Encore Hosts Rock Musical RENT

The Encore Musical Theatre Company is presenting Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock musical RENT, running April 9–May 3, 2026 in The Maas Theatre at The Encore. This new production is directed by Matt Bogart, who returns after directing last season’s Sense and Sensibility.

Created by Jonathan Larson in 1996 and inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, the show captures a year in the lives of young artists struggling to survive in New York City’s East Village during the height of the AIDS crisis. With its raw emotion and electrifying score—including “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Take Me or Leave Me”—RENT became a cultural touchstone. The musical earned four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

“Jonathan Larson’s RENT reminds us, with aching clarity: ‘There is no future, there is no past. There is only this brief, luminous now,’” Bogart said. “Larson died suddenly on January 25, 1996, at age 35, just hours before the show’s first preview. His death was caused by an undiagnosed case of Marfan syndrome, which led to a fatal aortic dissection. RENT is more than Jonathan’s legacy—it is a living document of his community.”

The cast features University of Michigan SMTD graduates Sam O’Neill as Roger and Ze’ev Barmor as Mark, Daniela Rodriguez del Bosque (who starred as Maria in West Side Story during Encore’s last season) as Mimi, Elle Michaels as Maureen, Zee Happonen as JoAnne, Jason Tyler Smith as Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III, Melvin Tunstall III as Tom Collins, and Jamaur Houston as Angel. Sophia Leverett, Isabella Pruter, MacKenzie Crawford, Bella Chauny, Chris Joseph, Chase Ra’Mel Phillips, and Cody Dent round out the ensemble.

The creative team includes music director R. Mackenzie Lewis, choreographer Alex Mitchell, scenic designer Sarah Tanner, lighting designer Rachel Lauren, costume designer Matthew Eggers, sound designers Chris Goosman and Jasper Watson, prop designer Anne Donevan, and a stage management team led by Sarah M. Delia. The production is generously sponsored by Kate, Lexi Rae and Finn Heywood.

Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), RENT is sponsored by Kate, Lexi Rae, and Finn Heywood.

Tickets are available now at TheEncoreTheatre.org or by calling The Encore’s box office at 734.268.6200, Tues.-Fri. 10am-2pm, and are priced at $44-$65 for adults and $34 for children 17 and under.