Rapp and Pascal were part of the original cast of the New York Theatre workshop production of Jonathan Larson's musical, which transferred to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre after the composer's untimely death and opened on April 29, 1996. Pascal earned a Tony nomination for his performance as aspiring rock singer Roger. The two reprised their roles in the 2005 film version.

After leaving Rent, Rapp played Charlie Brown in the Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, starred in a regional production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and played Seymour in a national tour of Little Shop of Horrors. He also recorded an album and wrote a memoir titled Without You.

Pascal starred in Aida and Cabaret on Broadway and appeared in benefit concerts of Chess and Hair. He appeared in the feature film School of Rock. Pascal has recorded two albums and is gearing up to tour in a one-person show titled “Adam Pascal: Broadway State of Mind.”