La Vie de Bohéme has captivated artists ever since the late 19th century (think Bizet's Carmen -- or the Beyonce-Mos MTV hip-hopera, if you must) -- and Rent helmer Jonathan Larson was no exception. Larson effectively overhauled HAIR for the postmodern, dystopian era: 4-letter title? Check. Groovy youth? Check. Spontaneous bursts into song in place of exposition -- hell yeah! RENT's past its Broadway heyday and the Rosario Dawson vehicle on celluloid, so now's the time to catch whatever made it resonate with this generation. Ovens Auditorium, starts tonight through Sunday. $20-$63. www.blumenthalcenter.org