Broadway hit a legacy to Jonathan Larson
Rent tells the story of struggling artists and friends in New York City's East Village during the 1990s, as they navigate their lives while confronting poverty and addiction.
Written by a Jewish composer, Rent the rock musical has returned to Australia for a national tour, starting in Brisbane this month and opening at Melbourne’s State Theatre next month, followed by seasons in Newcastle, Perth and Canberra.
Rent tells the story of struggling artists and friends in New York City’s East Village during the 1990s, as they navigate their lives while confronting poverty and addiction amid the HIV/AIDS crisis. It is loosely based on the 1896 opera La Bohème, but reimagined for the ‘MTV generation’, celebrating life, love and art amid adversity.
Rent first opened off-Broadway in 1996. Tragically its Jewish writer, composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson, died suddenly at the age of 35, hours before the show was to open.
Larson who had struggled to find success during his career, never saw Rent’s huge impact as one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway, which won a Tony Award for best musical and Pulitzer Prize for drama.
At the time of its release Rent was ground-breaking for shattering taboos in musical theatre by including issues of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ characters.
Larson’s friend and documentary filmmaker Edward Rosenstein has said that Larson’s life as an artist in Greenwich Village in the 1990s inspired parts of Rent, particularly his friendships with Rosenstein, Jonathan Burkhart, and Matthew O’Grady, who was diagnosed as HIV positive.
A semi-fictionalised version of Larson’s life was recently captured in the Netflix movie Tick, Tick…Boom directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which starred Jewish actor Andrew Garfield as Larson.
The film tells of how Larson had many career setbacks – including Larson’s musical Superbia, based on George Orwell’s 1984, and Tick, Tick…Boom which captured his frustration with his lack of success.
Larson’s story is a memorable lesson in perseverance. He leaves a tremendous legacy, including Rent which continues to spark joy and inspire future generations.
For more information: rentmusical.au
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