RENT!

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathon Larson


RENT came onto Broadway in 1994. It was written by Jonathon Larson about real life for those in New York suffering from diseases such as AIDS, had a nasty landlord demanding rent, and practically no money. The characters represented people who just wanted to live and enjoy life.

RENT is mainly a modern version of La Boheme, which is an opera. It ~is~ a musical, and incorporates a lot of dance, salsa, R&B, pop, and rock'n'roll. It won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book and the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. These are the most notable awards, but there are a whole bunch of others.

Jonathon Larson, writer, lyricist, and songwriter died the night before RENT performed off-Broadway and ten days before his 36th birthday. He died of an aortic aneurysm. However, his songs and thoughts live on in what has become an incredible musical: RENT.