One night at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, and a livestream that carried it far beyond the building, raised $4,571,464 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS: that is the final count from Rent, the 30th Anniversary Concert, on Monday, October 26.
The figure covers the sold-out house and the at-home audience, which the charity puts in the tens of thousands. ViiV Healthcare was the evening’s presenting sponsor, and the Gates Foundation matched donations made through the livestream. Broadway Cares says the money will pay for 1.8 million meals this winter for people facing food insecurity, along with medication and care for people living with critical illnesses. For scale, the organization has raised more than $300 million in total since 1988.
The performance itself was built around three decades of the musical’s alumni. Anthony Rapp, Broadway’s original Mark, opened it with the character’s camcorder and striped scarf, brought on his fellow original cast members, and repeated a familiar line: “As always, we dedicate this performance to our friend, Jonathan Larson.”
From there, Marks and Rogers from different eras were paired in the title song, led by Rapp and the original Roger, Adam Pascal, with Adam Kantor and Aaron Tveit among the duos. Original Mimi Daphne Rubin-Vega fronted Out Tonight with four later Mimis, original Angel Wilson Jermaine Heredia led Today 4 U, and four pairs of Maureens and Joannes, among them Idina Menzel and Fredi Walker-Browne, shared Take Me or Leave Me. Menzel, back in Maureen’s leather bodysuit, also sang Over the Moon as a trio with Eden Espinosa and Nicolette Hart.
Special pairings filled out the bill. Rachel Zegler joined Tveit for Without You, Neil Patrick Harris partnered him on What You Own, Jordan Fisher and Natalie Venetia Belcon danced the Tango: Maureen, Will Chase and Tamyra Gray sang I Should Tell You, and Norbert Leo Butz took Your Eyes. The original Broadway company began Seasons of Love before the full cast joined, and the alumni sang it again after the curtain call.
