Over the moon! The original cast of Rent is set to reunite during Rent Live.
Without words, Idina Menzel, who originated the role of bisexual performance artist Maureen Johnson in the Broadway production and the 2005 movie, confirmed on Twitter that the musical’s premier cast will make an appearance during the Sunday, January 27, showing on Fox.
The letters “IM,” “DRV” and “FW” were written on three different pieces of paper with “Rent” emblazoned across the top of each, seemingly referring to her initials, along with the initials of former cast members Daphne Rubin Vega (Mimi Marquez) and Fredi Walker (Joanne Jefferson).
— Idina Menzel (@idinamenzel) January 26, 2019
Anthony Rapp, who portrayed Maureen’s ex-boyfriend, Mark Cohen, on Broadway and in the film, shared a similar post on Instagram sans caption. The letters “AR,” “AP,” “TD,” “WJH” and “JLM” can all be seen on five different pieces of paper, referring to himself, Adam Pascal (Roger Davis), Taye Diggs (Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel Dumott Schunard) and Jesse L. Martin (Tom Collins).
There will be many surprises throughout the night, a source confirms exclusively to Us Weekly.
Menzel, 47, and Diggs, 48, met while working on the original musical and married in 1996. Although the former couple officially split in 2015, and the Frozen star has since moved on with husband Aaron Lohr, the theater actors still “trust each other” when it comes to raising their son, Walker, 9.
The new cast of Rent is equally star-studded: Vanessa Hudgens (Maureen), Tinashe (Mimi), Mario (Benny), Kiersey Clemons (Joanne), Jordan Fisher (Mark) and more will join forces for the live event.
“I’m very pleased with how risqué they’ve allowed us to be,” the “All Hands on Deck” singer, 25, told Us at a recent L.A. junket. “It still has a lot of the topics that are definitely not necessarily children topics, but I think it’s important because they’re very relevant and we deal with them in a beautiful, awesome, fun, exciting way. I don’t think it’s bad or dark at all, even though it feels kind of dark!”
Rent Live airs on Fox Sunday, January 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
