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RENT RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA FOR
20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
AT THE KIMMEL CENTER’S MERRIAM THEATER
MARCH 5 – 10, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, January 31, 2019) – The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present the RENT 20TH Anniversary Tour, coming to Philadelphia on March 5 – 10 at the Merriam Theater on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, as part of the Kimmel Center’s Broadway Philadelphia 2018-19 series.
“How exciting it is to welcome the return of this award-winning musical 20 years after it became a Broadway smash hit!” said Anne Ewers, President and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical is known worldwide as one that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, reminding us all to live in a season of love.”
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.
RENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Merriam Theater on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Friday, March 8, 2019 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Tickets
Tickets are on sale now and start at $40.00. Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 893-1999, visiting www.kimmelculturalcampus.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling (215) 790-5883. More information at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Ticket availability is currently limited. Please continue to check www.kimmelculturalcampus.org in the event new seats become available. Please note: RENT will hold a ticket lottery. A limited number of seats in the first two rows of the orchestra will be available for $25 (cash only) for each performance of RENT. The $25 (cash only) tickets are available for in-person purchases at the Merriam Theater Box Office, located at 250 S. Broad St., on the day of each performance only, two hours prior to the show. The ($25) tickets are limited to two tickets per person, while supplies last.
The Shubert Organization
For more than 100 years, The Shubert Organization has been in the forefront of the American theatre. Under the leadership of Philip J. Smith, Chairman, and Robert E. Wankel, President, the Shubert Organization owns and operates 17 Broadway theatres and six Off-Broadway venues, as well as the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. The company has produced and co-produced hundreds of plays and musicals, including the original Broadway production of CATS, Dreamgirls, Sunday in the Park with George, Amadeus, The Real Thing, The Grapes of Wrath, Equus, The Elephant Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, School of Rock The Musical, and The Humans. The Shubert Organization is proud of its ongoing refurbishment program for its theatres, seeking to preserve the historic character while modernizing them to accommodate the needs of today’s audiences.
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center’s mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2018-2019 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.
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For a PDF version of this press release, click here.