Background research for RENT

http://www.oncenter.org/event/covey-theatre-company-presents-jonathan-larsons-rent

Rent is rock opera musical by Jonathon Larson. An opera by Giacomo Puccini was partly an inspiration for this production, with one song even called 'La Vie Boheme'. Larson wanted punky, poverty and struggles as the foundation of Rent. The musical is set in the 1990s in New York in a rough urban of the city, following the storylines of a small communnity of young, broke artists who are all linked together in some way or another. All these characters share the similar struggles of surviving; the lack of money or a job and trying to pay 'rent', and troubled relationships both romantically and with friends. They all have individual issues on top of bigger issues involving others.

The main topics explored in Rent are HIV/AIDS (which had become an epidemic, spreading like wildfire unable to be well managed/treated like it is today), drugs (and the addiction to them with strong side effects) and sexuality (most of the characters are homosexual and one character (Angel) is transggender).

Despite the devastating and serious issues that have structured Rent, it's a very upbeat and enthusiastic musical with heaps of comedy and happy moments. This masks the darkness, showing they make the best of it and what they have. This is shown through the close bonds some and msot of the characters have with one another.