Bengsons, Adam Chanler-Berat, Linda Chapman, Nicholas Christopher, Paul Clay, Wilson Cruz, Brandon Victor Dixon, Wendy Ettinger, Stephen Graham, Michael Greif, Janet Harckham, Jeremy O. Harris, Neil Patrick Harris, Victoria Hoffman, Christopher Jackson, Julie Larson, Tamika Lawrence, Telly Leung, Kamilah Marshall, Kevin McCollum, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Shakina Nayfack, James C. Nicola, Eva Noblezada, Dael Orlandersmith, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Will Power, Councilmember Carlina Rivera, Jai Rodriguez, Jeffrey Seller, Leigh Silverman, Ali Stroker, Ephraim Sykes, Bernie Telsey, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, Tracie Thoms, Ivo van Hove, Tom Viola, Tim Weil, Angela Wendt, and Marlies Yearby.
25 Years of Rent is directed by Andy Señor, Jr. with musical supervision by Stephen Oremus and musical direction by Will Van Dyke. The gala is produced in association with Heredia Vision with video production and editing by ZANNI Productions.
The gala was announced earlier this year on the same day that the musical premiered at the Off-Broadway venue in 1996. Larson died early that morning of the opening after suffering an aortic dissection, though his legacy lived on in the show as it transferred to Broadway where it enjoyed a 12-year run at the Nederlander Theatre.
Click here for tickets. The virtual gala will be available to stream for 96 hours.
