Jonathan Larson - Rent

[fanable]

Jonathan Larson was an playwright and composer and wrote the Broadway musical "Rent". He was very young when he died (only 36) of an aortic dissection.

The story goes that the "Rent" cast did a dress rehearsal on the night of January 24th, 1996. Jonathan was extremely excited despite feeling unwell. He'd been to a couple different doctors complaining of chest pains and nausea in the week prior to his death. The docs misdiagnosed him with the flu or stress and sent him home each time. Anyway, Jonathan gave an interview to the NY Times and went home around midnight, where he put a tea kettle on. They believe that sometime between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. his heart simply gave out. He wasn't found until later in the morning (around 6?) by his roommate.

That evening was to be the premiere of "Rent", and there was a lot of speculation whether or not to go on with it. Jonathan's parents, who were flying in to see the play, gave their overwhelming approval that the show should go on. The cast decided to simply do a run-through while sitting on the 3 tables that are used throughout the play, but by "La Vie Boheme" they were so energized that they finished the play as it was supposed to be.

I'm a recent "renthead" and have been devouring any information I can find about the play, the original cast, and Jonathan Larson. My copy of the movie "Rent" came with a 90 minute documentary about Jonathan and the evolution of the play. Interesting stuff! It's so sad that he never got to see how his play affected so many people, or the awards it's won.

[joplinfrk]

LOVE Rent! I saw it when it opened!

[firegilnotguns]

I've seen rent several times - on Broadway and in Washington, DC. I do think it was sad that Jonathan Larson never got to see the full effect of his show. I actually haven't seen the film version yet, though.

[joplinfrk]

Don't...it was horrible!

[firegilnotguns]

Good to know!

[auguststar]

I love Rent and the documentary that came with the movie was pretty good (better than the movie itself, in my opinion). Jonathan had Marfan Syndrome, which was probably the cause of his aortic dissection. He was so young and talented, it's such a shame he didn't get to live to see the success of the show.

[fanable]

Well, for those of us who are new to the Rent phenomenon (or too far away to see it on Broadway), the movie was a great way to be introduced, IMO. I've been looking all over the 'net to find as much of the stage version as possible, and begging my husband to get me tickets for when the tour comes to our area.

joplinfrk, that is awesome that you got to see the original run; I'm extremely jealous .

Jonathan was extremely talented; the documentary talked a lot about how much he loved the theater, and the clips they showed of him in various plays/musicals did a good job of illustrating that fact.

[Patience54]

Rent is amazing. The broadway version is a must see. It is so ironic that Jonathan Larson died on opening day, especially considering that the play is about life and death.

"No Day But Today"

[Stonecold]

Good to know!

The movie is pretty lame... Not the same effect as the play.

[leeny994]

This is Jonathan Larsen
his wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Larson

he wrote RENT and died the night before the start of the previews
sad...

i know there are some RENT heads here

[marimbagirl]

God, if you want to see something heartwrenching, get the movie version of the play and watch the documentry that's on the bonus tracks done by his family and his friends. I bawled during the thing and I'm a person who doesn't cry at much.

[leeny994]

God, if you want to see something heartwrenching, get the movie version of the play and watch the documentry that's on the bonus tracks done by his family and his friends. I bawled during the thing and I'm a person who doesn't cry at much.

the extra features on the movie are excellent i agree.
i saw the original cast perform 2 nights after Jonathan's death.....

[Sampiro]

I like some of the music, Larson's death was a tragedy, and some of the staging of RENT is brilliant, but all that declared I have to admit that I can't stand that musical. I'm a yellow dog Democrat with Obama signs and I've canvassed for numerous left-of-center politicians, but RENT is one of the few things to bring out the vestigial Republican that lurks somewhere between my gall bladder and my spleen.

"Wah wah wah... we're broke and nobody will pay us to make art and now this big old meanie wants us to pay up or move out of the Manhattan loft we've lived in RENT FREE for more than a year...". Get a job ya hippies! Melville worked in a patent office, Elvis drove a truck, Wallace Stevens worked in an insurance company office, Kurt Vonnegut sold Saabs to support his 6 kids, you can't go into a restaurant in parts of NYC or LA without learning the servers are really actors and the dishwashers have a screen play- but you people can't be bothered to

[Maynard G. Krebs]Work...!!! <gulp>[/Maynard G. Krebs]

And their judgment calls... damn!

Roger... he's been depressed ever since his girlfriend, a heroin addict, committed suicide shortly after infecting him with HIV.
You know what he needs to cheer him up? A relationship with that nice underaged stripper and HIV+ smack-addict who lives downstairs.

