RENT

Capital City Theatre marks the 30th anniversary of Jonathan Larson’s RENT. It’s the kind of musical that will highlight the company's strengths — clean, powerful singing with a tight band underneath. The show, which follows a group of artists and friends figuring out life in the early '90s (a time heavily impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic), has lost little relevance three decades on; in our current political climate “no day but today” doesn’t feel nostalgic as much as familiar.

7:30 pm on 6/4 (preview, limited tickets) and 6/5, 2 and 7:30 pm on 6/6 and 2 pm, 6/7.

media release: Capital City Theatre presents a landmark 30th anniversary production of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award–winning musical RENT, running June 5-7, 2026, at the Orpheum Theater on State Street. Directed by Tavia Rivée Jefferson, choreographed by Alvon Reed, and with musical direction by Evan Lange, this newly reimagined staging brings fresh vision and renewed urgency to Larson's electrifying score.

The story follows a year in the lives of young artists struggling to survive and create in New York City under the shadow of HIV/AIDS, presenting a raw, unforgettable celebration of art, love, and community that remains as powerful today as it was on Broadway in 1996. Join us in honoring three decades of the cultural phenomenon that taught us all to measure our lives in love.

THE IMPACT SERIES: Capital City Theatre’s Impact Series brings challenging, conversation-starting works to Madison audiences paired with opportunities to dive deeper. Each production features expert-led pre-show lectures and post-show talkbacks that explore the show’s themes and connect them to today’s world. The Impact Series also invests in the next generation of performers by offering paid internships for young artists to gain hands-on experience working alongside seasoned theater professionals both on stage and behind the scenes The Impact Series extends the production’s reach beyond the stage with a community event on Wednesday, June 4:

Pre-Show Lecture | Madison Public Library — Guest speaker Kathryn Smith, general director of Madison Opera, explores RENT’s musical legacy and cultural significance as a modern adaptation on Puccini’s opera classic La Boheme. Free and open to the public.

Director Tavia Rivée Jefferson is a performer, director, and founder of Cultural Coordinating. She is currently resident director on Netflix’s first Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Additional directing credits include the Broadway revival of The Wiz, To Kill a Mockingbird, Show Way at The Kennedy Center and BAM, and Disney Theatrical’s Aida.

Performance credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE, the Broadway production tour of Motown the Musical, All Shook Up, Trav’lin, Hairspray, Beehive, HAIR, and Little Shop of Horrors.

During the pandemic, Tavia focused her communication and theatrical skills to build the specialized role of Cultural Coordinating, designed to improve cultural competency and education in artistic spaces. Tavia has served as Cultural Coordinator for multiple regional, touring, West End, and Broadway productions, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Company, and Hairspray.