Rent

by Jonathan Larson

In these pages, Rent offers what most theater books can' a chance to step behind the curtain and feel the electricity of a stage phenomenon as it unfolds. Rent has single-handedly reinvigorated Broadway and taken America by storm. Sweeping all major theater awards, including the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for drama, as well as four 1996 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score for a Musical, Rent captures the heart and spirit of a generation, refleting it onstage through the emotion of its stirring words and music, and the energy of its young cast. Now, for the first time, Rent comes to life on the page -- through vivid color photographs, the full libretto, and an utterly compelling behind-the-scenes oral history of the show's creation. Here is the exclusive and absolutely complete companion to Rent, told in the voices of the extraordinary talent behind its the actors, the director, the producers, and the librettist and composer himself, Jonathan Larson, whose sudden death, on the eve of the first performance, has made Rent's life-affirming message all the more poignant.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Nonfiction, Musicals, Music, LGBT

160 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

Jonathan Larson was an American Tony Award-winning composer and playwright who lived in New York City and authored musicals, including Rent and Tick, Tick... BOOM!. These musicals tackle serious issues such as multiculturalism, addiction, homophobia, and the AIDS epidemic. His artistic vision and goal was to fuse Generation X and the MTV Generation with the world of musical theatre in his work. This mission was accomplished by his magnum opus, Rent, for which he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won four Tony Awards.

Reviews

[Jillyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never get tired of the emotions that I feel whenever I read/see this play. Set in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis, this story based on La Boheme chronicles the lives of different people in New York City who are impacted by the disease. Mimi- the infected but vibrant young dancer. Roger- the infected brooding musician. Joanne and Maureen are an opposites attract lesbian couple, and Collins and Angel are an interesting pair also infected with the virus. Mark is the one who chronicles it all on camera. From the words to the music, everything about this show drips with passion and emotion, and I would be lying if I said I didn't cry every time. I think everyone should see/read this at least once.

[Sarah Dorothea · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars! ⭐️ I was part of the RENT musical in Basel! I loooove the story and it’s one of my favourite musicals EVER. It really is so so good.

“525’600 minutes...525’000 moments so dear...525’600 minutes...How do you measure, measure a year?” - ‘Rent’ ❤️🎵🎶

[Faith-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rent Bible is the perfect book to prop open & immerse yourself into the world of Rent. The photos are amazing. There's a full libretto...& Much much more. If you're a Renthead, you must pick this book up.

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 52 Book Challenge - 13) Published posthumously

A brilliant musical with a brilliant book. It deals with taboo issues such as grieving, loss, sexuality, gender and HIV/AIDS. In keeping with these themes, the music is rather raw and emotional with songs like I'll Cover You (Reprise) and What You Own being personally tear worthy.
A criticism is that, while the plot is strong, the characterisation is rather weak. Mark's character's plot line, being the main character and narrator, is only vaguely touched upon in the first act, in La Vie Boheme with the "mucho masturbation" and then in the lines prior to Take Me Or Leave Me with "and me? I'm nowhere". It culminates in a fight between Mark and Roger in which his character motivations are revealed. The characters are more one dimensional and are more or less defined by one characteristic or one trait.
Irregardless, I find this a brilliant, moving musical that is well worthy of the accolades and successes it has garnered in the last twenty years. Congratulations to Jonathan Larson for his brilliant piece of writing and the success he never managed to see through.

[Paula Verdicchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan so this was a beautifully illustrated insight into Jonathan Larson who is one of my heroes.

[Kelsey Trinkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

There isn't really a plot to this book. This book consists of information about the musical "RENT." It includes lyrics, pictures, biographies and almost any other question you could have about "RENT." I enjoyed reading this book. The musical meant a lot to me and to read this and be able to find out countless fun facts about it was amazing.

There is no true characterization in this book. It allows the reader to learn more about the actors, writer and crew.

There is no setting for this book. It was written shortly after it was put on Broadway, which was in 1997.

There is no theme of this book, seeing as it is non-fiction.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the musical or movie "Rent." I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Broadway musicals.

[Javier Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the musical on stage again tonight. Maybe I'm going through a season of love. I was more touched this time. I'm bumping it up a notch to four stars.

