'Go Rent!' Original Star Jesse L. Martin on the Musical's Return to the New York Stage

Rent, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical by Jonathan Larson, is officially headed back to the New York stage. The production, which is being helmed by original Rent director Michael Greif, set dates this summer at off-Broadway’s New World Stages. Broadway.com asked Jesse L. Martin, who played Tom Collins in the original company as well as the movie adaptation, about the musical’s return to the boards.

"I think it’s amazing! I want Rent to last forever,” Martin exclaimed and then added, “I’m a little shocked, to be honest, that’s it going to be back so soon, and that Michael Greif is directing it again. But if anybody can do it, he can. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s retold."

Martin noted that the world has changed since Rent’s premiere at off-Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop on January 26, 1996 (it moved to Broadway in April of that year). "It’s definitely a period piece now," the actor, who just landed a new TV pilot, told Broadway.com, "but the music is timeless and absolutely beautiful. I think it’s going to stick around for a really, really long time. There are constantly new productions—it’s happening all over the world, so go Rent!"