Photo: Curtis Brown
On Monday night, members of the original Broadway cast of Rent—the iconic rock opera that dropped the plot of La Bohème into Alphabet City during the HIV/AIDS crisis—united with a sprawling company of theater talent to celebrate the show’s 30th birthday before a sold-out crowd at New York’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Rent played its first preview off-Broadway, at the New York Theatre Workshop, on January 25, 1996—the same day that Jonathan Larson, its 35-year-old composer and librettist, died suddenly at his home in Manhattan. Three months later, on April 29, it opened at the Nederlander Theatre, going on to earn 10 Tony nominations (the most of any production that season) and four wins, including for best musical. After making stars of its young actors, including Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Taye Diggs, and Idina Menzel, Rent’s subsequent iterations across the country, in regional and touring productions, also helped to launch the careers of performers like Aaron Tveit, Brandon Uranowitz, and Norbert Leo Butz. (Its Broadway run ended in 2008, after a dozen years and 5,123 regular performances.)
Celebrity guests at Rent during its first year on Broadway:
Barbara Walters and David Geffen on Rent’s opening night, 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Christie Brinkley on opening night.
Photo: Getty Images
Isabella Rossellini on opening night.
Photo: Getty Images
Shirley MacLaine at a performance of Rent in May 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Jodie Foster seeing Rent in May 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward at Rent in May 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Cher seeing the show in May 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at a performance in May 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Jim Carrey at a performance in July 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Eddie Murphy at a performance of Rent in October 1996.
Photo: Getty Images
Al Hirschfeld’s caricature of the original Broadway cast of Rent.
Photo: The Al Hirschfeld Foundation/Getty ImagesTo mark 30 years of Rent—and to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS—nearly 70 actors and singers whose lives have intersected with the show in some way, from Neil Patrick Harris (who starred in the 1997 national tour) to Rachel Zegler (who had to quit a high school production to make her screen test for West Side Story), took the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne for a rollicking and emotional one-night-only concert. (The full thing is available to stream until 11 p.m.)
On the scene to capture the staging’s stars was photographer Curtis Brown. See his portraits—and relive the concert’s joyous celebration of one of musical theater’s most groundbreaking and influential works—below.
Photo: Curtis Brown
Anthony Rapp
Photo: Curtis Brown
Adam Pascal
Photo: Curtis Brown
Daphne Rubin-Vega
Photo: Curtis Brown
Fredi Walker-Browne
Photo: Curtis Brown
Idina Menzel
Photo: Curtis Brown
Rachel Zegler
Photo: Curtis Brown
Aaron Tveit
Photo: Curtis Brown
Nicholas Christopher
Photo: Curtis Brown
Neil Patrick Harris
Photo: Curtis Brown
Jordan Fisher
Photo: Curtis Brown
Tracie Thoms
Photo: Curtis Brown
Eden Espinosa
Photo: Curtis Brown
Wilson Cruz
Photo: Curtis Brown
Merle Dandridge
Photo: Curtis Brown
Ephraim Sykes
Photo: Curtis Brown
Tamyra Gray
Photo: Curtis Brown
Will Chase
Photo: Curtis Brown
Lencia Kebede
Listen to The Run-Through with Vogue, a weekly podcast featuring the most exciting stories and hot takes from the worlds of culture, politics, sports and–of course–fashion
The Vogue Runway app has expanded! Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors.
Vogue is committed to reporting and riffing on the global fashion conversation—always filtered through the lens of culture and what’s happening in the world at large. With a mix of trendsetting content and thoughtful storytelling, our editors keep an eye on what’s now, what’s next, and what truly matters. ... Read More