New York, NY —

The musical RENT is officially ending its 12-year run on Broadway this Sunday. The show’s rock-inspired music and and controversial themes earned it four Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996, and scores of rabid fans. It became a legend when its 32-year-old writer and composer Jonathan Larson died tragically the night before the show’s premiere. Valerie Lapinski recently spent time backstage with the cast for one of the final performances.