Gwen Stewart, who created several roles in the original company of Rent, including introducing the solo vocals for the musical's central theme song, "Seasons of Love," will return to the show on April 29, the musical's 11th anniversary on Broadway. She will reprise her original roles at the Nederlander Theatre through May 27.
Stewart's other theater credits include the recent Tony-nominated revival of Big River, Starmites, Suds, Ain't Misbehavin', The Wiz, Avenue X and Abyssinia. Her film and television work includes Notes From the Underbelly, Related, Law & Order, Charmed, All My Children, Moesha, 24, Strong Medicine, The Guardian, Down to Earth and Personals.
Written by Jonathan Larson and directed by Michael Greif, Rent opened on Broadway on April 29, 1996, following a sold-out engagement at off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The musical went on to the Tony Award for best musical and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Rent now ranks as the seventh longest running show in Broadway history.