'Rent' speaks to audiences of all ages

"Rent," one of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time, will be showing at Aurora's Paramount Theatre this weekend.

Winner of several Tony Awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize, the play was one of the hottest tickets in New York for 12 years, ending its run in June 2008.

Fans can still enjoy the music and story at locations all over the country as the performance travels through the U.S. this year.

HALO Productions, a Plainfield off-Broadway performance company, is bringing the performance to Aurora residents at The Paramount Theatre, and Katie Arko, the theater's director of development, said she is excited about it.

"We've gotten a lot of buzz about it," she said.

Based on Giacomo Puccini's opera "La boheme" (circa 1896) with an edgy New York twist, the musical confronts themes including sexual orientation, relationships, drug use, suicide, AIDS and friendship with songs such as "Seasons of Love," "Take Me or Leave Me" and "Light My Candle." Music and lyrics are by Jonathan Larson.

Arko says she's heard nothing but excitement about the coming show from Aurora residents.

"I've heard a good deal of positive feedback about the performance," she said. "I've been surprised by the number of people who've seen it in our brochure and said it is one of their favorites. People have told me, 'it is such a great show' and 'how exciting that 'Rent' is coming to Aurora.'"

Angelique Goitia-Daugherty, director of "RENT," says the cast members had to prove their passion for the story during auditions.

"It speaks to all ages," she said of the show. "The music ranges from rock to R&B to Latin. Also, people can relate to the social issues it touches on. It talks about how you have gone off a path and how you find your way back again and about being triumphant in everyday trials and tribulations. The way that the music brings that out, you can connect with one or more of the characters."

Because the musical deals with the AIDS issue, some people consider the show to be a bit controversial. Goitia-Daugherty is OK with that.

"Any topic that people do not have enough information about, they fear," she said. "Then that becomes controversial. I want to address that.

"In this show there are the issues of anti-gay, anti-whatever statements; hate crimes; and living for the moment," she continued.

"It addresses how we should not treat people with disrespect. All of these are great messages, but the biggest message is a message of hope. It is something powerful; it is something passionate."

Sun-Times Media correspondent Randall G. Mielke contributed to this report.