"no pension, hating pretension, to more than one dimension..." Dude, most of the people I know who have IRAs have way more dimensions than most of you whiners.


Of course I have to admit to a certain bitterness: not being from a wealthy or even middle class family, living off "good ol' mom & dad" has never been an option so I've always worked and paid my own way and not expected others to subsidize me ala Mark and Roger and Maureen. (Joanne and Mimi and sometimes Collins actually do work at least.)

But what I think is ironic: had Larson died he'd have been a multimillionaire in the next year. I wonder if he'd have

1-kept living in a cold water 4th story walk-up surrounded by starving artists
2- soon had a 2 BR U.N. Plaza condo and a weekend place on Montauk that he occasionally loans to the accountant for good advice on tax shelters

I'm guessing "leave this cold Bohemian hell" would have been more than pretty words and he'd have had a lot more respect for Benny.

That said, he was a major talent and he died way too soon. RIP.

[Noelle Page]

Good post, Sampiro. I, too, always found the premise of Rent annoying and dreary (maybe because I used to live in the East Village).

However, many people found it extremely moving, so who am I to say?

[Jack-O-Lantern]

I'm a self-confessed Rent-head, I absolutely LOVE that musical. It gets me where I live every time. Maybe it's because La Boheme is my favorite opera, I dunno. Love it though, and the score is one of the best in modern American musical theatre.

Idina Menzel is electric in the film version.

[leeny994]

I'm a self-confessed Rent-head, I absolutely LOVE that musical. It gets me where I live every time. Maybe it's because La Boheme is my favorite opera, I dunno. Love it though, and the score is one of the best in modern American musical theatre.

Idina Menzel is electric in the film version.

Idina menzel is a godess. I adored the musical. The film a bit less. I wished daphne rubin vega could have portrayed mimi like she did on stage. But still I enjoyed it.

[RoRo]

I absolutely love RENT.....I do not take these things quite so literally as to judge characters that someone created....but I love the music and the love that is there between the characters more than anything else...when Collins is singing at the funeral the emotion is so high, it moves me to see that......I don't think the financial situations shown are realistic, but the love is...I have turned several people on to this movie and soundtrack and made a few more "RENT-heads" and I am happy about that........Jonathan Larson was genius here and I wish we could have seen what he might have acheived had he not died too soon! And Idina is fabulous in everything she does!!!!

[ByrdSar]

I loved the movie RENT. I thought it was pretty good. Would've loved to have seen the musical.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

Idina menzel is a godess. I adored the musical. The film a bit less. I wished daphne rubin vega could have portrayed mimi like she did on stage. But still I enjoyed it.

Me too! Do you happen to know why she wasn't involved with the film version?
I did see Rubin-Vega in "The Rocky Horror Show" a few years ago, LOVED her in that...

[djdeath-hag]

Me too! Do you happen to know why she wasn't involved with the film version?
I did see Rubin-Vega in "The Rocky Horror Show" a few years ago, LOVED her in that...

I've seen RENT on stage.....albeit "only" the touring company...twice... but I gotta say that the film version, broke with the tradition of not meeting the quality of the stage production. Yes, yes, I know...the actors were all "too old" to portray their reprising roles....but I just found the film to be more deeply moving.

Like you, Jack, I consider myself a "RENT-head"....and have introduced it to more folks than I'd have ever believed would find the story & characters so raw & real.

R.I.P. Jonathan.....what more could you have created is a mystery.

[DeadRinger]

I'm a total Rent-Head. I bawl like a baby every time I watch that movie. I can't really single any one out as the best - they all work so brilliantly together. Although I am partial to Jesse L Martin as Collins. And Wilson Jermaine Heredia. Idina Menzel (who, FYI is married to Taye Diggs - Benny) and Tracie Thoms are great too. Anthony Rapp, that role could have been written for him.

Jonathan Larson was a genius.

[leeny994]

Me too! Do you happen to know why she wasn't involved with the film version?
I did see Rubin-Vega in "The Rocky Horror Show" a few years ago, LOVED her in that...

she was pregnant with her twins during the principle filming times. she has stated that she was upset she was never even asked----that the film was never even mentioned to her.

I believe Rosario Dawson was also a hold over from the short lived time period of when Spike Lee was going to direct it---he wanted people like Justin Timberlake (as uh Roger... yeah I know) and Britney Murphy---but I think the Larsen family was like 'no'. Thank goodness.

