Rent The Musical Analysis

It is officially credited with bridging the gap between musical theatre and pop culture. Rent is a contemporary musical revolving around a group of poor, struggling, young artists, or “Bohemians.” It is set in East Side New York City in the height of the 1990s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Despite obstacles of sickness, financial difficulties, and death, the characters locate the ability to remain optimistic and positive. Rent has proceeded to become extremely successful and iconic in modern day musical theatre.

Multiple sources of inspiration were utilized in the creation of Rent the Musical. Writer Jonathan Larson’s primary source of inspiration while creating Rent the Musical was Giacomo Puccini 's most notable opera, La Boheme. Alison Kronberg, writer

Music and the arts were heavily involved into Jonathan Larson’s life as a child and young adult. He was born February 4, 1961, in White Plains, New York, and was always musically inclined as a child. His parents found it vital to involve musical theatre into Jonathan and his sister Julie’s childhood. The Encyclopedia of World Biography states that “when Larson was a child; he was taken to see a children’s version of La Boheme, Giacomo Puccini’s opera about a group of struggling young artists or “Bohemians.” From that seed, the idea that would become Rent, slowly germinated over the next two decades” (Jonathan Larson). Growing up, Larson had several musical influences that shaped his specific music taste including Kurt Cobain, Liz Phair, Prince, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim became a personal mentor to Jonathan later in his career. In high school Larson began acting and composing. After graduating, he attended Adelphi College on an acting scholarship where he studied under the accomplished Jacques Burdick. It was his time at Adelphi where his interest in playwriting began. Although he struggled immensely, Jonathan Larson had a very fulfilling career. After graduating from Adelphi in 1982, Larson moved to New York City where he performed in multiple summer stock shows and obtained his membership in The Actor’s Equity Association soon after. It was in this time; Jonathan decided to adjust his focus

Rent has received a plethora of prestigious awards, honors, and achievements. The production transferred to the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway just four months after its Off-Broadway debut at the New York Theatre Workshop. Rent collected four Tony awards out of an impressive ten nominations. Rent received Tony’s for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Lighting Design. Beyond the Tony awards Rent was also awarded with six Drama Desk Awards, three Obie Awards, and The New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The production ran on Broadway for eight years with a total of 5,123 shows and grossing 280 million. Currently, Rent is the eleventh longest-running show ever on Broadway. After Rent’s Broadway debut, people had contrasting reactions and opinions. Some critics did not appreciate the show not being family friendly, the modern-day issues the show discussed, the manner in which stereotypes were portrayed, and the intense similarity to La Boheme. Musical theatre critic, journalist, and author Scott Miller says “Rent shouldn’t have worked because its music is genuine rock and roll...theatre audiences loved it and so did the pop music audience...Larson...did the near impossible by successfully blending the two without emasculating either...satisfying both audiences. The CD quickly became the best selling cast