[Caz Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest book a Rent Head could ever own.

The full script, photos, Interviews....I don't need to say anything more. It's truly wonderful and I love it

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last night I saw this play (the film version) for the first time. The story is largely about how these young adults deal with the AIDS and drug epidemic sweeping NYC in the late 1980’s. It is a compelling play without being over the top. In fact I think the play might have benefited with a little more drama.

I’m not normally an Idina Menzel fan but I felt she did a solid job in her role as the impulsive Maureen. I also enjoyed Fredi Walker’s singing in her role as Joanne. Not sure why she isn’t more recognized for her voice. Wilson Heredia delivered an award winning performance as Angel. Jesse Martin and Rosario Dawson also put in very strong supporting performances.

The play has lost a little bit of its currency in recent years since Manhattan is heavily gentrified and certainly not so gritty anymore. Nor is an AIDS diagnosis a death sentence any longer. But a historically relevant play nonetheless.

4.5 stars. The musical numbers - especially those in the restaurant - are some of the best in the last twenty five years of Broadway.

[Randi (The Artist Formerly known as Guitar Chick) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who do I give my left kidney to to direct a run of this show?

[Halley Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite show for a reason <3

[Page Christman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Rent!! I think that this book gives a good behind the scenes look of how the show was created and what the creative team went through to make the show presentable to an audience.
It is very sad in my opininon that Jonathan Larson the creator of the show did not get a chance to see all of the success that Rent has had over the years.

No Day but Today!

[Alouise Dittrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book to own for any Renthead. It contains lots of information about Jonathan Larson's life, including interviews from family, friends, and colleagues. It has the full show libretto, plus pictures on every page. Great coffee table book, and one I love flipping through again and again.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a musical you are pretty familiar with is interesting because you start to notice weird little word choices. I'd explain more, but I'm not sure I would be able to adequately articulate it. Still good, just wayyyyyy more 90s than I'd like to remember.

[Dana Weir · Rating 5 out of 5]

RENT changed my life, as silly as that may sound. Not the book, but the stage musical. This book goes with it. Thank you Jonathan! RIP.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty awesome, including lots of background making-of information and a full libretto. Great pictures too!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

In high school, I was a theatre nerd, which meant that it was impossible to avoid Rent. Sheltered suburban kids love Rent with an obsession that borders on unhealthy (although I get the drift that Hamilton is the new obsession du jour). While my fellow teenage thespians swooned over the artistry of Rent, I, unable to escape endless loops of the soundtrack, developed a deep loathing of the schmaltz and rank manipulation.

Sitting down to read the libretto as an adult, however, I vowed to approach the musical with an open mind. There are plenty of things I’ve encountered again as an adult and found my tastes changed for both good and bad.

But in the case of Rent? Oh, teenage me, sometime you were so very right.

I think I disliked Rent more now than I did as a teenager – and I say this as someone who hates developers with a passion, who thinks people are way too hard and critical of those trying to make it as artists – but the people featured in Rent don’t remind me of the artists I know. The characters hit me as wannabes who claim to be “artists” because it gives them a reason to drink and smoke heavily and enter into some twilight childhood with sex – in short, many of the trust-fund artists I know in LA.

Also? The libretto I read featured many, many people saying that Jonathan Larson’s death had nothing to do with the success of Rent. His death was tragic. Full stop. I get that, as a friend, they want to preserve his legacy.

But here’s the thing: I cannot tell you how many times teenage me heard about how the ‘guy who wrote Rent died of AIDs and left this musical to the world as a way of coping with his mortality.’ That was the rumor going around high-school musical theatre circles. For years. It’s nowhere close to true, but I think it’s important to acknowledge Rent, which has mortality as one of its central themes, owes some of its success to the unexpected death of its creator.

And honestly? I wish I liked Rent better simply because Jonathan Larson was one of those artists who toiled for years to be a success, and I have nothing but respect for that kind of perseverance. But years of exposure have not endeared me to his masterpiece. Not recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there isn't much of anything in this book I didn't already know- in fact, a full half the text is simply the lyrics to every song from the musical- it still touched me deeply. I have loved Rent enough for nearly half my life that I have its lyrics tattooed on my body. I have seen it on various live stages more times than I could probably count. And still, I find something new to love about it every time I immerse myself in it. This book definitely captures that feeling, and if you are a fan of the musical or of Broadway and live theatre in general, this is a must read.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan Larson's vision for RENT is powerful and stands the test of time. The music, the story we need to hear. No day but today!

