Judging by the fact that you are doing RENT a Rock Opera type of show, Im guessing that you do not have a live "
orchestra" as the show is basically a rock concert. So if I was designing the show, I would talk to the band about perhaps jamming a
bit before the show, up to about 5 minutes to curtain. The opening entrance of Roger is a very big sound moment, so I would do all that I could to make that moment stand out.
If you feel that you have to have something playing at
house open, or during preshow, I would then look at the era that the show takes place. RENT is a very 90's show, so I would choose music that most closely represents that style. Your choice of classic rock may be a
bit outdated for RENT.
All things considered, especially if you have a very large
house, no one listens to preshow music. It is good to have when the doors first open, but quickly it is not even audible over the crowd noise, nor should it be. So no matter what you pick it will prolly not be a big deal. I would certainly talk to the band about jamming though, it gives them a chance to tune up, and it quickly brings the audience into the world of your show.
That's my two cents.