Video: First Look at The Atlanta Opera's RENT

Get ready for an electrifying experience as The Atlanta Opera brings Rent to life like never before. Get a glimpse of the raw emotion, unforgettable music, and heart-pounding energy that defines Rent. Watch as the story of love, friendship, and survival unfolds in the vibrant streets of New York’s East Village.

Following last season's traditional production of Puccini's La bohème, the Atlanta Opera Discoveries series continues “The Bohème Project” in September with two immersive productions. Produced by Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun with Ukrainian-Israeli American designer, director, and multimedia artist Vita Tzykun, the Discoveries series “Bohème Project” comprises repertory performances of a modern-day La bohème – with the COVID-19 pandemic in place of tuberculosis – with the Broadway show it inspired, Jonathan Larson's Rent, which updated Puccini's story of friendship, passion, and art by setting it in the midst of the 1990's HIV/AIDS crisis. Performed on the same set at Atlanta's Pullman Yards, with the action taking place in and around the seated audience, the productions will feature different casts and musical forces and will alternate nights for most of the run. On September 22 and 29, the two works will be performed back-to-back. Zvulun explains: “La bohème is such a romantic, sweeping opera that we forget sometimes that the story is about the impact on a whole generation of a devastating pandemic, in this case tuberculosis, which ravaged the world in the 19th century. Our own generation has been forever altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact will be with us for many years to come.

In 2024, The Atlanta Opera launched an experimental program that we named the “Bohème Project,” using that timeless story to reflect on three pandemics: tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. Last season's traditional presentation of La bohème was part of our Mainstage series. In the fall, we return to the historic space of Pullman Yards to present immersive, groundbreaking productions of Rent and a brand-new adaptation of La bohème as part of our Discoveries series.” La bohème will be sung in Italian with English supertitles, and Rent will be sung in English.

The Atlanta Opera Discoveries series has been widely recognized for presenting new works, new ideas and fresh perspectives, as well as for performances in alternative venues that bring opera to new audiences across the Atlanta metro area. One of the city's premier entertainment destinations, Pullman Yards – where The Atlanta Opera also mounted its recent production of Cabaret – is now also home to Fishmonger, named among Bon Appetit's best new restaurants for 2023.

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