Welcome back to Musical Monday! There are so few Mondays left before graduation, and I am taking advantage of every opportunity to talk about my favorite musicals. Today, we’re flashing back to my early high school days with Jonathan Larson’s “RENT.”
Plot
“RENT” follows a group of young adults living in late 80s Manhattan as they approach various life issues, from drug use, to relationship issues, to sexuality to the AIDS crisis of the time. At the center of the story is Mark Cohen, a straight filmmaker whose chronicles of his friends’ lives serves as the lens the show is seen through.
Show History
“Rent” was first conceptualized by playwright Billy Aronson, who wanted to adapt the Puccini opera “La Bohème” into a musical set in New York. Aronson teamed up with composer Jonathan Larson to create a number of songs for the musical. Two years later, in 1991, Larson received Aronson’s permission to use his concept, but make “RENT” himself.
“RENT” was then workshopped for numerous years, before eventually making it to an off-Broadway production at the New York Theatre Workshop. The cast included leading man Anthony Rapp, who, alongside Daphne Rubin-Vega, was part of RENT from the 1994 workshop all the way to the eventual Broadway production. Also in the cast was a pre-”Wicked” Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker and Taye Diggs.
Tragically, Larson never got to see his musical make it to Broadway. On Jan. 25, 1996, the day of the show’s first off-Broadway preview, Larson died from an aortic dissection after having visited doctors and having his symptoms attributed to stress. After his passing, the first preview instead became a sing-through of the show in his honor. Because of Larson’s passing, the show was set after the first preview — typically, shows are still changed during previews and set before opening.
“RENT” was a smashing success, and quickly outgrew the 150-seat New York Theatre Workshop. The show moved to the Nederlander Theatre and had its Broadway premiere on April 29, 1996.
“RENT” was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning four, including two posthumous awards for Larson. The show won Best Musical, Larson won Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score and Wilson Jermaine Heredia won Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of drag queen Angel Dumot Schunard.
Personal History
Long before my favorite musical was “Hadestown,” it was “RENT.” I saw the show’s 20th anniversary tour at Popejoy Hall, the theatre in my hometown that receives every Broadway tour that comes to Albuquerque, and something about the show drew me in. I also watched the 2019 live television production of “RENT,” which, though not the same as the truly live production, also caught my attention — especially Jordan Fisher as Mark.
I listened to the “RENT” cast recording time and time again, watched the 2005 film adaptation starring a majority of the Broadway cast multiple times, and essentially lived and breathed “RENT.”
To this day, “RENT” is one of the musicals I think about the most often, both because of how good the music is and because of how tragic Jonathan Larson’s story is.
Favorite Songs
For the first time in Musical Monday history, I was easily able to pick a favorite song from “RENT.” One of the final songs in the show, “What You Own,” is sung by roommates Mark and Roger as they reach their eleventh-hour realizations. Throughout the show, Mark has been seeking to create his film, while Roger, who has HIV, has been dreaming of writing one big song before he dies. Both men, who had gone their separate ways, reunite and are filled with determination to bring their group back together. I love Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal’s voices together, and the song encapsulates so much of the spirit of the show.
Favorite Fact
My favorite fact about “RENT” goes all the way back to the first off-Broadway preview, the day of Jonathan Larson’s passing. The crew of “RENT” had decided to do a friends and family showing that night, and that it would be bare bones. No costumes, scripts in hand, sitting down, water on the table. However, when the cast reached the Act one finale, “La Vie Boheme,” they erupted into the full staging of the number. Director Michael Greif decided at that point to do a staged version of what they could from Act two. After the show ended, the actors got out of costume and went back out. The theatre sat in silence for a long time before a voice from the back of the theatre said, “thank you, Jonathan Larson.”
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photos courtesy of Joan Marcus
Editor: Anna Mower
arts@suunews.net
