| 'Rent' is a musical which has been immensely | | | | state of affairs in the 1980's. The |
| popular and is running for its eleventh year | | | | character's names and occupations were |
| now. It is based on the Opera La Boheme by | | | | changed, yet are a reflection of the original |
| Giacomo Puccini. 'Rent' is set to become the | | | | characters. Mimi was a seamstress with |
| second longest running show currently in | | | | tuberculosis in the original, and now is a |
| Broadway when 'Beauty and the Beast' ends its | | | | dancer with AIDS. Rudolfo the poet has become |
| run on July 29, 2007. | | | | Roger the musician and Marcello the painter |
| | | | is now Mark the filmmaker. |
| 'Rent' was one of the first musicals to treat | | | | |
| subjects like homosexuality, transsexuals and | | | | The story brings together people in love, |
| AIDS. It is a rock musical with an enduring | | | | like Mimi and Roger, Angel and Tom, and also |
| look at the lives of several characters | | | | Maureen and Joanne. But it also shows the |
| living in the East Side. These characters | | | | reality that AIDS leads to death no matter |
| struggle to survive the harsh realities of | | | | what. Angel gets really sick as the play |
| their lives. Jonathan Larson wrote the book | | | | progresses and dies leaving behind a |
| for Broadway and he also wrote the lyrics and | | | | heartbroken Tom who professes his undying |
| composed the music. Unfortunately he died | | | | love at her funeral. At the end of the play, |
| before he was able to see the success of his | | | | Mimi is found sick and delirious lying on the |
| play. | | | | street by Maureen and Joanne who bring her to |
| | | | Roger's apartment. She expresses her love to |
| The story of 'Rent' deals with the lives of | | | | Roger who in turn sings her a song he had |
| several characters. We see Mark Cohen, a film | | | | written inspired by her. After the song she |
| maker and also the narrator of the story and | | | | turns limp and everyone believes her to be |
| Roger Davis, a musician who shares the Rent | | | | dead but after a while she wakes up again and |
| with Mark. Mark has just lost his girlfriend | | | | claims she saw Angel telling her to turn |
| Maureen to another woman Joanne. Mimi is a | | | | back. Roger and Mimi are overjoyed at being |
| dancer and who falls in love with Roger. | | | | able to find each other and everyone is |
| Other characters include Angel, who is a gay | | | | reminded that it is important to live each |
| cross dressing drummer, and Tom Collins who | | | | day to the fullest as there is "no day but |
| is also gay, a philosophy teacher and Angel's | | | | today". |
| love interest. All the characters, except | | | | |
| Mark, have AIDS. | | | | Directed by Michael Greif, 'Rent' has become |
| | | | a cult musical of sorts and getting tickets |
| The story has been altered a bit to suit | | | | is no easy task. You could get your tickets |
| contemporary life. Puccini's La Boheme was | | | | directly from the box office at the |
| based in the late 1800's. Larson rewrote the | | | | Nederlander Theater, or book your tickets |
| play and changed the characters to suit the | | | | online or by phone. |