The new production of the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical by Jonathan Larson will tech in Cleveland starting in late 2008 and then launch there Jan. 6-11, 2009.

The start of the fresh tour happens four months after the closing of the Broadway show, which ends Sept. 7 after 12 years. The stars, along with their colleagues from the original cast, appeared on the June 15 Tony Awards broadcast in a salute to the departing show.

After Cleveland, the Rent tour will play Buffalo; Durham, NC; Charlotte, NC; Philadelphia; Detroit; Los Angeles; San Diego; Tempe, AZ; Pittsburgh; Rochester; Houston; Dallas; Austin; St. Louis; Seattle; Portland, OR; Tampa; Boston; Schenectady and Tokyo, Japan. Additional cities will be announced.

Full casting has not been announced. Fans around the nation are expected to make the trek to see Pascal and Rapp, who originated the roles of Roger Davis and Mark Cohen at the New York Theatre Workshop Off-Broadway, the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway, in London, and in the 2005 movie version. Pascal and Rapp returned to Rent on Broadway for a limited engagement in the summer of 2007. Cheering fans greeted them at the stage door after every show in 2007.

Producers Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon announced the Pascal/Rapp tour casting earlier this year, but the dates are now public. The current non-Equity national tour closes June 29. Seller stated, "Adam and Anthony didn't just play Roger and Mark. To millions of Rent fans they are Roger and Mark. Adam and Anthony are to Rent what Joel Grey was to Cabaret and Zero Mostel was to Fiddler on the Roof. It's a great time to offer fans all over America the unique chance to see them in their signature roles."

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Pascal received Obie and Theatre World awards and a Tony nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Roger in the original cast of Rent. On Broadway he also originated the role of Radames in the musical Aida and starred as the Emcee in the long-running revival of Cabaret. Off-Broadway he co-produced the hit play Fully Committed. His film credits include "Rent," "School of Rock," "SLC Punk!," "Temptation" and "Goyband." Pascal recently guest-starred on the hit television series "Cold Case." His recordings include "Model Prisoner" (2000) and "Civilian" (2004).

An actor since the age of six, Rapp has appeared on Broadway in Rent, Precious Sons (Outer Critics Circle Award), Six Degrees of Separation and the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. His films include "Adventures in Babysitting," "School Ties," "Dazed and Confused," "Six Degrees of Separation," "David Searching," "Man of the Century," "Road Trip," "A Beautiful Mind," "Open House," "Winter Passing," "Danny Roane: First Time Director," "Scaring the Fish" and "Rent." His book, "Without You: a Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent," about his experiences on and offstage, was published in 2006 by Simon & Schuster. Besides acting and writing, he also creates music with his band Albinokid (having released a solo CD, "Look Around," in 2000), and speaks regularly at colleges and universities.

Tours of Rent have crisscrossed North America almost continuously since late 1996 grossing over $330 million. The musical has been translated into every major language and been performed on six continents, including in the following countries Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Written by the late Larson and directed by Greif, Rent opened at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre on April 29, 1996, following a sold-out, extended limited engagement at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The musical went on to win every major best musical award, including the Tony Award as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Larson did not live to see the show's success. He died of an undiagnosed heart ailment — later determined to be Marfan Syndrome — on the eve of the musical's Off-Broadway debut.

For more information on the show, visit siteforrent.com.

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Dates and cities for the 2009 national tour of Rent (so far) include: