The apparition of these faces in the crowd

I've been listening to the RENT soundtrack all night and for most of the morning now, and I've been absolutely moved by it. I've been in love with this show for so long... it was one of the first shows that I fell in love with shortly after my revelation that Phantom of the Opera wasn't the be-all-end-all musical.

That was in 8th grade. I'm a senior in college now. It's a long time. The meaning of RENT has changed a lot over the years, but it's still something that I've always loved. Like tarie said... it's more than just about AIDS or artists, etc. I really liked what rosesanguina said as well -- and I think what she said summed it up perfectly.

I think back to Jonathan Larson's life and his much too early death and it's... it's something that just makes me go numb. He never saw the opening of something he worked SO hard for. I have the book most RENT fans lovingly call "the RENT bible" and I remember reading the passage on his death and just sobbing -- the recollections and the stories -- they're heartbreaking. The night after he was found dead in his apartment was the when the show was set to open. Instead of opening, the performances were pushed back and the cast got together for a readthrough in a memoriam to Jonathan.

When the show finally opened, the cast walked out on stage and said "We dedicate this and every show to the memory of Jonathan Larson."

Do I think he would have wanted this movie? Yes, I do. I think he would have been thrilled to see his music and the message of his musical being spread. There's a quote that was found on his computer that was found shortly after his death... and I think it sums the show and everything up SO perfectly.

In these dangerous times, where it seems the world is ripping apart at the seams, we can all learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and [we] should reach out to each other and bond as a community rather than hide from terrors of life at the end of the millennium.
-- Jonathan Larson