Rent: Gone But Not Forgotten
After 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, one of Broadway’s most popular and powerful shows has come to an end. Rent, a 1996 Tony Award winner, ended its Broadway run on Sunday with a sold out show and an auditorium full of die-hard “Rentheads” who paid premium prices for their Broadway tickets to see the show for the last time. Their loyalty did not go un rewarded, as the final minutes of the show were highly emotional concluding with appearances by the original cast members on stage to sing “Seasons of Love” on last time.
Rent is a story of love, loss, and struggle during hard times in a Bohemian culture in New York City. Adding controversy to the mix, are storylines that revolve around AIDS, homosexuality, and severe drug use. Despite its controversial nature, the show has been a huge success for its entire run, as its realistic and hard-hitting themes are endured by thousands across the world.
Mixing the drama of the show with the rock n roll soundtrack adds to the popularity of Rent, as people everywhere see the show, sing the songs, and embrace Rent as part of their lives. The final show was dedicated, as was the first showing, to Jonathan Larson, the creator/writer of the show who lived many of the themes of the show and passed away from Marfan syndrome in January of 1996, a mere 3 months before the show’s Broadway premier.