This week we’ve got dibs on Anthony Rapp, actor, singer, activist, and Chicago-area native best known for originating Mark Cohen in RENT and for Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets on Star Trek: Discovery. From community theater in Joliet at age six to Broadway, film, TV, and concerts, Anthony shares a generous, funny, and deeply personal look at craft, legacy, and life back in Chicago.

In this episode, we cover:

• Chicago roots to Broadway stages: Summer-camp Wizard of Oz at six, Equity card at nine on the Evita tour, and early gigs at the Goodman, plus the teacher and community directors who opened doors.
• On-screen favorites: How Richard Linklater’s collaborative style made Dazed and Confused a career favorite and a bracing (and unforgettable) Yul Brynner story from The King and I tour.
• The making & meaning of RENT: Honoring Jonathan Larson, processing loss on the cusp of success, and how the show widened empathy, representation, and allyship for a generation.
• Activism as purpose: From early HIV/AIDS advocacy to marriage-equality work and how fatherhood has sharpened his lens on community and belonging.
• Star Trek & storytelling: Building TV’s quietly groundbreaking queer partnership with Wilson Cruz, why sci-fi is the perfect empathy machine, and portraying trauma, love, and repair on screen.

Episode Resources:

• City Winery Chicago Presents Anthony Rapp of the original Broadway cast of RENT live on Sunday, September 21st at 7:00 PM!

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Connect with the hosts of DIBS on Instagram Nick Sarantos and Mallory Waxman