Bucks County Playhouse is marking the 30th anniversary of Jonathan Larson’s landmark rock musical “Rent” with a production that honors the show’s legacy while bringing new clarity, energy and humanity to its story of love, friendship and community.
Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award nominee Jennifer Weber, whose Broadway credits include “& Juliet” and “KPOP,” the production runs through Sunday, Sept. 13, at the New Hope theater.
Weber’s production works on so many levels, touches on so many themes and sheds light on so many facets of Larson’s musical that it is more than another rendition of a pantheon musical. It’s a rejuvenation.
Never has “Rent” looked so good or been so exciting. Or been so genuinely moving.
Weber and her unanimously outstanding cast are a living, breathing 30th anniversary gift to a show that needed the rethinking, pulsating drive and unending heart they give it. This production makes Larson’s characters more immediate and his songs more meaningful, bringing the musical to full, textured and vibrant life.
Since its Broadway premiere in 1996, “Rent” has inspired generations with its story of struggling artists living in New York City’s East Village during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and four Tony Awards, including best musical.
The score includes “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” “Take Me or Leave Me” and “I’ll Cover You.”
Rather than attempting to recreate the original production, Weber approaches “Rent” as a living work of theater, rooted firmly in the East Village of the 1990s but able to speak just as directly to contemporary audiences.
“‘Rent’ is 30 years old, but we still tend to think about it as if it was written yesterday,” Weber said. “There are people in our cast who weren’t even born when ‘Rent’ premiered. They’re discovering this story with fresh eyes, and that creates an exciting conversation between the original generation of ‘Rent’ fans and a new generation experiencing it for the first time.”
That approach makes “Rent” seem at once more monumental and more intimate. The production rekindles the 1990s and one of the bleakest periods of the AIDS epidemic while commenting cogently on current times. Artists still congregate in inexpensive spaces, pursue their ambitions and form communities with others living on society’s margins.
Weber, known for her physical storytelling, uses choreography and movement to give structure to the sprawling story. Her production also emphasizes that the events of “Rent” unfold over the course of a year, from one Christmas to the next.
Mark Cohen, the filmmaker who documents the lives around him, becomes an especially effective guide. His commentary gives shape to the production and helps connect individual scenes to the larger story. The repeated reminders of time passing give added meaning to the musical’s famous measurement of a year in 525,600 minutes.
“I want audiences to reconnect with ‘Rent’ in a way that feels present,” Weber said. “I want people to hear the music differently because of what they see on stage.”
The production succeeds particularly well in establishing the relationships at the center of Larson’s story. The love between Angel and Tom Collins develops naturally, while the often-troubled romance between Mimi and Roger becomes more focused and affecting. Maureen and Joanne emerge distinctly as both a couple and individuals, while Mark’s position as observer, participant and potential escapee from the neighborhood takes on greater significance.
Sam Primack, of Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” makes the most of Mark’s role as guide and documentarian. Primack captures the character’s dilemma as someone who is part of the community he chronicles but also has the opportunity to pursue a professional future beyond it.
Austin Turner, who previously appeared in “Rent” at North Shore Music Theatre, plays Roger Davis, the musician struggling to write one great song while confronting AIDS, his past and his growing feelings for Mimi. Turner makes Roger’s angst convincing without losing sight of the character’s vulnerability.
Alysia Velez, whose Broadway credits include “Into the Woods,” gives Mimi an almost operatic dimension. She is wily and determined in her early pursuit of Roger and increasingly fragile as the story progresses.
David Merino, whose Broadway credits include “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” is a glorious Angel Schunard, capturing the character’s exuberance, compassion and humanity.
Owen Scales makes Tom Collins an ideal partner for Angel, while Kevin Trinio Perdido deftly handles the contradictions of Benjamin Coffin III.
Tiernan Tunnicliffe brings both narcissism and cleverness to performance artist Maureen Johnson, while Veronica Otim gives Joanne Jefferson a steadiness that distinguishes her from the more volatile personalities surrounding her.
The ensemble includes Dré Hinds, Aubrey Jones, Jack Hopewell, Michael Marrero, JP Qualters, Lauren Soto and Sunayna Smith. Their performances help populate Weber’s Alphabet City with characters who feel less like background figures than members of a recognizable community.
The design contributes significantly to that effect.
Tom Rogers’ set transforms the loft shared by Roger, Mark and others into a convincing Lower East Side artists’ space while allowing its elements to move efficiently into other configurations. Nicole V. Moody’s costumes firmly establish the characters in the 1990s while distinguishing their personalities, and Yael Lubetzky’s lighting adds color, movement and mood.
Producing Artistic Director BT McNicholl said Weber’s approach preserves the musical’s central themes while allowing audiences to see the story from a new perspective.
“‘Rent’ has earned its place among the defining works of American musical theater because it speaks so honestly about love, loss, hope and community,” McNicholl said. “Jennifer’s vision honors the heart of Jonathan Larson’s remarkable musical while revealing new layers that make this story feel immediate, deeply human and as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.”
The production is the fourth show in Bucks County Playhouse’s 2026 season.
Founded in 1939 by a group of Broadway artists, Bucks County Playhouse underwent a major restoration before reopening in 2012. The theater now welcomes more than 80,000 patrons annually and has staged productions including “Company,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “42nd Street,” “Grease,” “Anastasia: The Musical,” “White Christmas” and “Elf: The Musical.”
For this anniversary production, Weber and her company have done more than revisit “Rent.” They have made a familiar musical feel immediate again, creating a production that could easily serve as the Broadway revival that puts a capstone on the show’s 30th anniversary and offers another tribute to Larson and his lasting achievement.
“Rent” runs through Sunday, Sept. 13, at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., New Hope, Pennsylvania. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $44 to $79. For tickets and information, visit buckscountyplayhouse.org or call 215-862-2121.
