Musical (1996)


Musique: Jonathan Larson
Paroles: Jonathan Larson
Livret: Jonathan Larson
Production à la création:

Deux amis, Mark et Roger, partagent un appartement à New York. Mark, vidéaste, filme sans cesse son entourage, tandis que Roger, atteint du sida, rêve d'écrire une dernière chanson avant que la maladie de l'emporte. Sa rencontre avec Mimi, jeune toxicomane séropositive, changera sa vie. Se sachant condamnés, les deux amoureux connaîtront un amour aussi fiévreux qu'éphémère.

Act I
On Christmas Eve at 9 P.M. Mark Cohen, an aspiring filmmaker, begins a new documentary, as his roommate, Roger Davis, tunes up his guitar ("Tune Up #1") but they are quickly interrupted by a call from Mark's mother, who claims she was sorry to hear about his break-up with Maureen Johnson ("Voicemail #1"). Roger and Mark's friend Tom Collins, a gay anarchist and college professor, arrives at their building but is mugged. Meanwhile, Roger and Mark receive a call from their former friend and roommate Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III. Benny bought Mark and Roger's apartment building, as well as the lot next door after marrying into a wealthy family. He has plans to evict the homeless from the lot and build a Cyber Studio in its stead. He tells them last year's rent is due ("Tune Up #2"). The electrical power goes out. Mark and Roger refuse to pay their rent ("Rent"). Meanwhile, a drag queen named Angel Dumott Schunard finds Collins on the street and gets him on his feet ("You Okay Honey?"). The two are immediately attracted to each other, and learn that they are both HIV positive.

Mark tries to get Roger out of the apartment. Mark reveals that Roger has been living in withdrawal for the past year due to his girlfriend April's suicide after discovering they both had AIDS. Mark leaves to find Collins after reminding Roger to take his AZT ("Tune Up #3"). Roger attempts to write a great song to make his mark on the world before he dies ("One Song Glory"). Their downstairs neighbor, an exotic dancer named Mimi Marquéz walks in, asking Roger to light a candle for her, only to continually blow it out as she flirts with him ("Light My Candle"). Though he feels attracted to her, Roger is reluctant to begin a new relationship.

Joanne Jefferson, a lawyer and Maureen's new girlfriend, receives a phone call from her parents, wondering why she is stage managing for Maureen's protest against Benny's new Cyber Studio ("Voicemail #2"). Angel, now in drag, and Collins arrive at the apartment bearing gifts. Collins introduces Angel to his friends and Angel tells how he earned $1,000 by causing a noisy Akita to jump to its death ("Today 4 U"). Benny arrives with an offer: if they convince Maureen to cancel her protest, he'll let them live in his new studio project, rent-free ("You'll See"). However, the two rebuff his offer. After Benny leaves, Angel and Collins invite Mark and Roger to attend a local HIV support group meeting.

Mark hurries off to help fix Maureen's sound equipment for the protest, only to run into Maureen's new girlfriend Joanne. They overcome the awkwardness of their meeting and connect over their feelings for Maureen ("Tango: Maureen"). Mark then enters into the support group meeting ("Life Support"). Meanwhile, Mimi attempts to seduce Roger ("Out Tonight") but Roger harshly rebuffs her ("Another Day"). After Mimi leaves, Roger admits to an empty apartment his fears about dying from AIDS while the life-support group echoes his thoughts ("Will I?").

Collins, Mark and Angel help a homeless woman who is being harassed by police officers. She then mocks Mark for trying to assuage his guilt ("On the Street"). Collins talks about his dream of escaping New York and opening up a restaurant in Santa Fe ("Santa Fe"). Soon after, Collins and Angel confess their love for each other ("I'll Cover You"). Joanne exasperatedly prepares for Maureen's show ("We're Okay").

Roger intercepts Mimi and apologizes for his behavior. He invites her to come to the protest and dinner with them, to which she agrees. Meanwhile, cops, vendors, and the people from the streets gather to watch the protest ("Christmas Bells").

Maureen arrives and begins her performance ("Over The Moon"). At the Life Café after the show, Benny criticizes the protest and the group's Bohemian lifestyle. Mark and all the bohemians in the café rise up and celebrate the Bohemian lifestyle ("La Vie Boheme A").

Benny tries to plant doubts in Mimi's mind about Roger. Mimi confronts Roger about ignoring her during dinner. Then, as Mimi's beeper goes off (reminding her to take her AZT) she and Roger each discover that the other is HIV-positive and decide to move forward with their relationship ("I Should Tell You"). Joanne returns, explaining that Mark and Roger's building has been padlocked and a riot has broken out. As the first act closes, Mark reveals that amidst the riot, Roger and Mimi share their first kiss ("La Vie Boheme B").

Avte II
Opening with "Seasons of Love" the second act takes place over the course of the year following the first act ("Seasons of Love").

