Minutes... How do you measure a year? How about love? That is the question addressed repeatedly in Jonathan Larson's musical RENT.

RENT is based on Puccini's opera La Boheme, and has acquired almost a cult audience of Rentrats, Rentheads, Rentaholics, and other fanatics. As a member of this crowd, there is more I'd like to say than I do have time for, but here are the basics.

Jonathan Larson's production of RENT opened at the New York Theatre Workshop on January 25, 1996. But Jonathan never got to see his show open. He died of an aneurysm on January 25, 1996: the night of the NYTW opening as well as the 100th anniversary of the opening of La Boheme.

RENT draws a diverse crowd of both theatre and non-theatre people. On any given day, you can see a small crowd huddled outside the Nederlander, regardless of the weather. Why will people camp out in front of the theatre all day in sub-zero temperatures? Two hours before every performance, tickets f

or the front two rows go on sale for $20. The line usually starsts at 2:00 or 3:00 AM. (Just a little info I got off the Internet).

Until Mimi Marquez implores him to light her candle. She is a dancer at the Cat Scratch Club, and she lives downstairs. She wants Roger to take her out, but he's wary because she's a junkie. They soon find that there share a common bond...AIDS.

The only untolerated taboo is drug abuse, and even Mimi cleans up her act by the end of the show.

The actors throw themselves into their roles. The characters are very complex, and it is easy for people to find someone to identify with.

Maureen Johnson is a performance artist, and Marks's ex-girlfriend. Her protest, "Over the Moon," is a reaction to Benny, who wiped out the Tent City in the 11th street lot next to Mark and Roger's building.

It is an astounding show altogether. What makes it so amazing is that never once do you care that Maureen and Joanne are lesbians, that Angel is really a man, and that he is with Collins, t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Boheme RENT, Davis Mark's, Collins Mimi, Tom Collins, Workshop January, RENT York, Mark Cohen, Scratch Club, , Maureen Johnson, 25 1996, rent york, la boheme, january 25, jonathan larson's, january 25 1996,
Approximate Word count = 691
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)