MainStreet Explains: What is the 'Hot Ticket' Experience?

RENT might give its regards Broadway soon, but not before a theatrical release.

Are Taye Diggs and Rosario Dawson giving the RENT, the film version a second shot? Not as far as we know: Let’s clarify that statement—a theatrical release of the Broadway show, not a re-release of the 2005 RENT film, is coming to a movie theatre near you. RENT will be joined on the screen by Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium, the popular live show that bid adieu to the stage in London last month. This new viewing experience won't cost you a trip to New York or London. Just a stroll to your local movie theatre.

The digital rebroadcast of these two productions is part of a program from the folks at Sony Pictures (SNE) called The Hot Ticket. Each Hot Ticket release is expected to be shown in about 400 theatres for a one week period. Ticket prices are at the discretion of theatre owners, but may cost around $20. So, even though there are less than 521,600 minutes until the end of RENT's 12-year run on Broadway, 'Hot Ticket' holders can catch the staged performance on the big screen in theatres across the U.S. on Sept. 7th. “RENT fans are multi-generational from teens to adults of all ages and Delirium appeals to broad audiences including the whole family,” says Rory Bruer, president of Sony Distribution.

RENT and Delirium follow at the heels of similarly-styled releases of a Hannah Montana concert film (DIS) in IMAX and the New York Metropolitan Opera, which recently beamed performances to audiences across the U.S. Released in nearly 700 theatres, the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour took in close to $70 million worldwide. After the success of The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera announced plans to add 11 shows to rooster for the 2008 season in around 800 theatres.