Michael Musto, columnist for The Village Voice and the author of
La Dolce Musto: Writings by the World's Most Outrageous Columnist (Carroll & Graf, 2007)
comments on what the 12-year lifespan of the musical Rent says about the city it depicts.
I am so so so so sad that RENT is closing. I have seen it with my friends several times. I am 9 years old and I love the songs and the characters and the LOVE!(and basically everything that has to do with it) i learned all the songs by heart. in other words, i love RENT!!!
Hey Brian, I didn't hear all you & Michael Musto had to say but this can be researched quickly by your staff:
"Angels in America" had a long development process, including workshops and full productions in the U.S., through the early 1990's, and opened on Broadway spring of '93. The staged workshops for "Rent" followed all of that. And still no one can minimize Jonathan Larson's work on "Rent" which began in the 1980's.
My call and posting here is meant to correct an incorrect statement of facts on your NEWS program. If your going to have a gossip columnist as your guest and then condone his inaccurate characterizations, that undermines your program.
Seems that if you talk about the subject again this correction would be worth making to restore how seriously listeners take your statements.
Hey Brian, I didn't hear all you & Michael Musto had to say but this can be researched quickly by your staff:
"Angels in America" had a long development process, including workshops and full productions in the U.S., through the early 1990's, and opened on Broadway spring of '93. The staged workshops for "Rent" followed all of that. And still no one can minimize Jonathan Larson's work on "Rent" which began in the 1980's.
My call and posting here is meant to correct an incorrect statement of facts on your NEWS program. If you have a gossip columnist as your guest and then condone his inaccurate characterizations, that undermines your program.
Seems that if you talk about the subject again this correction would be worth making to restore how seriously listeners take your statements.
Micheal! we're not so far away ( he said artists have moved to the 'outer boroughs' and R.I. to find cheap rents) LOoK! out your window we're RIGHT OVER HERE in greenpoint, long island city, redhook, etc -- we're waving to you across the river right now can you see us michael?
Wrong again, Brian, I'm sorry to say. Rent was not Off-Broadway in 1992. Yes, there was a long development and writing period, but the same could be said about Angels in America.
I doubt the tourists who were seeing Rent were the kind of people who would "never want to encounter" its issues in real life. There are people who care about the issues it covered, even in Iowa or Kansas. Believe it or not, AIDS was a problem outside NYC, and there are transgender individuals in the midwest too.
It's great the show has lasted so long. Definetly a product of it's time; an arty, liberal fairy tale steeped in the optimism of the pre-Lewinsky Clinton Era. As someone who was working in theater back when Rent opened, my reaction at the time was surprisingly like that of my 85 year old father-in-law. I wanted to scream at all those characters "Get a job!!"
I was in high school when Rent came out and would drive around the Rhode Island suburbs with my friends singing the songs at the top of our lungs. Though the show now seems naive and is definitely outdated, we felt politically connected to New York and connected to a new kind of musical theater. I went to NYU after that (1998), stood in the $20 line at least five times, and I recall it fondly.
Rent reminds me of my college years when it was fresh and new. All great things come to pass. I guess this show ought to be blamed for the over-run of RICH RICH RIIIIIICH little NYU kids who run around the east village trying to live a life that is no longer available. A person needs money to live a life like that these days. Ever seen the price of ripped jeans in the East Village?
I live in Madison. NJ but went to school in the early 80's to NYU. I took my kids to see this - they grew up on the soundtrack. My 5 year old learned about alternative families because of the music. It's my favorite play, and we will see it again before it goes.
I would like to point out, that Jonathon Larsen Died of an Aortic Anerism, that stemmed from a Genetic disorder called Marfan's Syndrome. He went to 2 different ERs and both misdiagnosed. My Mother died the same way almost 2 years ago. If you know you have it, you can live a normal life, but it's rare and many doctors are unaware of it. I just want to pass on awareness. www.marfan.org.
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Comments [21]
I am so so so so sad that RENT is closing.
I have seen it with my friends several times.
I am 9 years old and I love the songs
and the characters and the LOVE!(and basically
everything that has to do with it)
i learned all the songs by heart.
in other words,
i love RENT!!!