Having been locked out of their apartment by Benny; Mark, Roger, and the Bohemians gather to break-in ("Happy New Year A"). We learn through a series of voicemails ("Voicemail #3") that Mark had filmed the riot which had made the nightly news, and that he has a job offer from Alexi Darling at Buzzline, a tabloid news program.

The others finally break through the door just as Benny arrives. He says he's there to call a truce. He reveals that Mimi, a former girlfriend of his, convinced him to change his mind by making sexual advances on him. Mimi denies seducing Benny, but the revelation that they had once been together upsets Roger. Roger and Mimi both apologize, but Mimi remains upset, and turns to the drug dealer for a fix ("Happy New Year B").

Maureen and Joanne have a fight, giving each other relationship ultimatums. Maureen's flirtatious ways and Joanne's controlling behavior are too much for the other to take, so they break up ("Take Me Or Leave Me"). The company sings a reprise of "Seasons of Love", as time passes and seasons change ("Seasons of Love B"). By spring, Roger and Mimi's relationship has become strained. Roger keeps talking about moving out of town. Mimi comes home late again, causing Roger to believe that she is cheating on him with Benny. Roger jealously storms out, Mimi stops him and tries to tell him the truth, that she is not cheating and that she is still using drugs, but can't get the words out, and Roger leaves. Alone in the apartment, Mimi sings of her love for Roger, and elsewhere, Roger sings of his love for Mimi ("Without You"). Collins continues nursing Angel who is declining as AIDS begins to overtake him. Mark continues to receive calls from Alexi Darling ("Voicemail #4"). Eventually, Roger and Mimi, and Joanne and Maureen, reconcile.

A dance is performed representing the couples' sex-lives ("Contact"). At the climax of the number, Joanne, Maureen, Roger and Mimi break up again. At the same time, Angel passes away, leaving Collins heartbroken. At the funeral, the friends briefly come together to share their memories of Angel, with Collins being the last to speak ("I'll Cover You [Reprise]"). Mark expresses his fear of being the only one left surviving when the rest of his friends die of AIDS or break up ("Halloween"). He finally accepts the job offer from Buzzline. Roger reveals that he is leaving New York for Santa Fe, which sparks an argument about commitment between him and Mimi, and Maureen and Joanne. Collins arrives and admonishes the entire group for fighting on the day of Angel's funeral. Maureen and Joanne realize their fighting is petty, and they reconcile. Mimi tries to go to Roger, but he turns away. After everyone leaves, Mark confronts Roger about his behavior towards Mimi. As the two friends fight, Mark reveals that Roger's feelings aren't jealousy towards Benny, but fear of losing Mimi to AIDS. As Roger leaves, he runs into Mimi, who tells him that she heard everything and just wanted to tell Roger goodbye ("Goodbye Love"). Benny and Mark take Mimi to a rehab center. Collins is forcibly evicted from the church for being unable to pay for Angel's funeral. Benny shows some compassion and pays for it himself. Admitting that even he felt affection for Angel, Benny and Collins go to a bar to get drunk.

Feeling alone and conflicted, Roger and Mark separately reflect on their lives and on the past year with their friends. Both reach an artistic epiphany, as Roger finds his song in Mimi and Mark finds his film in Angel's memory. Roger returns to New York just in time for Christmas, and Mark quits Buzzline to work on his own film ("What You Own").

Worried about their children not answering their calls, the cast's parents leave several messages on their phones ("Voicemail #5"). On Christmas Eve, exactly one year after the start of the first act, Mark has finished his film and is ready to screen it. Roger has found his song but can't find Mimi anywhere. It is revealed that Benny's wife, finding out about Benny's relationship with Mimi, has pulled Benny out of the East Village. Collins enters with handfuls of cash, revealing that he reprogrammed an ATM at a convenience store to provide money to anybody with the code (A-N-G-E-L). Maureen and Joanne abruptly enter carrying Mimi, who is very weak and close to death. She begins to fade, but not before telling Roger that she loves him ("Finale A"). Roger tells her to hold on as he plays her the song he wrote for her, which reveals the depths of his feelings for her ("Your Eyes"). Mimi appears to die, but suddenly awakens. She says that she was heading into a light, but Angel told her to go back. The surviving Bohemians gather together to rejoice and resolve to enjoy whatever time they have left with each other and reaffirm that there is "no day but today" ("Finale B").

1 Rent peut-être considéré comme un Top musical

2 Rent peut-être considéré comme un musical fondateur, c'est-à-dire ayant marqué l'histoire des musicals.

3 Rent est un musical abordant de manière centrale l'homosexualité.


Larson's inspiration for Rent's content came from several different sources. Many of the characters and plot elements are drawn directly from Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème, the world premiere of which was in 1896, a century before Rent's premiere. La bohème was also about the lives of poor young artists. Tuberculosis, the plague of Puccini's opera, is replaced by AIDS in Rent; 1800s Paris is replaced by New York's East Village in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The names and identities of Rent's characters also heavily reflect Puccini's original characters, though they are not all direct adaptations. For example, Joanne in Rent represents the character of Alcindoro in Bohème, but is also partially based on Marcello. Also, Joanne is the only Rent character whose predecessor in La bohème is the opposite gender.

