It will only take about five minutes after the house lights go down for audiences to fall in love with “RENT.” In the show’s electrifying first number, “Rent,” original Broadway cast members Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal take the stage as best friends Mark Cohen and Roger Davis, and the audience is transported to New York City’s East Village.

“RENT” begins on Christmas Eve, 1989, and then spans a year in the lives of a group of friends trying to live, love, and — as the title suggests — pay rent. Anthony Rapp, who plays show’s narrator Mark Cohen, estimated that he’s performed “RENT” more than 1,000 times. But based on the energy he channeled into his character during Tuesday evening’s performance in Madison, “RENT” clearly hasn’t gotten old yet. Rapp and Pascal’s onstage chemistry was exhilirating.

However, although seeing “RENT” veterans Rapp and Pascal in action is a treat, the women in this cast of “RENT” really steal the show. Nicolette Hart’s comedic antics add extra spunk to the role of Maureen Johnson, a character is over-the-top to begin with. Merle Dandridge shows off some serious pipes as Joanne Jefferson, Maureen’s straight-laced girlfriend. Lexi Lawson, in the role of dancer Mimi Marquez, gets physical during “Out Tonight.” Another highlight is “Today 4 U,” a musical number in which Angel Schunard (played by Justin Johnson), the show’s loveable drag queen, leaps around the stage in heels and uses everything in reach as a drum.

The curtains never close before, during or after “RENT,” enhancing the show’s sense of friendship and community. Upon entering the theater, audiences are greeted by the show’s set, an artistic-looking, run-down metal structure that the cast climbs all over as soon as the show begins. The set doesn’t change for the entirety of the performance, but we move from Mark and Roger’s apartment, to Maureen’s protest, to the Life Caf? and back with ease.

The love and respect between “RENT” cast members during Tuesday’s performance was obvious; without breaking character, the cast improvised (minimally, but noticeably) and laughed with each other throughout the entire show.

“RENT” is unlike any other musical, and this tour will not disappoint — it’s humorous and heartbreaking, and this particular cast delivers a beautiful performance from the opening scene to the show’s finale.