The off-Broadway production of Rent is welcoming three new stars to the to East Village on January 20 when Rashad Naylor joins previously announced Josh Grisetti and Justin Johnston in the roles of Benny, Mark and Roger, respectively. This current incarnation of the iconic rock musical, directed by Michael Greif, plays at New World Stages.
Naylor is replacing Ephraim Sykes in the role of Benjamin Coffin III. Naylor’s previous credits include Seaweed in Broadway's Hairspray, The Scarecrow in the La Jolla production of The Wiz and featured roles in regional productions of Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages.
Written and composed by the late Jonathan Larson, Rent is the story of friends and artists struggling to make a home in the East Village in the early 1990s. Naylor, Grisetti and Johnston join a cast that includes Emma Hunton, MJ Rodriguez, Brandon Victor Dixon, Corbin Reid, Margot Bingham, Arianda Fernandez, Marcus Paul James, Aaron Lavigne, Tamika Sonja Lawrence, Michael Wartella and Morgan Weed.