La Bohème: Mimi, a seamstress with tuberculosis / Rent: Mimi Márquez, an S&M dancer with HIV
Rodolfo, a poet / Roger Davis, a songwriter-musician who is HIV positive
Marcello, a painter / Mark Cohen, an independent Jewish filmmaker and Roger's roommate
Musetta, a singer / Maureen Johnson, a lesbian performance artist
Schaunard, a musician / Angel Dumott Schunard, a gay drag queen percussionist with AIDS
Colline, a philosopher / Tom Collins, a gay philosophy professor (Not full-time) at New York University and anarchist with AIDS
Alcindoro, a state councilor / Joanne Jefferson, a lesbian lawyer, who is Maureen's girlfriend. (Also partially based on Marcello)
Benoit, a landlord / Benjamin 'Benny' Coffin III, the local landlord and a former roommate of Roger, Mark, Collins, and Maureen.

Other examples of parallels between Larson's and Puccini's work include Larson's song "Light My Candle", which is nearly identical to the first scene between Mimi and Rodolfo in La bohème, "Quando me n'vo (Musetta's Waltz)", a melody taken directly from Puccini's opera, and "Goodbye Love", a long, painful piece that reflects a confrontation and parting between characters in both Puccini's and Larson's work.[8] "Quando me n' vo' " is paralleled in the first verse of "Take Me or Leave Me," when Maureen describes the way people stare when she walks in the street. It is also directly referred to in the scene where the characters are celebrating their bohemian life. Mark says, "Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet, evocative song…" Roger plays a quick piece, and Mark adds, "…that doesn't remind us of 'Musetta's Waltz'."

Rent is also a somewhat autobiographical work, as Larson incorporated many elements of his life into his show. Larson lived in New York for many years as a starving artist with an uncertain future. He sacrificed a life of stability for his art, and shared many of the same hopes and fears as his characters. Like his characters he endured poor living conditions, and some of these conditions (e.g. illegal wood-burning stove, bathtub in the middle of his kitchen, broken buzzer [his guests had to call from the pay phone across the street and he would throw down the keys, as in "Rent"]) made their way into the play.[9] Part of the motivation behind the storyline in which Maureen leaves Mark for a woman (Joanne) is based on the fact that Larson's own girlfriend left him for a woman. The Mark Cohen character is based on Larson's friend, documentary filmmaker Eddie Rosenstein.

Playwright Sarah Schulman alleged that Rent bore striking similarities to her novel People in Trouble.

The line, "I'm more of a man than you'll ever be… and more of a woman than you'll ever get!", attributed to Angel Dumott Schunard at his funeral, was previously used by the character Hollywood Montrose, who appeared in the films Mannequin (1987) and Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991). Like Angel, Hollywood is a flamboyantly homosexual man who performs a song and dance number and sometimes wears women's clothing; however, the line was originally in the film Car Wash (1976), delivered by Antonio Fargas as a flamboyant homosexual cross dresser.

The earliest concepts of the characters differ largely from the finished products. Everyone except Mark had AIDS, including Maureen and Joanne; Maureen was a serious, angry character who played off Oedipus in her performance piece instead of Hey Diddle Diddle; Mark was, at one point, a painter instead of a filmmaker; Roger was named Ralph and wrote musical plays; Angel was a jazz philosopher, while Collins was a street performer; Angel and Collins were both originally described as Caucasian; and Benny had a somewhat enlarged role in the story, taking part in songs like "Real Estate", which was later cut.

Many actual locations and events are included in, or are the inspiration for, elements of the musical. The Life Café, where the "La Vie Boheme" numbers are set, is an actual restaurant in the East Village of New York City.[12][13] The riot at the end of the first act is based on the East Village conflicts of the late 1980s that arose as a result of the city-imposed curfew in Tompkins Square Park.

"Will I?", a song which takes place during a Life Support meeting and expresses the pain and fear of living a life with AIDS, was inspired by a real event. Larson attended a meeting of Friends in Deed, an organization that helps people deal with illness and grief, much like Life Support. After that first time, Larson attended the meetings regularly. During one meeting, a man stood up and said that he was not afraid of dying. He did say, however, that there was one thing of which he was afraid: Would he lose his dignity? From this question stemmed the first line in the single stanza of this song. The people present at the Life Support meeting in the show, such as Gordon, Ali, and Pam carry the names of Larson's friends who died of AIDS. In the Broadway show, the names of the characters in that particular scene (they introduce themselves) are changed nightly to honor the friends of the cast members who are living with or have died from AIDS.