Hey Brian, I didn't hear all you & Michael Musto had to say but this can be researched quickly by your staff:
"Angels in America" had a long development process, including workshops and full productions in the U.S., through the early 1990's, and opened on Broadway spring of '93. The staged workshops for "Rent" followed all of that. And still no one can minimize Jonathan Larson's work on "Rent" which began in the 1980's.
My call and posting here is meant to correct an incorrect statement of facts on your NEWS program. If your going to have a gossip columnist as your guest and then condone his inaccurate characterizations, that undermines your program.
Seems that if you talk about the subject again this correction would be worth making to restore how seriously listeners take your statements.
Thanks for taking my call and reading this.
Hey Brian, I didn't hear all you & Michael Musto had to say but this can be researched quickly by your staff:
"Angels in America" had a long development process, including workshops and full productions in the U.S., through the early 1990's, and opened on Broadway spring of '93. The staged workshops for "Rent" followed all of that. And still no one can minimize Jonathan Larson's work on "Rent" which began in the 1980's.
My call and posting here is meant to correct an incorrect statement of facts on your NEWS program. If you have a gossip columnist as your guest and then condone his inaccurate characterizations, that undermines your program.
Seems that if you talk about the subject again this correction would be worth making to restore how seriously listeners take your statements.
Thanks for taking my call and reading this.
Micheal! we're not so far away ( he said artists have moved to the 'outer boroughs' and R.I. to find cheap rents) LOoK! out your window we're RIGHT OVER HERE in greenpoint, long island city, redhook, etc -- we're waving to you across the river right now can you see us michael?
SARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES YES YES YES YES YES YS YES. Cherry Jones: one of our great American Actresses
i love you Brian, but you're still wrong. Rent opened at the New York Theater Workshop in 1994 After Angels opened on Broadway.
Wrong again, Brian, I'm sorry to say. Rent was not Off-Broadway in 1992. Yes, there was a long development and writing period, but the same could be said about Angels in America.
Jody Foster? No way! The real lespian thespian is Cherry Jones!!
THANK YOU KERRY THE LAST CALLER. She's right, New York has changed. I have been here 8 years and see the difference.
I doubt the tourists who were seeing Rent were the kind of people who would "never want to encounter" its issues in real life. There are people who care about the issues it covered, even in Iowa or Kansas. Believe it or not, AIDS was a problem outside NYC, and there are transgender individuals in the midwest too.
It's great the show has lasted so long. Definetly a product of it's time; an arty, liberal fairy tale steeped in the optimism of the pre-Lewinsky Clinton Era. As someone who was working in theater back when Rent opened, my reaction at the time was surprisingly like that of my 85 year old father-in-law. I wanted to scream at all those characters "Get a job!!"
I was in high school when Rent came out and would drive around the Rhode Island suburbs with my friends singing the songs at the top of our lungs. Though the show now seems naive and is definitely outdated, we felt politically connected to New York and connected to a new kind of musical theater. I went to NYU after that (1998), stood in the $20 line at least five times, and I recall it fondly.
It's a wonderful show. If it moved back to off Bway it probably could last forever, much like The Fantastiks
Rent was indeed a couple years AFTER Angels in America. I'm really surprised Michael Musto, of all people, did not know this either.
Rent reminds me of my college years when it was fresh and new. All great things come to pass. I guess this show ought to be blamed for the over-run of RICH RICH RIIIIIICH little NYU kids who run around the east village trying to live a life that is no longer available. A person needs money to live a life like that these days. Ever seen the price of ripped jeans in the East Village?
I live in Madison. NJ but went to school in the early 80's to NYU. I took my kids to see this - they grew up on the soundtrack. My 5 year old learned about alternative families because of the music. It's my favorite play, and we will see it again before it goes.
Sorry Joe, some people care about the arts, and hope that politics can help strengthen the arts, not suppress them.
joe, we can talk about many things, as many things are going on in the world, not just politics
in general as the lower east side goes (falls to gentrification) so goes rent...
RENT was after ANGELS IN AMERICA!
I would like to point out, that Jonathon Larsen Died of an Aortic Anerism, that stemmed from a Genetic disorder called Marfan's Syndrome. He went to 2 different ERs and both misdiagnosed. My Mother died the same way almost 2 years ago. If you know you have it, you can live a normal life, but it's rare and many doctors are unaware of it. I just want to pass on awareness. www.marfan.org.
Filler on the show in THIS political atmosphere...sheeesh...do a show on juggling why don't you...
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