Umich Grads Headline a Groundbreaking Broadway Smash with Local Company

RENT Debuts at The Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter, April 9

DEXTER, MI -- Graduates from The University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) lead a new production of RENT, presented by The Encore Musical Theatre Company (April 9–May 3, 2026, in the Maas Theatre).

Directed by Matt Bogart, who returns following last season’s acclaimed Sense and Sensibility, this

new production brings fresh immediacy to a work that continues to shape the landscape of

musical theatre.

First premiering Off-Broadway in 1996 before transferring to Broadway, RENT redefined the genre for a new generation. Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, the musical follows a group of young artists navigating life, love, and creative ambition in New York City’s East Village during the height

of the AIDS crisis. With its raw emotional honesty and electrifying score—including “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Take Me or Leave Me”—RENT became a cultural touchstone, earning four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

At its core, RENT is a story of friendship, resilience, and the power of chosen family. Filmmaker Mark and musician Roger wrestle with purpose and loss, while Mimi, Collins, Angel, Maureen, JoAnne, and Benny each seek connection in a rapidly changing world. Nearly 30 years after its debut, the musical’s message remains as urgent and deeply felt as ever.

“Jonathan Larson’s RENT reminds us, with aching clarity, that there is only this brief, luminous now,” says director Matt Bogart.

“Larson died suddenly on January 25, 1996, just hours before the show’s first preview. RENT is more than his legacy—it’s a living, breathing reflection of the community he loved.”

The cast features University of Michigan SMTD graduates Sam O’Neill as Roger and Ze’ev

Barmor as Mark, alongside Daniela Rodriguez del Bosque as Mimi, Elle Michaels as Maureen,

Zee Happonen as JoAnne, Jason Tyler Smith as Benny, Melvin Tunstall III as Collins, and Jamaur Houston as Angel. The ensemble includes Sophia Leverett, Isabella Pruter, MacKenzie Crawford, Bella Chauny, Chris Joseph, Chase Ra’Mel Phillips, and Cody Dent.

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, video and projection designer Emma

Hutchinson, and prop designer Anne Donevan, with stage management led by Sarah M. Delia.

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