I saw the original cast perform, the opening night. And as many of you Rent heads will know---that was the night after Jonathan died. They went on with the intention of only singing through the score after an explanation of how Jonathan died and that would be it. Only---by the middle of the show the cast was so into the music that they were acting out the entire show rather than just singing through the musical numbers.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

she was pregnant with her twins during the principle filming times. she has stated that she was upset she was never even asked----that the film was never even mentioned to her.

I believe Rosario Dawson was also a hold over from the short lived time period of when Spike Lee was going to direct it---he wanted people like Justin Timberlake (as uh Roger... yeah I know) and Britney Murphy---but I think the Larsen family was like 'no'. Thank goodness.

I saw the original cast perform, the opening night. And as many of you Rent heads will know---that was the night after Jonathan died. They went on with the intention of only singing through the score after an explanation of how Jonathan died and that would be it. Only---by the middle of the show the cast was so into the music that they were acting out the entire show rather than just singing through the musical numbers.

Thank goodness someone intervened about the Spike Lee casting, but then again I would have NEVER gone to see any version of RENT with JT in it anyway. The movie is superb, though again it's too bad about Daphne--she would have made it perfect. Thanks for the info!

...and WOW, what I would have given to have been there that night--I'm sure you'll never forget it! God I love Broadway, there is nothing, NOTHING like it on the face of the earth!

[Patience54]

Jonathan Larson
Born: February 4, 1960
Died: January 25, 1996

"Born February 4, 1960 in White Plains, New York; died of an aortic aneurysm, January 25, 1996, at his home in Manhattan. Larson lived in poverty, waited tables, and worked seven years to bring his rock opera "Rent" to the stage -- only to collapse and die the night before previews were to open at the Off-Broadway New York Theater Workshop. The show's initial five-week run sold out within 24 hours of opening night, and the play became an enormous critical and popular success. In addition, "Rent" achieved Larson's ambition of updating musical theater and making it socially and personally relevant to a younger audience. NEWSDAY's Linda Winer called it "the first original breakthrough rock musical since 'Hair.'" The fresh, provocative, and exuberant show -- and Larson's heartbreaking story -- quickly became Broadway legend. "The show features, among forty well-sung numbers, three songs that are as passionate, unpretentious and powerful as anything I've heard in musical theatre for more than a decade," John Lahr wrote in THE NEW YORKER. "His songs have urgency -- a sense of mourning and mystery which insists on seizing the moment. ... Larson's ... talent and his big heart are impossible to miss. His songs spill over with feeling and ideas; his work is both juicy and haunting."

As the debut of "Rent" approached, Larson lived in poverty similar to that endured by his characters. He stopped working in a SoHo diner only two months before the play opened and dreamed of earning enough money to afford cable TV. Ten days before he died, Larson sold some of his books to get money for a movie ticket. "It's both tragic and ironic that Larson ... never saw ticket holders enjoy his show,"

Wiederhorn wrote. "Even more uncanny are the parallels between Larson's life and his characters' -- many of whom cling to life knowing that it could end at any moment."


Source: Excerpted from NEWSMAKERS 1997, ISSUE 4, Gale Research, © 1997 Gale Research.

No Day But Today

The Heart May Freeze Or It Can burn
The Pain Will Ease If I Can Learn

There Is no future
There Is no past
Thank God this moment's not my last

There's Only Us
There's Only This
Forget, Regret, Or Life Is Yours To Miss
No Other Road
No Other Way
No Day But Today

There's Only Yes
Only Tonight
We Must Let Go
To Know What is Alright
No Other Course
No Other Way
No Day But Today

I Cant control
My destiny
I Trust My Soul
My only goal
is just to be

There' only Now
There's Only Here
Give in To Love
Or live in Fear
No Other Path
No Other Way
No Day But Today

[leeny994]

i love this one, from the stage production:
Collins-- are we a thing?
Angel-- Darling, we're everything

[bluebird14]

I cant even talk about Jonathan Larson without getting teary eyed! How sad that he never saw his brillant opera have its opening night.

best musical ever, and yes, I am a renthead!

[leeny994]

Thank goodness someone intervened about the Spike Lee casting, but then again I would have NEVER gone to see any version of RENT with JT in it anyway. The movie is superb, though again it's too bad about Daphne--she would have made it perfect. Thanks for the info!

...and WOW, what I would have given to have been there that night--I'm sure you'll never forget it! God I love Broadway, there is nothing, NOTHING like it on the face of the earth!

I cannot explain what it felt like to be there that night.. they were still downtown too. it was before the move to Broadway and the Nederlander Theater so... that made it even more memorable.

