Salute to the Stage: A Digital Library

Rent
Book, Music, and Lyrics by
Jonathan Larson

Seen in February 2002
At the Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street, New York, NY

Synopsis:
From StageAgent: Your Performing Arts Connection
Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Rent tells the story of a group of friends struggling with love, drugs and AIDS. Among the group are the narrator--nerdy filmmaker Mark; his former lover, Maureen; Maureen's public interest lawyer lesbian lover, Joanne; Mark's roommate HIV+ former drug addict, Roger; Roger's lover the HIV+ drug addicted exotic dancer, Mimi; their former roommate HIV+ computer genius, Tom Collins; Collins' HIV+ drag queen street musician lover, Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III, a former member of the group who, after marrying a wealthy woman, has since become their landlord and opposes the group's Bohemian values. The second act is filled with tragedy as Angel dies and couples break up. But at the very end, when Mimi is about to die, Roger is able to sing one song that brings her back to life and leaves the audience with a sense of hope.

Choreography by:
Marlies Yearby

Directed by:
Michael Greif