Rent is one of those musicals that not only delivers a great story, but also evokes many feelings and asks almost timeless societal questions, like those about poverty, bohemian lifestyle, and equality. That is one of the reasons why the musical itself has won many prestigious awards and is still beloved by audiences all over the world.
Because of its timelessness, it is still being performed in theatres and schools.
If you are getting ready to stage this brilliant musical and you are looking for backdrops that will reflect the timelessness of the story, placed in the heart of New York, then you are in the right place.
We have prepared a list of the best rentable backdrops you can use in your next production of Rent.
But, before we see the list, let us go over the iconic story, so you can better understand where to use each of the backdrops to create an immersive experience for your audience.
What Happens in Rent the Musical
The story of Rent is actually inspired by the opera La Boheme. While it still talks about themes like love, relationships, bohemian lifestyle, and freedom, it is adapted to modern times.
The story is about Mark, a filmmaker who lives in a New York industrial loft with his roommate, Roger, who is a depressed, HIV positive musician. The apartment they are living in is owned by their former roommate, Benjamin, who has married a wealthy woman and decided to evict a bunch of people from the lot, including Mark and Roger.
Mimi, another tenant in the building, really likes Roger, but he acts cold to her because he is crushed by his ex-girlfriend’s death.
Their friend Maureen is planning a protest to prevent Benjamin from evicting the tenants, so Benjamin offers Mark and Roger a deal. If they stop Maureen’s protests, they can keep living in the apartment rent-free. Both of them refuse the offer.
In the meantime, another one of their friends, Tom, is being mugged outside of the apartment building, but gets saved by Angel, a drag queen who is also HIV positive. Two of them instantly fall in love, and together, they go to Maureen’s protests, which are interrupted by the police. After the protests, all of them meet in the Life Cafe to celebrate.
Sometime after that, Roger realises that Mimi is also HIV positive, so he warms up to her and the two of them establish a new relationship. And just as they got closer, Benjamin, who previously evicted them, says that he changed his mind because of Mimi, implying she gave her body to Benny as payment, which she adamantly denies.
Her and Roger’s relationship becomes unstable, but they soon rebuild it. Unfortunately, these events made Mimi relapse, so she went back to her previous drug habits.
A few months later, everybody is living happily together, but the happiness does not last for too long, because Angel’s condition worsens so much that they pass away. This devastates the crew. Roger and Mimi break up, and the rest of the group splits.
But each one of them soon realises how much the friendship means to them, so they decide to put their differences aside. But Mimi is now missing, and Maureen and her girlfriend find her overdosed in the alley. Roger, crushed by the idea that he might lose her forever, starts singing the great song he wrote, and Mimi, miraculously, comes back to life, thus ending the eventful year behind them.
Now that you remember what the story of Rent is about, let us introduce a few of our rentable backdrops that you can use in your next production.
Our Selection of Backdrops for Rent
We have an entire collection of backdrops you can choose for your stage. Here are some of the pieces we think would be a great fit for Rent.
New York-Themed Backdrops
The first set of backdrops we recommend includes pieces depicting New York City, which can be used in scenes revolving around the crew’s living situation.
One of those backdrops is the New York Borough, which depicts images of 2 row house-style apartments. The apartment on the left features a glass door and glass windows, while the one on the right has a wooden door and 2 glass windows.
This backdrop blends really well with the background, making it look like the actors are right on the street.
Another backdrop that fits this theme is the New York Skyline at Night. The foreground of this piece features the port with the waters lit up by the lights of the city. In the background is the world-famous NYC skyline itself with its tall buildings, bright lights, and starless night sky.
The backdrop works well on both big and small stages.
Nighttime City Rooftops is another backdrop inspired by New York City. This stage drop displays brownstone buildings in the foreground with lit windows. In the background, you can see a suspension bridge in silhouette against a blue and purple night sky.
Tenement Building
Another backdrop that can be used for Rent is a Tenement Building. It depicts brownstone buildings, scattered trash bins, and laundry hanging on clotheslines. With its earth-tone color scheme, this image can be used for settings that portray shadier parts of the city.
This piece can perfectly blend with the stage.
If you are looking for a similar backdrop, we have an entire collection of tenement backdrops.
Graffiti Wall
Graffiti Wall is one more great backdrop you can use for Rent. It depicts a brownstone building with windows and a wall spray-painted with colourful graffiti in front of it.
The backdrop looks amazingly realistic under the right lighting.
Back Alley
Another great backdrop that would perfectly fit into the Rent story, especially in the scenes where Mimi is found overdosed or when Angel saves Tom, is Back Alley. The piece depicts the less frequented section of the neighbourhood with grimy streets, dumpsters, and fire escapes. The windows of the buildings are open but empty. To the left side of the backdrop is a seemingly abandoned shop. Behind the brownstone buildings is a glimpse of the clear blue sky.
The backdrop seamlessly blends into the stage.
Red Brick Wall
And finally, if you are looking for a backdrop that will serve just as a neutral background for the actors, then this Red Brick Wall is a good choice. Some of the bricks in the wall have dark stains, while others have a bright shade of red, as if they were put there to replace old or missing pieces.
The backdrop can fit into any scene.
If you like any of these backdrops, contact us or place an order through our website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions our customers often ask about Rent backdrops.
What are the best backdrops for Rent?
The best backdrops for Rent include pieces that depict New York City streets and skyline, or they feature tenement buildings and back alleys.
What themes should be reflected in Rent backdrops?
Since Rent is about the bohemian lifestyle, backdrops for the show should reflect themes like poverty, love, freedom, and equality.