[leeny994]

just a side note for anyone interested. The Original Mimi from the Broadway production--Daphne Rubin Vega has a bit (speaking) part in the Sex and the City movie---I am not going to tell you where.LOL She looks great!! Much--thicker than her Rent and Flawless days (I think because of the nature of her Rent role she had to stay skinny skinny)----but by no means fat. She looks great! But for any fans who have also seen SATC film---i would love to see if you picked her out.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

just a side note for anyone interested. The Original Mimi from the Broadway production--Daphne Rubin Vega has a bit (speaking) part in the Sex and the City movie---I am not going to tell you where.LOL She looks great!! Much--thicker than her Rent and Flawless days (I think because of the nature of her Rent role she had to stay skinny skinny)----but by no means fat. She looks great! But for any fans who have also seen SATC film---i would love to see if you picked her out.

I almost missed her in SATC! Then she spoke and I knew instantly it was Daphne, that voice is unmistakable...

btw--For all the RENT heads out there, good news! The final Broadway performance was filmed and will be released on DVD in Feb.! No, it's not the original cast, but at least there's a filmed record of the original production available...I've already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Filmed-Br...0410695&sr=8-3

-

[Nessa]

BF is a huge Rent fan. It's so sad I can't watch it, I get all blotchy and do the ugly cry.

[leeny994]

I almost missed her in SATC! Then she spoke and I knew instantly it was Daphne, that voice is unmistakable...

btw--For all the RENT heads out there, good news! The final Broadway performance was filmed and will be released on DVD in Feb.! No, it's not the original cast, but at least there's a filmed record of the original production available...I've already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Filmed-Br...0410695&sr=8-3

-

I Know I am so excited. I did go to the final performance... i was so sad.... i walked by the Nederlander Theater the other day and the marquee was down...and they were working on the remodel (apparently the theater needed electrical etc work done) It was so sad to see the remnants of Rent gone...

[djdeath-hag]

I almost missed her in SATC! Then she spoke and I knew instantly it was Daphne, that voice is unmistakable...

btw--For all the RENT heads out there, good news! The final Broadway performance was filmed and will be released on DVD in Feb.! No, it's not the original cast, but at least there's a filmed record of the original production available...I've already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Filmed-Br...0410695&sr=8-3

-

Thank you for the reminder, Jack......add this to the long list of reasons that ADORE you! I recall seeing something about this when we went to see "Mama Mia" in the theater last summer.....but am all a quiver to know that they are gonna release it on DVD! Even though I've seen the touring company & own the movie on DVD, this will go onto my "wish list" for Valentine's Day.....right below....property taxes.

[onekindsistah]

I went and saw it in NY last year... I love it!

[Meli]

All I have to say is I adore the movie/play RENT... it was how I had the HIV/AIDS talk with my kids... if you give someone a face and a story, peple associate with them easier....

[Kugmu]

After the divorce I took over taking my daughter to the various musicals/plays when they toured through the greater Los Angeles area. We have seen Rent, Wicked, Grease, Lion King, Spam-a-Lot and Cats to name a few.
Now I hate to admit this, and I thought I never would, but I like Broadway Musicals. I really do! Iâ??m looking forward to next one we see. Right now the CD in my truck is from a Broadway Musical. Oh the horror of it allâ?¦
Opening Night for the Broadway tour of RENT was last night in Costa Mesa, which is a little south of Disneyland. We had seen the same tour at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood earlier in the year and I wanted to go see it again. I didnâ??t tell anybody what I was doing and went by myself. Something I had never done before. The Play was fantastic and I had a great time! Iâ??m glad I went. And I didnâ??t cry as much as I thought I would

[djdeath-hag]

Jonathan Larson, may he R.I.P. was (in my opinion) a genius. The only thing better than seeing RENT on stage is the film version....which, in my opinion...is um, well, err, BETTER. I know that many folks felt that using most of the original actors was a bad choice...as they were "too old" to reprise their roles....I disagree. I suppose my reasoning behind my beliefs that the movie was well cast stems from my own belief that folks in their 30's, 40's...and beyond can & do struggle with addiction, finances, illness & love.

[Jack-O-Lantern]

After the divorce I took over taking my daughter to the various musicals/plays when they toured through the greater Los Angeles area. We have seen Rent, Wicked, Grease, Lion King, Spam-a-Lot and Cats to name a few.
Now I hate to admit this, and I thought I never would, but I like Broadway Musicals. I really do! Iâ??m looking forward to next one we see. Right now the CD in my truck is from a Broadway Musical. Oh the horror of it allâ?¦
Opening Night for the Broadway tour of RENT was last night in Costa Mesa, which is a little south of Disneyland. We had seen the same tour at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood earlier in the year and I wanted to go see it again. I didnâ??t tell anybody what I was doing and went by myself. Something I had never done before. The Play was fantastic and I had a great time! Iâ??m glad I went. And I didnâ??t cry as much as I thought I would

You're not alone Kugmu...seeing a Broadway musical production is one of the best things in life. Too bad more people don't give it a shot. If anything can put an instant smile on my face...that's it.

