The hit musical Rent is coming to campus today bringing the message, "no day but today."

Rent, a modern-day version of the opera La Boheme, will appear tonight and tomorrow night in Eisenhower Auditorium. Set in New York City's East Village, the play is an emotionally stirring story of a community of young artists struggling to live and celebrate life.

It is a story that addresses controversial themes and issues including AIDS and homosexuality.

"What impressed me was its youth and enthusiasm, and that it was a musical about contemporary life. Jon Larson [writer of the music, lyrics and book] was writing about some people I felt he knew, that I sort of loved, or had loved in my life," Michael Greif, director of the musical, said.

Larson died unexpectedly the night before the show's first performance off-Broadway.

But the show went on -- and since its opening, Rent has won numerous awards including the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.

"Rent is more than a musical -- it's a phenomenon. If you've seen Rent and you loved it, you will want to see it again and again. It is full of energy, emotion and meaning. It is very real and honest, and despite the gravity of the characters' situations, it offers hope. It's about friendship and love and searching for a direction and a way in life," Laura Sullivan, Center for Performing Arts spokeswoman, said.

Now the musical will continue on a national tour with one of its stops coming to State College.

Chante Carmel, who plays Joanne, said that the musical has many different messages.

"This musical, which has been genius-ly written, is about living every day to its fullest, like the lyrics, 'no day but today.' I love it," Carmel said.

The musical has eight main characters, each who are very different from each other.

For Carmel, playing Joanne wasn't that big of a stretch because she said her and the character come from similar backgrounds.

"It's always difficult to play a character, but for me, Joanne isn't a stretch because we both come from strong, educated, African-American families. That's how we grew up," Carmel said.