The scene and song "Life Support" was also based on Friends in Deed, as well as on Gordon, Pam, and Ali. Originally, the members of Life Support had a solid block of the "forget regret" refrain, and they talked about remembering love. When Jonathan's HIV positive friends heard this scene, they told him that having AIDS was not so easy to accept: it made you angry and resentful too, and the song did not match that. Jonathan then added a part where Gordon says that he has a problem with this "credo…my T-cells are low, I regret that news, okay?" Paul, the leader of the meeting, replies, "Okay…but, Gordon, how do you feel today?" Gordon admits that he is feeling the best that he has felt all year. Paul asks, "Then why choose fear?" Gordon says, "I'm a New Yorker. Fear's my life."

In 1988, playwright Billy Aronson wanted to create "a musical based on Puccini's La Bohème, in which the luscious splendor of Puccini's world would be replaced with the coarseness and noise of modern New York."
In 1989 Jonathan Larson, a 29-year-old composer, began collaborating with Aronson on this project, and the two composed a few songs together, including "Santa Fe", "Splatter" (later re-worked into the song "Rent"), and "I Should Tell You". Larson made the suggestion to set the play in the East Village, the artsy avant-garde neighborhood of Manhattan down the street from his Greenwich Village apartment, and also came up with the show's ultimate title (a decision that Aronson was unhappy with, at least until Larson pointed out that "rent" also means torn apart.). In 1991, he asked Aronson if he could use Aronson's original concept and make Rent his own. Larson had ambitious expectations for Rent; his ultimate dream was to write a rock opera "to bring musical theater to the MTV generation." Aronson and Larson made an agreement that if the show went to Broadway, Aronson would share in the proceeds.

Jonathan Larson focused on composing Rent in the early 1990s, waiting tables at the Moondance Diner to support himself. Over the course of seven years, Larson wrote hundreds of songs and made many drastic changes to the show, which in its final incarnation contained forty-two songs. In the fall of 1992, Larson approached James Nicola, artistic director of New York Theatre Workshop, with a tape and copy of Rent's script. When Rent had its first staged reading at New York Theatre Workshop in March 1993, it became evident that, despite its very promising material and moving musical numbers, many structural problems needed to be addressed including its cumbersome length and overly complex plot.

As of 1994, the New York Theatre Workshop version of Rent featured songs that never made it to the final version, such as "You're A Fool", "Voice Mail #4","Come To The Meeting","Open Road", "He Says","On The Street #1-3", "You'll Get Over It", the predecessor of "Tango: Maureen," featuring Mark and Maureen; "Right Brain", the predecessor to "One Song Glory," featuring Roger; "Do A Little Business", the predecessor of "You'll See," featuring Benny, Mark, Roger, Collins, and Angel; "Female to Female A & B," featuring Maureen and Joanne; and "Real Estate", a number wherein Benny tries to convince Mark to become a real estate agent and drop his filmmaking. This workshop version of Rent starred Anthony Rapp as Mark and Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi. Larson continued to work on Rent, gradually reworking its flaws and staging more workshop productions.

On January 24, 1996, after the musical's final dress rehearsal before its off-Broadway opening, Larson enjoyed his first (and only) newspaper interview with music critic Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times, attracted by the coincidence that the show was debuting exactly 100 years after Puccini's opera. Larson would not live to see Rent's success; he died from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm (believed to have resulted from Marfan syndrome) in the early morning of January 25, 1996. The first preview of Rent was canceled and instead, friends and family gathered at the theater where the actors performed a sing-through of Rent in Larson's memory. The show premiered as planned and quickly gained popularity fueled by enthusiastic reviews and the recent death of its composer. It proved extremely successful during its off-Broadway run, selling out all its shows at the 150-seat New York Theatre Workshop.
Due to such overwhelming popularity and a need for a larger theater, Rent moved to Broadway's previously derelict Nederlander Theatre on 41st Street on April 29, 1996.


Act 1
"Tune Up #1" — Mark and Roger
"Voice Mail #1" — Mark's Mother
"Tune Up #2" — Mark, Roger, Collins and Benny
"Rent" — Mark, Roger, Benny, Collins, Joanne and Company
"You Okay Honey?" — Preachers, Angel and Collins
"Tune Up #3" — Mark and Roger
"One Song Glory" — Roger
"Light My Candle" — Mimi and Roger
"Voice Mail #2" — Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson
"Today 4 U" — Collins, Roger, Mark and Angel
"You'll See" — Benny, Mark, Roger, Collins and Angel
"Tango: Maureen" — Joanne and Mark
"Life Support" — Gordon, Paul, Mark and Company
"Out Tonight" — Mimi
"Another Day" — Mimi, Roger and Company
"Will I?" — Steve and Company
"On the Street" — Preachers, Squeegee Man, Mark, Collins, Angel and homeless woman.
"Santa Fe" — Collins, Angel, Mark and Company
"I'll Cover You" — Angel and Collins
"We're Okay" — Joanne
"Christmas Bells" — Company
"Over the Moon" — Maureen
"Over the Moon Playoff" — The Band
"La Vie Bohème A" — Mark, the waiter, Roger, Benny, Mimi, Collins, Angel, Maureen, Joanne, Mr. Grey and Company
"I Should Tell You" — Mimi and Roger
"La Vie Bohème B" — Maureen, Joanne, Boheme girl, Mark, Angel and Company