Jonathan Larson, may he R.I.P. was (in my opinion) a genius. The only thing better than seeing RENT on stage is the film version....which, in my opinion...is um, well, err, BETTER. I know that many folks felt that using most of the original actors was a bad choice...as they were "too old" to reprise their roles....I disagree. I suppose my reasoning behind my beliefs that the movie was well cast stems from my own belief that folks in their 30's, 40's...and beyond can & do struggle with addiction, finances, illness & love.

He was a genius, Dennis. It's so sad that he wasn't given the time to spread his wings even further--I'll bet he would have given us some astounding stuff as he aged. But at least we'll always have Rent.

[Katrinawitch]

"Wah wah wah... we're broke and nobody will pay us to make art and now this big old meanie wants us to pay up or move out of the Manhattan loft we've lived in RENT FREE for more than a year...". Get a job ya hippies! Melville worked in a patent office, Elvis drove a truck, Wallace Stevens worked in an insurance company office, Kurt Vonnegut sold Saabs to support his 6 kids, you can't go into a restaurant in parts of NYC or LA without learning the servers are really actors and the dishwashers have a screen play- but you people can't be bothered to

[Maynard G. Krebs]Work...!!! <gulp>[/Maynard G. Krebs]

Wow, that was just about the best thing I've heard in a long while! Thanks for making my day!

So sad and ironic that Larson died just before opening night. My friend's wife died of the same sudden illness, and it's just tragic.

That being said, this play confused the crap out of me! The music was great, but I left feeling very depressed and out of sorts. Maybe that's what they were going for?!

[Snoopy]

Wow, that was just about the best thing I've heard in a long while! Thanks for making my day!

So sad and ironic that Larson died just before opening night. My friend's wife died of the same sudden illness, and it's just tragic.

That being said, this play confused the crap out of me! The music was great, but I left feeling very depressed and out of sorts. Maybe that's what they were going for?!

I felt the same way after seeing RENT..very out of sorts! I liked the music it was great but the message bothered me for the same reasons posted by Sampiro. Not that I don't think Jonathan Larson had amazing talent and it was tragic that he never saw the success of this show.

[disco]

Surprised I never heard of this movie, gotta check it out!

[DJ's_Hub-Hag]

Surprised I never heard of this movie, gotta check it out!

I can't believe you never heard of RENT either Disco. It is a MUST see. I saw it the first time with Dennis (he has the DVD) and I've seen it many times now. It's one of my son Kevin's favorite movies/musicals. Jonathan Larson WAS a talented genius and his death was a real tragic loss for everyone.

[cindyt]

RIP

[Barbossa]

God, if you want to see something heartwrenching, get the movie version of the play and watch the documentry that's on the bonus tracks done by his family and his friends. I bawled during the thing and I'm a person who doesn't cry at much.

I watched this. How incredibly tragic, Jonathon never got to see how huge a success Rent became.

[Barbossa]

i saw the original cast perform 2 nights after Jonathan's death.....

Wow

[Barbossa]

Good post, Sampiro. I, too, always found the premise of Rent annoying and dreary (maybe because I used to live in the East Village).

However, many people found it extremely moving, so who am I to say?

I also agree, I've always thought that Mark and Roger were bums, no more, no less. That said, I love the movie, less so the play. The music in the movie fucking cranks, whereas the music in the play was unbearably subdued.

[Barbossa]

Idina Menzel is electric in the film version.

Though Idina was awesome in the movie, I thought Eden Espinosa's performance in Rent: Live on Broadway (the final performance) was even better.

[Kugmu]

Here is nice and long article about Jonathan and his writing of RENT.
http://www.angelfire.com/in2/everythingisrent/jon.html

Well ’09 is the year I became a Rent-head.
Is there a special handshake or something?
Do I get a toaster?

[Jack-O-Lantern]

Though Idina was awesome in the movie, I thought Eden Espinosa's performance in Rent: Live on Broadway (the final performance) was even better.

I keep meaning to order that dvd and forgetting--this gave me the kick in the ass I needed to do just that!

[Barbossa]

I keep meaning to order that dvd and forgetting--this gave me the kick in the ass I needed to do just that!

A must see for Rent-Heads!