Rent the Musical - Not the movie!
Rent the Musical was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards. It is based on a classic opera called “La Boheme” but with an added twist. It is a rock opera that tells a story of a group of bohemians living in New York’s East Village. It depicts their personal struggles for success and acceptance against the odds of poverty, sickness and AIDS. This opera has been running as a Broadway show for 10 years and is being produced in Rent the Musical accompanied by Rent the motion picture soundtrack.
Jonathan Larson leads the move with groundbreaking emotion packed lyrics in Rent the Musical. You can download samples of these lyrics on Rent the Musical website. It is not your typical movie since its content; lyrics and music seem to target a particular audience.
I am sure Rent the Musical has an attraction to a certain audience, but I am not one of them. The description of background and the content of Rent the Musical, just does not appeal to me. I did not see it yet and do not plan to basically because I do not see the value of watching the downside of the culture that promotes it. Not that I cannot appreciate the struggles of others, I just consider the content a depressant and not entertainment. I am sure Rent the Musical is worthy of all the awards it received and has very talented actors and actresses in it, but I do not find human misery entertaining. I prefer a good comedy, love story, or science fiction content. If I want a good dose of reality, all I need to do is turn on the news, and that at times is depressing enough.
Even more depressing was the fact that Jonathan Larson died at the age of 35 the day of the final dress rehearsal for his play. His medical condition was left undiagnosed and his friend thought his symptoms were all psychosomatic. He died poor from an aortic aneurysm, with all his work and efforts unrewarded. Instead it was all left to others to benefit from. I do not aspire to be any of the above. I like people and movies that spur my imagination and that can lighten my load with a little humor or fantasy. That is my preference.
Rent the Musical is currently advertising their movie on television and promoting their national tour.