Act 2
"Seasons of Love" — Company
"Happy New Year A" — Mark, Roger, Mimi, Collins, Angel, Maureen, and Joanne
"Voice Mail #3" — Mark's Mother and Alexi Darling
"Happy New Year B" — Mark, Roger, Mimi, Collins, Angel, Maureen, Joanne, and Benny
"Take Me or Leave Me" — Maureen and Joanne
"Seasons of Love B" — Company
"Without You" — Roger and Mimi
"Voice Mail #4" — Alexi Darling
"Contact" — Angel and Company
"I'll Cover You" (Reprise) — Collins and Company
"Halloween" — Mark
"Goodbye Love" — Mark, Roger, Mimi, Collins, Maureen, Joanne, and Benny
"What You Own" — Roger and Mark
"Voice Mail #5" — Roger's Mother, Mimi's Mother, Mr. Jefferson, and Mark's Mother
"Finale A" — Preachers, Mark, Roger, Collins, Maureen, Joanne, and Mimi
"Your Eyes" — Roger
"Finale B" — Company
"Playout (I'll Cover You)" — The Band

Main characters
Mark Cohen : A struggling Jewish documentary filmmaker and the narrator of the show. He is Roger's and Collins's roommate until Collins moves out; he is also Maureen's ex-boyfriend.
Roger Davis : A once successful but now struggling musician who is HIV positive and an ex-junkie. He hopes to write one last meaningful song before he dies. He is having a hard time coping with the fact that he, along with many others around him, knows that he is going to die. His girlfriend, April, killed herself after finding out that she was HIV positive. He is roommates with Mark.
Mimi Márquez: A club dancer and drug addict.[17] She lives downstairs from Mark and Roger, and is Roger's love interest who, like him, has HIV. She is also Benny's ex-lover.
Tom Collins : A gay anarchist with AIDS. He is described by Mark as a "computer genius, teacher, and vagabond anarchist who ran naked through the Parthenon." Collins dreams of opening a restaurant in Santa Fe, where the problems in New York will not affect him and his friends. He was formerly a roommate of Roger, Mark, Benny, and Maureen, then just Roger and Mark, until he moves in with Angel.
Angel Dumott Schunard : A young Drag Queen, street percussionist with AIDS. He is Collins's love interest.
Maureen Johnson : A lesbian [7] performance artist who is Mark's ex-girlfriend and Joanne's current girlfriend. She is very flirtatious and cheated on Mark a lot.
Joanne Jefferson : An Ivy League-educated public interest lawyer[17] and a lesbian. Joanne is the woman for whom Maureen left Mark. Joanne has very important parents (one is undergoing confirmation to be a judge, the other is a government official.)
Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III : Landlord of Mark, Roger and Mimi's apartment building and ex-roommate of Mark, Collins, Roger, and Maureen. Now married to Alison Grey of the Westport Greys, a very wealthy family involved in real estate, and he is considered a yuppie scum and a sell-out by his ex-roommates. He is also Mimi's ex-lover, although he considers himself her ex-boyfriend.

[edit] Minor characters
Mrs. Cohen: Mark's stereotypical Jewish mother. Her voicemail messages are the basis for the songs Voicemail #1, Voicemail #3, and Voicemail #5.
Alexi Darling: The producer of Buzzline who tries to employ Mark after his footage of the riot makes primetime. Sings Voicemail #3 and Voicemail #4.
Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson: The wealthy parents of Joanne Jefferson, they leave her Voicemail #2. Mr. Jefferson is also one of the a cappella singers in Voicemail #5. Mrs. Jefferson usually sings the female solo in Seasons of Love.
Mrs. Davis: Roger's confused mother who calls in Voicemail #5, asking continuously, "Roger, where are you?"
Mrs. Marquez: Mimi's Spanish-speaking mother who sings in Voicemail #5, wondering, in Spanish, where she is.
Mr. Grey: Benny's father-in-law who wants to buy out the lot.
The Man: The local drug dealer whom Mimi buys from and Roger used to buy from.
Paul: The man in charge of the Life Support group.
Gordon: One of the Life Support members. Usually doubles as "The Man"
Steve: One of the Life Support members. Usually doubles as "The Waiter"
Ali: One of the Life Support members
Pam: One of the Life Support members
Sue: One of the Life Support members. As notated in the script by Larson, the roles of all of the Life Support members are encouraged to take on the name that someone in the cast (or production) knows or has known to have succumbed to AIDS. In the final Broadway performance, Sue is renamed Lisa.
Squeegee Man: A homeless person who chants "Honest living!" over and over.

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Rent

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Rent

1) À sa sortie, Rent était une des rares comédies musicales de Broadway à comprendre des personnages principaux ouvertement gays et lesbiens sur scène. Bien qu'un stéréotype courant soit la grande proportion de personnages gays dans le milieu du théâtre, presque toute production antérieure en rapport avec ce sujet a généralement été reléguée aux théâtres off-Broadway (l'exception la plus connue étant La Cage aux folles).

