Fox has announced its cast for the live television musical of “Rent,” including Jordan Fisher, Brandon Victor Dixon and Vanessa Hudgens.
Fisher will play Mark Cohen, Hudgens will play Maureen Johnson and Dixon will play Tom Collins. Kiersey Clemons will play Joanne Jefferson, Brennin Hunt will play Roger Davis, Tinashe will play Mimi Marquez, Valentina will play Angel Dumont Schunard and Mario will play Benjamin Coffin III.
Keala Settle will perform the solo in “Seasons of Love” and join the cast as part of the ensemble.
Fisher, Hudgens and Dixon have all appeared in live musicals in the past, with Fisher and Hudgens starring in “Grease: Live” and Dixon starring in “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.”
The rest of the cast are relative newcomers to the musical theater genre: Hunt is currently filming his first movie role in “Walking With Herb.” Clemons, who has several film credits, was recently cast in “The Flash” and the live action “Lady and the Tramp.”
Mario is a Grammy-Award nominated artist who currently stars on “Empire.” Valentina was a contestant on the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Tinashe is an R&B singer known for her song “2 On.”
The musical, directed by Michael Greif and cast by Bernard Telsey, the original director and casting director of “Rent,” will air on Sun., Jan. 27.
Kristoffer Diaz will adapt the musical for television. Al Gurdon will be the lighting designer, with Stephen Oremus as music director and producer, Jason Sherwood as set designer and Sonya Tayeh as choreographer.
