Anthony Rapp News

RENT owned the 90s. No other Broadway show managed to have the dual impact on society by becoming not only a pop culture phenomenon, but also changing perceptions of what a musical on Broadway could be - and, most importantly, how it could sound. Contemporary, cool, caustic and engaging, RENT updated LA BOHEME to the East Village just as Jonathan Larson updated the way the general public looked at Broadway at a time when musicals had fallen farther out of fashion than they had since their early years approaching the turn of the last century. Yet, at the end of the millennium - to quote one of the show’s lyrics - RENT represented the hopes, dreams and desires of many Broadway babies and what we hoped would be achieved on the Great White Way in the new century. While SPRING AWAKENING, AMERICAN IDIOT and NEXT TO NORMAL certainly stand as solid continuations of the rock musical formula recalibrated and made anew in the mold made by RENT, no show since RENT has quite managed to have the cultural impact and win over audiences and critics alike in as major a way as that Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical has - with the exception, perhaps, of WICKED, which obviously owes a debt to its Oz-ian source inspiration and the built-in audience that comes along with that. Yes, indeed, RENT represents an entire generation in its sound, style, ideals and overall feeling, mood and tone and the subsequent success of the many members of the simply astounding assortment of talents that comprised the original cast acts as evidence that the show may have had the cast of the decade, as well. (more...)

In 1994 Anthony Rapp was working at a Starbucks and about to audition for Rent a new musical by a young guy named Jonathan Larson. An inspiring story about friends and artists struggling in New York’s Lower East Side, it was based loosely on Puccini’s La Bohème. Anthony got the part, but Jonathan died suddenly the night before the musical’s off-Broadway premiere. (more...)

Anthony Rapp will perform his one-man show, Anthony Rapp: Without You — An Evening of Love, Loss and the Musical Rent, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on August 1-26. (more...)

POP!, a new musical by Maggie-Kate Coleman and Anna K. Jacobs, directed by Brad Rouse and choreographed by Billy Porter is currently playing until May 19 at the City Theater Mainstage, 1300 Bingham St, Pittsburgh, PA. Check out this behind the scenes video featuring an interview with star Anthony Rapp who plays Andy Warhol plus and idea of what to expect from the music and dancing. (more...)

National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. (NBLCA) will host its 25th Anniversary Choose Life Awards Hall of Hope and Remembrance Benefit Reception on Thursday, June 7, 2012, at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. (more...)

The limited engagement will be at The Way Off Broadway Theatre in the Willowtree Plaza off the Golden Mile (Route 40 West) in Frederick, Maryland with performances Thursday evening, May 24, Friday, evening May 25, and Saturday evening, May 26, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and must be purchased with cash or check. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the theatre’s Box Office or calling (301) 662-6600. (more...)

The Annenberg Theatre will present Upright Cabaret’s RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT on April 27 at 8:00 pm. RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT is the third installment of Upright Cabaret’s “American Icon” Series and will star Olivier Award-Winner Lesli Margherita, Lexi Lawson (Rent, In The Heights)) and Rogelio Douglas Jr. (In The Heights, The Little Mermaid)). This high energy, multi-media Cabaret celebrates the music of Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Santana and features pop favorites such as Livin’ La Vida Loca, Shake Your Bon-Bon, Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Anything for You, Smooth, Let It Shine, and more, performed live with the Upright Cabaret band! (more...)

Broadway Recycled features Broadway performers singing songs cut from shows - that shouldn’t go to waste! Now in its third year, this Earth Day concert at Joe’s Pub has previously featured some of the most talented performers on Broadway, including Anthony Rapp, Ann Harada, Andy Karl, Mario Cantone, and composer Jason Robert Brown. The concert is directed by Jennifer Ashley Tepper, with music direction by Julie McBride. (more...)

The NYC concert series If It Only Even Runs A Minute will have its London debut at the Landor Theatre on Monday April 23rd. The series, which is a Time Out Critics’ Pick in New York, celebrates rare songs, behind the scenes stories and inspiring photos from underappreciated musicals. (more...)

CHRIS ISAACSON announces the performers for UPRIGHT CABARET's AMERICAN ICON SERIES' third show of their 3rd Season, RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT, starring Olivier Award-Winner LESLI MARGHERITA, American Idol’s DAVID HERNANDEZ (Thousand Oaks and Hollywood Shows only) & LEXI LAWSON, (Rent, In The Heights)) and ROGELIO DOUGLAS, JR. (In The Heights, The Little Mermaid)) celebrating the music of Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Santana! (more...)

City Theatre will end its 2011-2012 season with POP!, a new musical in one act by Maggie-Kate Coleman and Anna K. Jacobs. Directed by Brad Rouse, POP! runs on City Theatre’s Main Stage from May 5-27, 2012 with an Opening Night performance on Friday, May 11 at 8pm. (more...)

EVITA opened last night, April 5, at the Marquis Theatre! The company of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's landmark musical is led by Ricky Martin as Che, Elena Roger in her Broadway debut as Eva Perón and Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón, along with Max von Essen as Migaldi and Rachel Potter as the Mistress. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening's starry opening night arrivals and brings you photo coverage below! (more...)

Pittsburgh's City Theatre will present POP!- a rock musical about Andy Warhol. This brand new show will star Anthony Rapp (Rent, Dazed and Confused) as Andy Warhol and will be directed by Brad Rouse (Hedwig at City Theatre) and choreographed by Billy Porter (Broadway star and international recording artist). The show will be performed at City Theatre May 5-27, 2012. (more...)

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR opened on Broadway last night, Thursday, March 22 and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the red carpet arrivals! (more...)

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS just celebrated 1,000 performances on Broadway yesterday, March 14th at the 2pm matinee performance. Memphis stars Montego Glover, Chad Kimball, Adam Pascal, Derrick Baskin, James Monroe Iglehart and John Jellison were in attendance, as well as Memphis book and music writers Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, Memphis choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and Rent's Anthony Rapp. BroadwayWorld has your coverage of the event with interviews with past and present stars of Memphis. Watch the video below! (more...)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Bernadette visits SMASH, The Acting Copany honors Patti, MEMPHIS hits 1000 shows, and so much more! (more...)

Hockadoo! The 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS just celebrated 1,000 performances on Broadway on Wednesday, March 14th at the 2pm matinee performance. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the celebration below! (more...)

Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, the original cast members of RENT, reunite on the SOPAC stage on April 14th. (more...)

When you take on an iconoclastic production such as Jonathan Larson’s RENT, you either have a whole lot of talent in your back pocket, or you are just plain ludicrous. Fortunately for Shadowbox Live, it was a case of the former that resulted in a fantastic opportunity to see this incredible story about Bohemians in Alphabet City, NYC struggling with life, love and AIDS, brought to life in local form. (more...)

The Highline Ballroom has announced upcoming shows for March 12th through April 12th. All shows will take place at the Highline Ballroom at 431 West 16th Street between 9th Avenue and 10th Avenue. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketweb, online at ticketweb.com or at the Highline Box Office from noon until doors close at 866-468-7619. (more...)