2) During the NYTW, a dramaturg named Lynn Thomson was brought on board and she did approximately 6 months of work on the show. Later, claiming she had written large portions of the revised libretto and lyrics, she sued Larson's estate for $40 million USD and 16% of the royalties earned off of the show.
However, during the course of the trial, she was unable to remember any lyrics or dialogue that she had written and both the original judge and the federal appellate judge ruled in favor of the family. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, however, she does retain a credit (that is included alongside Billy Aronson's additional lyric credit) as dramaturg in all official materials.


Version 1

Rent (1996-01-New York Theatre Workshop-Off Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: New York Theatre Workshop (Broadway (Off) - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 2 mois
Nombre : 49 représentations
Première Preview : 26 January 1996
Première: 26 January 1996
Dernière: 31 March 1996
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Marlies Yearby
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Mark ... Anthony Rapp / Roger ... Adam Pascal / Mimi ... Daphne Rubin-Vega / Collins ... Jesse L. Martin / Angel ... Wilson Jermaine Heredia / Maureen ... Idina Menzel / Joanne ... Fredi Walker / SOLoist #1 ... Gwen Stewart / Benny ... Taye Diggs / SOLoist #2 ... Byron Utley

Version 2

Rent (1996-04-Nederlander Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original Broadway
Théâtre: Nederlander Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 12 ans 4 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 16 previews - 5123 représentations
Première Preview : 16 April 1996
Première: 29 April 1996
Dernière: 07 September 2008
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Marlies Yearby
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Mark ... Anthony Rapp / Roger ... Adam Pascal / Mimi ... Daphne Rubin-Vega / Collins ... Jesse L. Martin / Angel ... Wilson Jermaine Heredia / Maureen ... Idina Menzel / Joanne ... Fredi Walker / Benny ... Taye Diggs / SOLoist #1 ... Gwen Stewart / SOLoist #2 ... Byron Utley

Version 3

Rent (1998-04-Shaftesbury Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Shaftesbury Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 an 5 mois 3 semaines
Nombre : 614 représentations
Première Preview : 21 April 1998
Première: 12 May 1998
Dernière: 30 October 1999
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Marlies Yearby
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Anthony Rapp (Mark Cohen), Adam Pascal (Roger), Krysten Cummings (Mimi), Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel), Jess L Martin (Tom), Jessica Tezier (Maureen), Jacqui Dubois (Joanne), Bonny Lockhart, Angela Bradley.
Commentaires : This show had opened with a six-week off-Broadway try-out in February 1996. Sadly its composer, Jonathan Larsen died of a heart attack, aged 35, on the night of its final dress rehearsal. He did not live to see its Broadway premiere in April, followed by rave reviews, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, three Tony and several other awards. The show ran for 5,124 performances. The London production received very mixed notices ... “saccharine, ghoulish stuff’, “ moments of a yearning, tentative, lyrical love”, “the finale and the musical itself will haunt me beautifully”, “a cracking good show with some terrific songs”, “Being rude about “Rent” is a bit like drowning a cuddly kitten, for the show is so desperately determined to be cute and winning, with every sexual minority slickly catered for”. The London production ran for a year and a half.
Commentaires longs: Upon closing in October 1999, the production went on a UK tour before transferring to the Prince of Wales theatre last Dec 2001 to January 26, 2002.
Presse : NICHOLAS DE JONGH of THE EVENING STANDARD says the musical will "haunt me beautifully".

MICHAEL COVENEY of THE DAILY MAIL says Michael Greif's production "will appeal to anyone who treasures freshness and spontaneity".

CHARLES SPENCER of THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says the "production is performed with real heart and vitality by an exceptionally accomplished cast."

MICHAEL BILLINGTON of THE GUARDIAN said, "Rent undeniably has musical talent and energy".

ROBERT GORE-LANGTON of THE DAILY EXPRESS was luke-warm about the show saying, "In a small New York fringe theatre I bet it was strikingly original. In this plush West End barn it's hip credentials have got lost somewhere."

So too was DAVID BENEDICT of THE INDEPENDENT saying, "If you go determined to succumb to the cast and their all American heart, you'll love it. Yet as soon as the pace begins to flag (halfway through the first act), you begin to feel the flaws."

