Rent Returns For Off-Broadway Production

Well that didn't take long. Though it's only been three years since Rent closed its curtain for good, the Tony-Award winning musical is returning for an Off-Broadway run. Downsized and marginally retooled, this new iteration is, quite frankly, a cash-in on the play before it becomes distant memory.

"Theater is a business and we do it to make money, and I'm a producer and I have to make a living, and we have a director who needs to make a living, and we have actors who act to make a living," Jeffrey Seeler, the original production's producer, told The New York Times. "There's integrity in that."

As long as they're being honest...Seeler and director Michael Greif also mentioned that Rent has a cultural significance that transcends Broadway, making it a New York staple that should be enjoyed at any time.

While Rent won't be utilizing a backyard puppet theater, expect a down-graded production that stems from a much slimmer budget. These financial tweaks, however, let the creators and new cast (pictured above) inject a few creative liberties. (Spoiler Alert -- the Santa Suit will still make an appearance.)

Rent opens this Thursday -- making it the second musical reboot in NYC (But hopefully it will be better than that other one).

-- FLASH STEINBEISER

Previously > First Look: Marina and the Diamonds "Fear and Loathing"

Photo: Getty Images