[Guada]

I’m poor and living in Argentina if anyone is willing to give me this as a Christmas present I won’t say no <3 (jk i will refuse) (but it’s nice to dream)

[Zoe Hertzberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

outstanding. beautiful to learn about the story behind the show and production, and larsons life. gives me a much larger appreciation for his greater work outside of, and leading up, to rent.

yes I did cry while reading this. a solid 10/10. also the graphic design was BEAUTIFUL.

[Tomi Alger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all the lyrics and dialogue of the Broadway musical. I found myself reading along and not always paying attention to who was singing or speaking. The story deals with all kinds of topics relevant to the 1980sand 1990s, including the AIDS epidemic, drugs, homosexuality, and homelessness. The characters struggle with all of these issues. Jonathan Larson, the writer, used Puccini's Le Boheme as a basis for his story. Part of the theme of this play is we have "no day but today."

[themis · Rating 5 out of 5]

words cannot explain the adoration i have for jonathan larson and his works so the 5 star rating i give the rent libretto will have to do

[Sophie Haegele]

Script Report: RENT by Jonathon Larson
(387+116=503 pages down, 497 to go)
Alright. I read the script for the musical RENT for my second book. Now that I’ve really had the chance to take my time and really think about the musical as I read it, a lot of new thoughts have popped into my head, per say.
RENT is about several bohemians: Mark Cohen, Roger Davis, Maureen Johnson, Mimi Marquez, Tom Collins, and Angel Dumott Schunard, Joanne Jefferson (Maureen’s lawyer girlfriend) and the group’s old friend Benjamin Coffin III, who married rich and then became an outcast to the friend group. The bohemians struggle with AIDS, which is ravaging New York at the time, drug addictions, and trying to find love and friendship. It takes place in 1990’s NYC.
I really like this concept for a story. It has so much potential, even just looking at the idea. It gets you hooked right away, which is a good thing for any written work. It’s very high energy, and the characters are unique enough and different enough from each other that you really get the sense of their lives and their energies as well.
But sometimes the bohemian-ness of it all got to a point where all the characters’ actions were based on morals vs. situations. Example: Mark and Roger wonder how they’re going to pay the rent, as they are starving artists. My logical answer would be to get a job that actually pays you so you can support yourself and your bohemian dreams. But the characters don’t seem to see that logic, and for me as a person, it’s a little annoying. They are also so wrapped up in their various projects throughout the script, and there were times I wanted to yell at Mark to put down the camera and for Roger to put down the guitar and look around and see what world they’re living in. The artistic talents of all the characters overshadow some of the deepness they could have. I really only see a lot of three-dimensional character in Mimi. Not Maureen, or Mark, or Joanne, or Benny. I would have liked more of that, to see them more as real people rather than fictions.
That’s not to say it seemed fake or I was unable to relate. The times I felt at one with the words and songs and characters was the song “La Vie Bohème,” the emotionally heartbreaking songs “Will I?” and “Life Support” and “Finale B.” The show needs more of those moments when you realize what it is really about and the message RENT is trying to send. Yes, reading the script helped me a little more into the lives of these characters. But RENT is trying so hard to be the 90’s version of Hair that it’s completely ignoring everything that makes it unique and special itself. Where else will you read about people dancing on top of tables and singing about handcrafted beers made in local breweries, yoga, yogurt, rice and beans and cheese, and playing your drums so much that a dog kills itself by jumping out of a skyscraper? If RENT would just stop trying so hard to be amazing, it would see that it already is amazing without any amped up and irritating Bohemian morality. As a person, it annoys me when people have a chance to make their lives better and they don’t take it. After reading the song lyrics of “What You Own” I felt that it really was the first time Mark and Roger realized they were living in America at the end of the millennium, like their innocence was being destroyed. Well, at least Mark’s innocence. Roger has been through his share of hardships. Still, they seemed really childish in that song. The characters are trying to be tough by adhering to their bohemian ideals and blatantly refusing to work against any of their beliefs. But sometimes being tough is about working through pride and shame and focusing on what you will earn in the long run. I wanted to scream at Mark, “Just take the freaking job at Buzzline so you can support yourself! Who cares if it’s selling out!!” He’s a very innocent character who doesn’t really accept that he is ‘living in America at the end of the millennium’ until close to the end of the story.
To sum up, RENT was an incredible idea and a very strong storyline, but the characters were very single-minded and not as deep as they could have been. The song lyrics were usually amazing, and it could have used more soulful and realistic moments in the script and songs that make you feel like you’re consistently being transported to their world. Anyway, I loved the story but found a lot of flaws within the characters and their motivations.

