#69 - RENT to close!

i knew it would happen some day but i am in shock and really sad. RENT on broadway is closing on june 1st! it is one of my life goals to go watch RENT on broadway so somehow, before june, i have to go to new york and see it! i randomly thought of rent, looked up to see if the traveling group was coming to portland, oregon, or anywhere near and then read the new york times article that said they were closing! i am in no way rich and cannot afford to fly out to new york just to see RENT but seriously, RENT changed my life.

i first saw RENT on a 1997-8 band trip to southern california. we marched in the rose bowl parade and it was a great time. the highlight for me wasn't going snowboarding for the first time or being on national tv (in a silly marching outfit), it was going to see RENT. and who played mark in this one? none other than "doogie howser" - neil patrick harris!! i really hadn't heard of it before but instantly loved it! i am a huge fan of music and musicals and so this was right up my ally. the fact that its really a story about love and friendship is the most important. also, it is a story about life in new york, aids, and over and above all - life. it is based loosely on puccini's opera "la boheme" but with rock style music. one of the most important and big ideas is "no day but today". we need to enjoy the time we have, no matter how short or hard it is.

RENT has become bigger than jonathan larson ever imagined and they even recently made a movie. although i like the movie, it is so different from seeing it live. but you can watch it over and over. i've seen RENT a number of times - in hawaii, portland and eugene - couple times each run. you really can't see this show enough. for $20 you can sit in the first two rows of the show. you just have to "rush" for tickets, the day of the show. so basically i sat out in front of the theater all day to wait for the opportunity to buy those cheap tix. it was soooooooooo worth it! what a great show. so now my dilemma - i have basically 3 months to fly to ny and see it, and really no money to do so. must...win....lotto...

some clips of rent on broadway: