St. Paul 2001
August 27, 2000

Rent" returns to the Ordway Center next March, its fourth stop in St. Paul -- the most for any city on the current tour. The rock musical was last here in December, when it was a near sellout.   "It's coming back because people request it," said Ordway spokeswoman Lara Hughes. "There is a major following in the Twin Cities area."

"Rent" debuted off-Broadway in 1996, winning a Tony Award for best musical and a Pulitzer Prize for drama. Kevin McCollum, Ordway president and CEO, was one of the original producers of the work, written by Jonathan Larson.

Part of the show's phenomenal success story involves the tragic fate of Larson, who died shortly before it opened. For the first time at the Ordway, the full run of the March production will feature a lottery for the chance to buy $20 tickets in the front two rows of the orchestra. Two hours before each performance, the box office will distribute lottery tickets, and a random drawing for the $20 tickets will then take place.

McCollum said the lottery honors the show's spirit and Larson's vision.  "Jonathan was himself a struggling artist, and his dream was to create a universal piece of musical theater that's available to everyone," McCollum said.