‘Rent’ star Anthony Rapp to speak during Pride Week 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Anthony Rapp, one of the stars of the musical and film “Rent,” will deliver the keynote talk at UofL Pride Week 2011.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6, Multipurpose Room, Student Activities Center.

Pride Week 2011 celebrates the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The university has planned a full week of activities for Pride Week including lectures, theater productions and social activities.

Rapp originated the role of documentary filmmaker “Mark Cohen” in the Tony award-winning rock opera “Rent.” The musical explores a struggle with life, love and AIDS, and the impact of each on people’s lives. Rapp and the “Rent” cast shared an OBIE Award for their stage performance. After taking the show from off-Broadway to Broadway and around the world, Rapp reprised his role in the 2005 film adaptation. Rapp has also appeared in films such as “Dazed and Confused” and “A Beautiful Mind.”

Rapp authored the 2006 national best-seller “Without You: a Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical ‘Rent’.” The book details his experiences during the show’s original run and his mother’s battle with cancer.

During his Pride Week lecture, Rapp will take audiences through his career, the loss of his friend and “Rent” playwright Jonathan Larson and highlight the role “Rent” played in bringing LGBT, HIV/AIDS and poverty issues into the national spotlight.

After his talk, there will be an 8:30 p.m. after party at Third Avenue Café, 1164 S. Third St.

The UofL Office of LGBT Services, commonGround, Magnolia Photo Booth Co., the Vice Provost for Diversity and International Affairs, the School of Medicine, Human Resources and the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies are Pride Week sponsors.

A full list of Pride Week events is at louisville.edu/lgbt/news-and-events/pride-week-2011.ics. For more information, contact Brian Buford, director of LGBT services, at 502-852-0696 or brian.buford@louisville.edu.