There has never been a
musical before like RENT. With it's variety of music styles, and
deep, emotional story, it differs greatly from the whimsical musical
comedys of the fortys, fiftys, and sixties.
Musicals have changed a
lot over the years, becomeing deeper, and less comic. Les Miserables,
and Phantom of the Opera are far from the early musicals such as
Oklahoma, and Pal Joey. Showboat was the next step from those,
illustrating the southern slavery. The producers were scared to let
it open, not sure how people would react. They even cut one of the
songs, saying it was too much for the audience. But Showboat became a
great succes. Then came Musicals like Tommy, Hair, Cats and Les
Miserables, which once again modernized musical theater. Now RENT is
a step up from all the Musicals we've known til now.
Sadly, Johnathan Larson,
who wrote RENT, died the night before it opened on Broadway, and will
never be able to see how many it has touched, and how it has effected
musical theater as we know it.