Version 4

Rent (2000-10-Nederlandse Tour)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Nederlandse Tour ( - Pays-Bas)
Durée : 7 mois 2 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 03 October 2000
Première: 03 October 2000
Dernière: 20 May 2001
Mise en scène : Ivo van Hove
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Commentaires longs: Roger Davis: Jim de Groot, Tino Bos / Benjamin Coffin III: Gino Emnes / Joanne Jefferson: Casey Francisco, Karina Mertens / Tom Collins: Edwin Jonker, Stephen Stephanou / Mimi Marquez: Nurlaila Karim, Cyrille van Hoof / Mark Cohen: Tom van Landuyt, Jurgen Stein / Angel Dumott Schunard: Stefan Swinkels, Kok Hwa Lie / Maureen Johnson: Ellis van Laarhoven, Saskia Kikkert

Version 5

Rent (2001-02-UK Tour)

Type de série: UK Tour
Théâtre: UK Tour ( - Angleterre)
Durée : 9 mois 2 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 09 February 2001
Première: 09 February 2001
Dernière: 24 November 2001
Mise en scène : Paul Kerryson
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Commentaires longs: 19 Nov 01 to 24 Nov 01 Blackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool
12 Nov 01 to 17 Nov 01 Churchill Theatre, Bromley
5 Nov 01 to 10 Nov 01 Corn Exchange, Cambridge
29 Oct 01 to 3 Nov 01 Theatre Royal, Nottingham
22 Oct 01 to 27 Oct 01 New Wimbledon Theatre, Outer London
15 Oct 01 to 20 Oct 01 Theatre Royal, Brighton
24 Sep 01 to 29 Sep 01 Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes
23 Aug 01 to 8 Sep 01 Haymarket Theatre, Leicester
23 Jul 01 to 28 Jul 01 Venue Cymru (formally - North Wales Theatre), Llandudno
17 Jul 01 to 21 Jul 01 Hippodrome, Bristol
9 Jul 01 to 14 Jul 01 Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
2 Jul 01 to 7 Jul 01 Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
25 Jun 01 to 30 Jun 01 Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
18 Jun 01 to 23 Jun 01 New Theatre, Cardiff
11 Jun 01 to 16 Jun 01 Grand Opera House, Belfast
4 Jun 01 to 9 Jun 01 New Victoria Theatre, Woking
28 May 01 to 2 Jun 01 Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
21 May 01 to 26 May 01 Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe
14 May 01 to 19 May 01 Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
7 May 01 to 12 May 01 King's Theatre, Glasgow
30 Apr 01 to 5 May 01 Theatre Royal, Bath
23 Apr 01 to 28 Apr 01 Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
16 Apr 01 to 21 Apr 01 Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
9 Apr 01 to 14 Apr 01 Palace Theatre, Manchester
2 Apr 01 to 7 Apr 01 The Hexagon, Reading
26 Mar 01 to 31 Mar 01 Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
19 Mar 01 to 24 Mar 01 Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
12 Mar 01 to 17 Mar 01 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
12 Mar 01 to 17 Mar 01 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
5 Mar 01 to 10 Mar 01 Royal & Derngate, Northampton
26 Feb 01 to 3 Mar 01 Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds
9 Feb 01 to 24 Feb 01 Haymarket Theatre, Leicester

Version 6

Rent (2001-04-Prince of Wales Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Prince of Wales Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 04 December 2001
Première: 04 December 2001
Dernière: 26 January 2002
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Marlies Yearby
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Adam Rickitt (Mark Cohen), Damien Flood (Roger), Debbie Kurup (Mimi), Neil Couperthwaite (Angel), Mykal Rand (Tom), Helen York (Maureen), Wendy Mae Brown (Joanne), Jason Pennycooke, Jane Doyle, Gilz Terera, Tracy Kashi, Delroy Atkinson, Tom Kavanan, Zeph, Yildiz Hussein.
Commentaires : This was a production from the Leicester Haymarket which was playing an eight week West End engagement prior to a UK tour.
Presse : NICHOLAS DE JONGH for the EVENING STANDARD says, “I am still hooked by the high, sad romance of Rent. This famous, mid-Nineties American musical that makes a song and dance affair of Aids and drug addiction… has not lost its pulling-power. He goes on to say, “Rent, despite some escapist, pretentious and absurd elements, speaks convincingly to and about young American outsiders.”

LYN GARDNER for THE GUARDIAN says , “The plot is so underdeveloped, and relationships so scanty “ And goes on to say, “In some ways the old-fashioned, fake-smiles posturing of shows such as Kiss Me Kate seems more honest than this emotionally manipulative and undistinguished evening.”

Version 7

Rent (2002-12-Prince of Wales Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Prince of Wales Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 mois
Nombre :
Première Preview : 05 December 2002
Première: 05 December 2002
Dernière: 08 March 2003
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Marlies Yearby
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Dougal Irvine (Mark Cohen), Damien Flood (Roger), Debbie Kurup (Mimi), Mig Aseya (Angel), Mykal Rand (Tom), Caprice (Maureen), Wendy Mae Brown (Joanne)
Commentaires : This was the same production that had played the Prince of Wales exactly a year earlier, playing an 8 week limited run prior to a UK tour. Because of the early closure of “The Full Monty” the Prince of Wales was empty and at the same time the “Rent” tour was off the road because most provincial theatres were playing pantomime. It made sense for “Rent” to return for a 14 week season. There had been some cast changes over the past year.

