Seasons of Love

Young cast breathes new life into Rent at Fort Worth's Bass Hall

Rent is presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth October 17-22.

Photo by Carol Rosegg

There aren’t many musicals whose fans are given their own unique label. "Rentheads" have been turning out in droves to celebrate the 20th anniversary tour of their favorite rock musical that first commanded Broadway’s attention in 1996.

Fort Worth audiences are getting a chance to sing along with Rent’s brilliant score and fall in love with its characters all over again during eight performances October 17-22 at Bass Hall.

A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams in New York City without selling out.

Skyler Volpe says playing heroin-addicted exotic dancer Mimi has been a trip. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and it’s one of the most rewarding. She’s a tricky character because she’s young but she’s also wise beyond her years.”

Rent enjoyed a 12-year run on Broadway and won numerous Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.

Volpe puts Rent’s longevity into perspective by admitting most of the current cast members were young kids when Rent first ruled Broadway, and some weren’t even born. She says although this production is staying true to the original script, costumes, and choreography, the young cast helps provide a fresh take on the material.

“We’re coming at it with our perspective, having growing up after the AIDS crisis. ... So we have some distance from it,” explains Volpe. “It’s definitely Rent as you remember it but because we’re all young and new, it just feels new again.”

Volpe credits the show’s broad appeal to its themes of love and generosity.

“I think what made Rent last is that everyone can walk away with something,” she says. “I hope people leave feeling uplifted and hopeful. Because the show goes to some really tough emotional places, but ultimately it shows us that when things get really dark, they can also get a whole lot lighter.”

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Tickets to Rentstart at $44 and are available via Bass Hall.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Best neighborhoods for Christmas lights lead Fort Worth's top 5 stories

Photo by Stacy Luecker

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Editor's note: Christmas is just around the corner, and Fort Worth is in the holiday spirit. This week's most-read stories include a complete guide to DFW's best neighborhoods for Christmas lights, plus where to eat and drink during the holiday season.Catch up on the five hottest headlines of the week below.

Looking for the best Fort Worth events of the weekend? We have those here.

1. Best Fort Worth-area neighborhoods for magical 2024 Christmas lights. Fort Worth-area residents have decked their halls, merry and bright, for the holiday season. Homes, streets, and entire subdivisions are dazzling with lights so spectacular, they can be seen from the North Pole. Here is our expert guide to the best neighborhoods for a Christmas light pilgrimage during the 2024 holiday season. For a longer list of spectacular Fort Worth Christmas lights, check out this story.

2. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 14 bars oozing Christmas cheer. The holiday pop-up trend has erupted across the country as more and more bars jump on the bandwagon every year. Consumers are craving a big dose of Christmas cheer in the form of over-the-top decor, Christmas music, and Christmas-inspired cocktails. Stress of the season got you down? Here are 14 bars in Fort Worth that are making spirits bright.

Curfew Christmas cocktails at Curfew. Curfew Bar/Facebook

3. Where to eat in Fort Worth: 9 restaurants to take your holiday guests. The holidays draw near and for many of us, that means one thing: family’s coming to town. Cook your heart out for them, yes, but take advantage of Fort Worth’s thriving restaurant scene and show off some of our city’s finest places to eat.

4. Novel Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with its own market. A mom-and-pop Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with a unique twist: Called Bangkok Thai Street Food & Market, it’s a restaurant serving traditional Thai food but also a market selling all sorts of goods, from cooking ingredients to clothing to household gear.

5. Grab subs and pizza at new family-owned Lunch Break Cafe in Fort Worth. A well-regarded cafe serving sub sandwiches has risen in east Fort Worth: Called The Lunch Break Cafe, it’s a family-owned restaurant that opened in early December at 7251 Stoneway Dr. N. 400, in the former Riverbend Bistro space at River Bend Plaza.