My Quarter Life Catharsis: La Vie Boheme

After 12 wonderful years RENT will be closing on broadway THIS Sunday September 7. I love RENT...the music, the story, the characters and Jonathan Larson. Larson wrote RENT and died the night before it went into off broadway previews in January 1996. I first saw RENT in high school, I believe in January of my sophomore year. I had actually gotten the tickets and the sountrack from christmas from my aunt and listened to the soundtrack prior to seeing the show (which is something I RARELY do). Even though I was slightly familiar with the music I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away (I still have much love for Manly Pope and Trey Ellot who were the Roger and Mark the first few times I saw the show). Amazingly the last few times I saw the show had Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp as Roger and Mark (the original Roger and Mark). In total I'm pretty sure I saw the show about 14 times over the course of 10 years (one time I saw it twice in a week because I already had tickets and then I got tickets as a gift and then the last time I saw the show September 29, 2007 I saw it twice in one day). I had flown to NYC with 2 girls I worked with in Texas to see Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp back in RENT (they were only in the show for 10 weeks and I auctualy had seen then on my birthday back in August of that year). Clearly I couldnt resist a 48 hour NYC adventure to see RENT. That day was pretty magical and I got both Adam and Anthony to sign my playbill which I now have framed. That day back in Septemeber of last year I told myself would be the last time I'd go see RENT on broadway for a long long time because it was just such a perfect high that I knew it couldn't be beaten.

So when I heard earlier this year that RENT was going to close I was sad, but I was also okay because I knew I had seen it plenty. Plus there is the RENT movie which is good, not the same as live, but good (minus Adam's Bon Jovi mullet). Plus I had had the chance to see Anthony Rapp speak twice and have him sign my copy of his book AND I met Adam Pascal at a conference and got a picture with him and to talk to him (I sounded like a Tenny Bopper moron) as well as get him to sign his CDs. My insane obsession with all thing Adam Pascal could be a whole 'nother blog post

The powers that be are actually going to film RENT's final performance on Sunday and it will be on 500 screens for abot 5 days for RENT fans all over the country to say goodbye which I think is really amazing. Shockingly one of Auburn's movie theatre's is one of the 500 that will have the movie so I plan on going to say goodbye...I'll be curious to see what special things happen during the show - especially since I knew every beat and action of the show by heart. RENT always did special anniversary shows in April (when it opened on broadway) which were a spectacular from what I've read/seen clips of.

For over 10 years RENT has had a very special place in my heart, but even though it won't be housed at the Nederlander Theatre anymore it's music and impact will forver be alive.

No Day But Today!

here is a video of Adam and Anthony performing "What You Own" at a benefit concert