‘Rent’ Live Musical Event from Marc Platt to Air on Fox

Jonathan Larson's re-imagining of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "La Bohème" is coming to the small screen.

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Yoselin Acevedo

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'Rent' Live Musical Event from Marc Platt to Air on Fox

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A live production of Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical “Rent” is in the works at Fox. The network announced Friday that Marc Platt, the acclaimed film, television and theater producer behind “La La Land,” “Wicked” and last year’s “Grease: Live!,” will executive produce the show, along with Larson’s estate.

Larson’s re-imagining of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “La Bohème” is set in New York City’s East Village. It tells the story of seven artists and their struggle to follow their dreams during a time of great social and political turmoil. The musical earned Larson four Tony Awards in 1996, including Best Musical and Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, and the Pulitzer Prize.

“‘Rent’ was Jonathan’s dream of sharing the theater and the passion he had for it with a whole new generation,” Larson’s sister and father, Julie and Al Larson, said in a statement. “None of us could have imagined the massive impact that the messages and themes in ‘Rent’ would have on the theater community or the world…except for Jonathan. We are absolutely thrilled to be continuing Jonathan’s legacy and the still-relevant themes of the show in this way.”

Fox Television Group’s Chairmen and CEOs, Dana Walden and Gary Newman, added, “The title is so iconic, the music is so beloved, and the themes are as meaningful today as they were when the show first premiered on Broadway. With Marc overseeing this project, we are sure it will have a profound impact on the legions of fans who know and love this musical.”

Fox also announced the production of a “Christmas Story” live musical event, set to air this December. This will be the network’s first live musical since last year’s “Grease: Live!.”

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