The School of Theatre will begin its run of Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Rent on Thursday at the Pavillon Theatre.

Directed by Cary Libkin, the musical follows a year in the life of a struggling group of friends as they battle with health, love and making the rent. The show first premiered in April 1996 to glowing reviews, garnering four Tony Awards including Best Musical and nominations in six other categories. Since then, productions have been staged internationally and a motion picture was released in 2005, with many of the show’s original cast members reprising their roles.

Rent opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and will be performed on April 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19. A preview will be held this Tuesday April 5 as well as a matinee beginning at 2 p.m. on April 16.

Tickets are $12 for students with a valid PSU ID. All other tickets are $16 for the preview and the matinee and $18 for evening performances.

Performances held on April 12 and 13 will feature creative liberties blending Rent with Puccini’s La Boheme, the opera from which Larson drew his inspiration. These performances will include students from the School of Theatre’s Vocal Performance major.

Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to pick them up soon at Eisenhower Auditorium or online here.