Vanessa Hudgens to Star as Mimi in RENT at the Hollywood Bowl

Vanessa Hudgens will star as Mimi in the premiere of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl on August 6, 7 & 8, 2010. Hudgens is best known for her breakout role in the High School Musical series as Gabriella Montez, for which she received numerous nominations and awards. Her debut album, V was certified Gold. Her second album, Identified, was released in 2008. She earned critical acclaim for her role in the 2009 film Bandslam. She will next be seen this summer in Beastly, a modern day take on Beauty & the Beast, for CBS Films and recently wrapped Zack Snyder's highly anticipated Sucker Punch for Warner Bros.

Neil Patrick Harris makes his directorial debut of a musical with the premiere of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl. Harris starred in Rent, playing Mark Cohen, for the Los Angeles production/2nd National Tour of the musical in 1997. His performance garnered him a Drama League Award. Tim Weil, the original Musical Supervisor and Conductor for Rent on Broadway, and Musical Supervisor for the 2009 US Tour of Rent, will serve as Musical Director of the Hollywood Bowl's fully staged production.

On casting Vanessa Hudgens, Neil Patrick Harris says, "She came in for a work session, and I must say, Vanessa really impressed. She looks amazing, has great vocal chops, and seems really committed to honoring the somewhat iconic role of Mimi. I look forward to audiences seeing a dark, edgy, and very different side of Vanessa Hudgens this August."

Rent, written by Jonathan Larson and directed by Michael Greif, opened at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre on April 29, 1996, following a history-making, sold-out, extended limited engagement at off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The musical went on to win every major best musical award, including the Tony Award, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Rent played its final performance at the Nederlander Theatre on September 7, 2008 after playing 5,124 performances and 16 previews. Rent is the seventh longest running show in Broadway history and grossed over $280 million during its Broadway run.

WHERE: HOLLYWOOD BOWL
2301 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90068

HOW TO PURCHASE: Subscriptions are currently available for purchase online at HollywoodBowl.com or by calling 323-850-2000. Single tickets (available beginning May 2, 2010) may be purchased online at HollywoodBowl.com, by phone at 323-850-2000, in person at the Hollywood Bowl box office, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.