Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre will host a star-studded 30th anniversary gala performance of the seminal rock musical Rent on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. The one-night-only presentation of the full show will bring together original cast members, the original band, and special guests to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Public ticket sales and sponsorships will open on Monday, June 1, at noon Eastern time via broadwaycares.org/rent30. Presentation of the gala is made possible by presenting sponsor ViiV Healthcare, with additional support from The Nederlander Organization, The Shubert Organization, the John Gore Organization, Dwight Curry, and Mary Fisher.
The anniversary concert will be helmed by original Rent director and five-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif. Original music director Tim Weil is also returning to conduct the production’s original stage band, featuring Kenny Brescia, Stephanie Mack, Jeff Potter, and Daniel A. Weiss.
“Jonathan wrote Rent in honor of the people he knew who were living and struggling with HIV and in honor of the many friends and contemporaries he lost to AIDS,” Greif said. “I know he’d be proud and honored to join forces with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of his milestone musical.”
The event is being produced by Broadway Cares in partnership with Andy Jones, the founder of Baseline Theatrical, who previously served on the management team of the original 1996 Broadway run. New commemorative poster art for the milestone event was created by the show’s original promotional designers, Naomi Mizusaki and Drew Hodges.
“We thought about what poster those same characters would make for the 30th, and built it on top of that first ad,” Hodges said. “We also wanted to make something that people who love Rent might keep and frame.”
Written by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical captures a tight-knit group of artists navigating the impacts of HIV/AIDS in New York City’s East Village. The show originally transitioned from the New York Theatre Workshop to Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre in 1996, logging 5,123 performances before its final curtain on Sept. 7, 2008.
Proceeds from the anniversary event will fund Broadway Cares’ ongoing national grant initiatives. The organization provides financial support to more than 450 health and family service organizations across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., and serves as the primary funder for social programs at the Entertainment Community Fund.
“Jonathan Larson provided a voice to communities and reminded us all of the power of compassion, care and showing up for one another,” said Danny Whitman, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. “Through this extraordinary anniversary concert, that spirit of collaboration will translate into even more care and critical support for those who need it most today.”
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