Iconic ’90s NYC musical, ‘Rent,’ comes to MRT stage

“Rent,” the groundbreaking rock musical that took New York by storm in the late 1990s, is coming to the stage of May River Theatre in Bluffton June 30.

“Rent” is set in the East Village of New York City, and is based loosely on Puccini’s “La Boheme,” which premiered a century before the musical. The story, written by playwright Billy Aronson and composer Jonathan Larson, follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side.

Characters Mark, Roger, Mimi, Tom, Angel, Maureen, Joanne and Benny quickly weave the audience into their stories of discovery, hope, loss and ultimately love.

Elizabeth Schlieger and David McLaughlin return to the MRT stage as a directorial team for the upcoming production.

Veteran and new-to-MRT performers are thrilled to be bringing to this stage the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that shaped a generation of audiences. The cast includes Mark Erickson (Roger Davis), Aidan Tibbitt (Mark Cohen), Haley Spencer (Mimi Marquez), Blake Carter (Angel Dumott Schunard), Carlos Nieto (Tom Collins), Angela Chancay (Joanne Jefferson), Cait Schlieger (Maureen Johnson), and Jared Cotton (Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III). The rockstar ensemble includes Alex Clark,

Chris Hoffer, Seth Cole, Allison Manning, Kyle Price, Ellie Friedman, Annalee Hunter and Heather Bell.

For the first time since before the pandemic MRT will be having a live pit band to help bring this passionate story to life.

“After three rehearsals with this cast, I am amazed at their level of talent as well as their level of compassion for each other and this story of love that Jonathan Larson has given us,” said director Schlieger. “Each of these performers have given themselves fully, and it is a gift that I can be part of this journey.”

Performances are June 30, July 1, 6, 7 at 7:30 p.m. and July 2 and 9 at 2 p.m. at Ulmer Auditorium inside Bluffton Town Hall, 20 Bridge St.

Tickets are $25 and are available now at mayrivertheatre.com.

May River Theatre is a local theatre company started by the late Ed and Jodie Dupuis in 2002. MRT currently has nine volunteer board members that are committed to engaging the Bluffton community through a breadth of quality theatrical performances that facilitate growth in both the production and understanding of the entire theatrical experience. They are actively involved both in front of and behind the curtain. For more information on tickets, sponsorships, gift certificates and becoming part of the MRT family, visit mayrivertheatre.com.