The groundbreaking contemporary musical Rent opens April 29 at Nebraska Wesleyan University. NWU is among the first universities in the country to perform the Broadway production.

Written in 1995 by Jonathan Larson, the rock opera is based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera, La Boheme. The musical tells the story of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive in New York’s Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

On Broadway, Rent gained critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for “Best Musical” among other awards. In 2005, it was adapted into a motion picture that featured most of the original cast members.

Wesleyan’s production of Rent runs April 29-May 1 and May 6-8 at 7:30 p.m with matinee performances scheduled for May 2 and 9 at 2 p.m. All shows will be held in McDonald Theatre, located at 51st Street and Huntington Ave. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students, and can be reserved by calling the theatre box office at 402.465.2384.

This stirring story can be seen by patrons as young as 13, but is best suited for those high school age and older.