Rent debuted at New York Theatre Workshop before moving to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre, where it opened on April 29, 1996. The rock musical earned 10 Tony Award nominations and netted four awards, including Best Musical and Best Score. Based on Giacomo Puccini's classic 1896 opera, La Boheme, the tuner tells the story of struggling young artists living on the edge and reaching for glory in New York's East Village. The late Jonathan Larson wrote the show's book, music and lyrics. The original cast of Rent included Gilles Chiason, Taye Diggs, Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rodney Hicks, Kristen Lee Kelly, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Aiko Nakasone, Timothy Britten Parker, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Gwen Stewart, Byron Utley, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Fredi Walker-Browne. The entire cast previously reunited for a concert at Studio 54 on June 4, 2001.

A film version of Rent , featuring original principals Diggs, Heredia, Martin, Menzel, Pascal and Rapp, was recently shot. The movie is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2005.

The Rent reunion concert will begin at 7pm at the Nederlander Theatre and will be followed by a grand celebration at the Hammerstein Ballroom. In addition to the original cast, other Rent alums will also participate. Tickets begin at $1000 and include the post-performance party. In keeping with the Rent tradition, tickets for the first two rows of the theater will be available for $25. Proceeds from the benefit will be shared amongst the three beneficiary organizations: Friends in Deed, the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation and New York Theatre Workshop.