“Rent” Musical

Jonathan Larson’s famous musical Rent will be staged again in Madrid, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. José Luis Sixt’s production, adapted by Adrián Pereyra, will be performed in the Sala Guirau at the Centro Cultural Fernán Gómez from 23 December to 25 January.

Rent, winner of the Tony and Pulitzer awards, tells the story of young artists in 1990s New York. The protagonists—Mark, Roger, Mimi, Angel, Collins, Maureen and Joanne—face the difficulties of poverty, self-discovery, love and friendship, while the threat of HIV constantly hangs over them. The musical, inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, shows a year in the lives of these friends, their joys, their losses and their desire to live fully.

The new production retains the spirit of the original but reinterprets it from a contemporary perspective. It recalls that the issues of the 1990s—gentrification, queer communities, social and cultural problems—remain relevant today, and that the musical’s central message remains universal: measure your life in love.