It's been a lot more than just 525,600 minutes since RENT first made its Broadway debut.
The iconic and beloved rock opera, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème and penned entirely by the late genius Jonathan Larson, first bowed on the Great White Way nearly 25 years ago at the fittingly once derelict Nederlander Theatre, premiering on April 29, 1996. And it truly was a season of love when it did.
The show was rapturously received, earning 10 Tony nominations that year and taking home four, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, while also earning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Sadly, Larson wasn't around to bask in the acclaim or see his passion project go on to become the 11th-longest-running Broadway show in history, closing in 2008 after 12 years and 5,123 performances.
In that time, however, the show's OG cast would go on to become stars in their own right, with many of them joining the cast of director Chris Columbus' 2005 film adaptation before finding even greater success outside the world of RENT.
In celebration of the anniversary of RENT's Broadway debut, we thought we'd check in with the eight principal cast members who helped put the show on the map and make it the phenomenon it remains today. Scroll down to see what they're up to and—most importantly—what they look like today!
Viva la vie bohème!