Broadway hit musical ‘Rent’ takes 20th Anniversary Tour to Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Feb. 11
From a press release:
“La vie bohème!” One of the longest-running shows on Broadway, “Rent,” is coming to the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. as part of its ongoing 20th Anniversary Tour.
Tickets, which are $45, $55, and $65, plus fees, are on sale now and available at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the Kirby Center (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100.
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 reimagining of Giacomo 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 the New York Theatre Workshop on Feb. 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 for “Rent”), Evan Ensign restages 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 the 2016 Olivier Award-winning production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” “Bandstand,” and the upcoming tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “Ain’t Too Proud.”
