Musical Spotlight: Rent by Jonathan Larson (1996)

Description
I know I shouldn't do this, but I'm going to . . . The Wikipedia page for Rent succinctly summarizes the show better than I ever could:

 " . . . loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The show deals with a variety of themes such as homelessness, drug addiction, love, sexuality, disease, and death."

 My summary of the show in 10 words? 
90's. NY. Rent-payers. Drugs. AIDS. Homelessness. Disease. Seasons of Love.  

 Candid Reaction

  • You mean to tell me that "Seasons of Love" is the opener of Rent? 
  • What am I listening to during "Over the Moon"? That one threw me for a loop. 
  • The music of this show is impeccable in its ability to set a(n) mood/tone/atmosphere. 
  • This really is the '90s in a nutshell. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Tackling AIDS/HIV
The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama award goes to a show that was written by an American and addresses American life. The rock musical addressed AIDS/HIV which was gaining the nation's attention. The show reflected current American life crises.

2. Diversity
The show reflected America's diverse community in terms of race and sexuality.

Classroom Implications

  • The show alludes to Puccini's opera La Bohème. When we discuss allusion, it could be a modern-ish example.
  • "Seasons of Love" could be analyzed for its figurative language 

Personal Takeaway
The song "One Song Glory" is quite haunting.

Ranking
TBD

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Rankings

9.75 -- Fences by August Wilson ( 1987 ) 9.5 -- The Subject Was Roses by Frank D. Gilroy (1965) 9.25 -- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (1955) 9.25 -- The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn (1978) 9.25  --   Long Day's Journey into Night  by Eugene O'Neill  (1957) 9.25 -- Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (2007) 9.25 -- Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks ( 2002 ) 9.0 -- Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner (1993)   9.0  --  Anna Christie  by Eugene O'Neill  (1922) 9.0 -- Cost of Living by Martyna Majok ( 2018 ) 9.0 -- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949) 9.0 -- Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (2005) 9.0 --  The Flick by Annie Baker (2014) 9.0 -- 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman (1983) 9.0 -- Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes ( 2012 ) 8 .75 --  Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neill (1920) 8.75 -- How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel ( 1998 ) 8.75 -- ...
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