Rent the musical returns to Boston for 20th anniversary tour

BOSTON — It's been more than 20-years since Rent debuted on Broadway and launched its national show right here in Boston. The musical broke barriers and box office records, tackling AIDS, LGBTQ rights and gentrification.

When Rent debuted on Broadway more than 20 years ago, it was seen as a social protest in the form of art. Boston 25 News sat down with two cast members and asked how the play has remained relevant to modern audiences.

The first national tour for the iconic musical Rent started here in Boston in 1996 on stage at the Shubert Theater.

"The history of the show that's been here, the actors who have told the story in this very theater before us, in a sense we've been here before," said Kelsee Sweigard, who portrays Maureen Johnson in the play. "The spirit of this same show has been here before."

Sweigard and Joshua Tavares – AKA Maureen and Angel – spoke with Boston 25 News about stepping into roles that helped start a national conversation around HIV and AIDS, LGBTQ equality, and the rapid gentrification of city neighborhoods.

"Just because it's an old conversation, 24 years later doesn't mean that the problems are solved, and that everyone feels like they have an inclusive, safe place to go and that their homes aren't in danger or their lives frankly aren't in danger for who they are and how they need to express themselves," Sweigard said.

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Tavares' character, Angel, is widely considered the heart of the show and an inspiration to trans youth.

"They'll be like, 'I see myself in this character,'" he said. “And it gave me the strength to love the person I am and be in the skin that I'm in. And that to me is such a huge blessing."

In 1996 the Jonathan Larson play resonated so deeply with Shubert Theatre-goers that it ran for a record 29 weeks. And while the 20th anniversary tour will only be in Boston for a fraction of that time, Kelsee and Joshua say the call to action endures.

“Even though there are some harsh topics, protests and some fights […] it's always, at the core, always love,” Sweigard said.

"We can be different, but at the end of the day, we're all part of the same human race, and that requires love and respect for everyone," Tavares said.

Rent was the first production to offer rush tickets back in 1996 to make sure that all of the people represented in the play had access to the musical.

Cox Media Group