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 52 Book Challenge - 13) Published posthumously

A brilliant musical with a brilliant book. It deals with taboo issues such as grieving, loss, sexuality, gender and HIV/AIDS. In keeping with these themes, the music is rather raw and emotional with songs like I'll Cover You (Reprise) and What You Own being personally tear worthy.
A criticism is that, while the plot is strong, the characterisation is rather weak. Mark's character's plot line, being the main character and narrator, is only vaguely touched upon in the first act, in La Vie Boheme with the "mucho masturbation" and then in the lines prior to Take Me Or Leave Me with "and me? I'm nowhere". It culminates in a fight between Mark and Roger in which his character motivations are revealed. The characters are more one dimensional and are more or less defined by one characteristic or one trait.
Irregardless, I find this a brilliant, moving musical that is well worthy of the accolades and successes it has garnered in the last twenty years. Congratulations to Jonathan Larson for his brilliant piece of writing and the success he never managed to see through.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So as I've said before, Rent is one of my guilty pleasures...the morals are rather...questionable. But there's a lot of thought and soul put into Rent, albeit somewhat misguided and imperfect. And it really makes me ponder exactly what life is about... Rent puts forth an impressive presentation of moral relativism that's just filled to the brim with heartfelt emotion and passion. But is simple emotion enough in the end? Is getting your own way the purpose to existence? Seems like a pretty shallow way to live...

This musical is not recommended for children...but I really do like the music...and since I'm reviewing the vocal selections book, I probably should've talked about that instead...there's a lot of melody line in the accompaniment, which doesn't enthrall me. And since nobody I know likes Rent (and that's sort of a good thing), I can't accompany anyone with it...
Um...but when I feel like getting loud and crazy on the piano without having to improvise anything, Rent usually does the trick for me.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larson's Pulitzer-Prize-winning musical remake of the opera La Boheme has long been one of my favorites, but I'd never read the book until now. I loved seeing the dialogue and lyrics all written. The show moves fast and there are frequently multiple conversations going on at the same time, so it's easy to miss things. It was especially fun to read the lyric-heavy La Vie Boheme. There are so many clever references that I had to read it through multiple times just to appreciate it all.

This version also has some photos of the original stage production and some extra info about the author (who died before the show became a success). I loved having a chance to learn more about the real life events that inspired Larson to write the show.

What I really love about this story is the fact that it stresses accepting people as they are. It encourages us to dive in and live our lives, even though you might get hurt. One of the best lines comes from Mark, "The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation!"

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m guessing that the high ratings for this book are not actually for this book itself, but for the performance of the musical and/or the movie.

[Angelena · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In these dangerous times, where it seems that the world is ripping apart at the seams, we all can learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and [we] should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the end of the millennium." - Jonathan Larson (1960-1996); written shortly before his death.

I don't think I can properly put into words how much I love RENT. It's so much more than just a musical, and reading this book really showed me how much love and work and passion everyone involved put into making this show what it is. I can only wish I had been able to see it during its original run.

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Also a stage play/musical

[Maggie Needham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rent Bible. A must-have for Rentheads. I love immersing myself in this book. It has gorgeous photos and the full libretto, as well as much, much more. There's so much information in here. I adored this show from the moment I heard "Seasons of Love" for the first time. I was lucky enough to see it during two different national tours, one with Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. In my sophomore year of high school, I was on stage crew for our school production of the show, which remains one of my favorite shows I've ever worked on. With the show no longer on Broadway or touring, spending some time with this book is one of the best ways to get to know this show again.