Version 8

Rent (2007-10-Duke of York's Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Duke of Yorks Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 mois 2 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 02 October 2007
Première: 15 October 2007
Dernière: 02 February 2008
Mise en scène : William Baker
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Mark Cohen ... Oliver Thornton / Roger Davis ... Luke Evans / Benjamin Coffin III ... Craig Stien / Tom Collins ... Leon Lopez / Joanne Jefferson ... Francesca Jackson / Angel Dumott Schunard ... Jay Webb / Mimi Marquez ... Siobhán Donaghy / Maureen Johnson ... Denise Van Outen / SOLoist #1 ... Lydia Perrow / Ensemble ... Ruth Augilera
Commentaires longs: Il s'agit ici d'une toute nouvelle version, appelée d'ailleurs "Rent remixed". Pathétique. Rent Remixed (or Rent Reduced as the guardian called it)didnt even seem like a good idea on paper.Take one hugely successful rock opera, Take out the Rock and Replace with disco beats and computerized synthesizers, add director whos only experience is making Kylie's shows extra glittery and what do you have....Shiny Rent.All the points were missed, the remixed music was in large dreadful and the cast went from Brilliant (Luke Evans and Leon Lopez) to horrific (Siobhan Donaghy), Performances canceled and some nights 50 people sat in the 600 seater theatre asking "erm where is the rest of the audience".Critics laughed, Rent Heads cried and the whole thing was put out of its misery before its 1st booking date was even up.Talks of a tour seem to be just that.Rent Remixed did succeed in one way....it made you want to buy the ORIGINAL Broadway cast recording.
Presse : NICHOLAS DE JONGH for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "A strangely disappointing makeover or remix by director William Baker...Enjoy Rent Remixed for its exquisite songs, not its vacuous story. " MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "They call this "Rent Remixed". I'd dub it "Rent Reduced", in that the late Jonathan Larson's reworking of La Bohème, while never a great musical, has been turned into a grisly, synthetic, pseudo pop concert with no particular roots or identity." SAM MARLOWE for THE TIMES says, "The songs, apart from a few numbers — notably Seasons of Love and Take Me or Leave Me — are forgettable. The characterisation is slight and the plot lacks focus...Still, Anderson has done a cracking job of funking up Larson’s score, replacing overweening guitar rock with pumping gay club anthems and diva pop, flavoured with rippling keyboards and electronica...Overall, this is a flawed product stylishly repackaged" CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "This clinical, cynical, underpowered revival makes its shortcomings all too apparent...But while the singing is strong, most of the acting is abysmal."

Version 9

Rent (2011-08-New World Stages-Off Broadway)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: New World Stages Stage I (Broadway (Off) - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 an 1 mois
Nombre : 32 previews - 450 représentations
Première Preview : 14 July 2011
Première: 11 August 2011
Dernière: 09 September 2012
Mise en scène : Michael Greif
Chorégraphie : Larry Keigwin
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Mark ... Adam Chanler-Berat / Roger ... Matt Shingledecker / Mimi ... Arianda Fernandez / Collins ... Nicholas Christopher / Angel ... Michael Rodriguez / Maureen ... Annaleigh Ashford / Joanne ... Corbin Reid / Benny ... Ephraim M. Sykes / SOLoist #1 ... Tamika Sonja Lawrence / SOLoist #2 ... Marcus Paul James

Version 10

Rent (2015-10-La Mirada Theatre-La Mirada)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: La Mirada Theatre (La Mirada - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 23 October 2015
Première: 23 October 2015
Dernière: 15 November 2015
Mise en scène : Richard Israel
Chorégraphie : Dana Solimando
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Devin Archer (Roger), Mark Whitten (Mark), John Devereaux (Tom), Cooper Howell (Benjamin), Amber Mercomes (Joanne), Lawrence Cummings (Angel), Cassie Simone (Mimi), Emily Goglia (Maureen), Chassey Bennett, Daniel Dawson, Chanel Edwards-Frederick, Aaron Gordon, Craig Michael Lucas, Luke Monday, John Pinto Jr, Alyssa M. Simmons
Commentaires : A brand new production!
Presse : "WOW!...as sensational a regional Rent as you’ll ever see." StageSceneLA (Click here for full review)

"La Mirada delivers a slick staging..." OC Register (Click here for full review)

"Rent still resonates." San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Click here for full review)

"What makes Rent so wonderful is not its hipness quotient, but its extraordinary spirit of hopeful defiance and humanity." The New York Times

"RENT is the best show in years, if not decades." Variety

Version 11

Rent (2016-12-St James Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: The Other Palace (Londres - Angleterre)
Salle : Main Theatre
Durée : 1 mois 2 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 08 December 2016
Première: 13 December 2016
Dernière: 28 January 2017
Mise en scène : Bruce Guthrie
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Ross Hunter (Roger Davis), Billy Cullum (Mark Cohen), Ryan O’Gorman (Tom Collins), Shanay Holmes (Joanne Jefferson), Layton Williams (Angel Schunard), Philippa Stefani (Mimi Marquez) and Lucie Jones (Maureen Johnson), Kevin Yates, Jordan Laviniere, Christina Modestou, Bobbie Little, Jenny O’Leary and Katie Bradley.

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