This space for

the Broadway/ Touring Musical...

and now a Major Motion Picture!

Jonathan Larson's 1996 takeoff on the opera, 'La Boheme'

RENT tells the story of the struggles of several couples and one neurotic aspiring filmmaker in New York City.  The players...

Mark Cohen - roommate to Roger, filmmaker...watching the world from behind his camera lens, not realizing it is passing him by... Roger - Ex-junkie and roommate of Mark, guitar player whose girlfriend April slit her wrists several months earlier after finding out the couple had AIDS...  Roger falls for... Mimi Marquez- an exotic dancer specializing in handcuffs... meets Roger on a cold December evening in their building, asking 'Would you light my candle...?'  Mimi is hopelessly hooked on smack and it brings her to a very scary place. Tom Collins - part time college professor at NYU, full-time existentialist, anarchist, genius, and partygoer.  Once ran naked through the Parthenon.  Collins is mugged on Christmas Eve, beaten...and nursed back to health by... Angel Shunard- drummer, performer and transvestite who falls in love with Collins.  Both Collins and Angel are also HIV positive. Maureen Johnson - catty ex-girlfriend of Mark, blond bombshell and activist, who left Mark for ... Joanne - African American public defender and amateur studio technician. Benny... - The ex-roommate of Mark and Roger, who married into wealth and subsequently became their landlord...thinking only of photo opportunities, and forever looking for overdue...

Highlights of the RENT Soundtrack

RENT - High energy opener to get the blood flowing!

LIGHT MY CANDLE - very sexy duet introducing Roger to the mysterious Mimi

TODAY FOR U, (TOMORROW FOR ME) - high percussion number by Angel, stomping in high heels off and onto tables in her Santa's Elf costume

SANTA FE - '...Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe....Sunny Santa Fe would be nice...'  If you've had lunch in Santa Fe's downtown district, you have to agree, it's a New York food lover's dream.

I'LL COVER YOU - Performed twice, first as a sweet duet between Collins and Angel, and later, by Collins in a very sad moment.

OVER THE MOON - This one is my kid's favorite... Maureen pleads her case with an analogy to the mythical cow, Elsie...   'Moo with me!!'

LA VIE BOHEME - Long and a little drawn out, but the entire cast performs this number to end Act 1 and it shows a strong spirit of unity and the power of friendship and beliefs.

SEASONS OF LOVE(525,600 MINUTES) - This one was performed by the Broadway cast of RENT at the 1996 Democratic Convention.  It was good enough that Stevie Wonder picked up on it and released his own cover of the song.  

WHAT YOU OWN - Roger and Mark realize what's really important as they analyze where they are and what they really want to do, and take a look at life in urban America, and it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

YOUR EYES - The song Roger spent a year writing, and it might be enough to save Mimi...

NO DAY BUT TODAY - The underlying theme of RENT, and its closing song.

I've now seen RENT three times - twice in Tucson with my ex-roommate Megan, and once up in Phoenix with my son.  Generally this show is for the 14 and over crowd, but Joey has been through quite a lot in his short life, and he really enjoyed the show's soundtrack, which we'd played in my car for weeks before the musical.  Looking forward to another Arizona engagement for Roger, Mimi, Mark & Co!

Just an update... really enjoyed the movie.  It's about time it was adapted for the big screen.  I was surprised at the PG-13 rating, but despite the street language, which is very realistic, there isn't enough graphic violence or sex to warrant an R rating.  I was happy to see that most of the original actors and actresses from the Broadway musical were reprising their roles for the movie.  The exceptions are the wonderful Tracie Thomas as Joanne (rent Wonderfalls when you get a chance), and Rosario Dawson as Mimi.  Mimi had to look like she was 16 (she's 19... but old for her age), so they couldn't use an actress who originated the role 9 years ago.