COLUMBUS, Ohio — Under the direction of Alan Tyson, Imagine Productions of Columbus have reimagined "Rent" for a whole new generation.

Loosely based on Puccini's "La bohème," the rock musical "Rent" follows the lives of young artists scrabbling their way through life in the middle of '90s New York City as the HIV/AIDS crisis loomed.

Bursting onto Broadway in 1996, "Rent" helped define the zeitgeist of that period and has since become a staple of American theatre .

"'Rent' is about a chosen family," explained this production's director, Alan Tyson. "It's about a community. It's about friendship. It's about everlasting love. But also, there's other things tied in like grief, depression, addiction — it's about really speaking up for what you believe in."

"It's about making sure that we

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