How Jonathan Larson Taught a Generation to Love

There are five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes in a year. The song that comes to mind, “Seasons of Love” is the Act 2 opener for Jonathan Larson’s 1996 smash-hit musical RENT, an innovative modernization of Puccini’s exceptional 1895 opera La Boheme. RENT documents the lives of a group of bohemians in ‘90s New York City as they struggle with artistic expression, gender, sexuality and identity in the iron grip of the AIDS crisis. The show ran for an impressive 12 years on Broadway, but its legacy reaches far beyond its run, both in and out of the theatre. However, because of Jonathan’s sudden, tragic death right before the first previews of RENT, he never got to see his groundbreaking impact on multiple facets. He paved the way for the modern musical, created a community for aspiring artists, and taught an entire generation of youth to love- to love their friends, love their work, love their art, and every midnight, sunset and cup of coffee in between. 

Jonathan’s work has always been radical. His first musical “Superbia,” was a rock musical, based on George Orwell’s novel, 1984.  Set in the future, Superbia challenges the narrative that the ‘digital era’ or ‘MTV era,’ which of course later developed into the age of social media, was beneficial to the human experience. It tackles gentrification, polarization and the extermination of empathy by capitalism. The show centers on the “Face Awards,” an award ceremony that is reminiscent of the modern, corrupt, award show, in which rich celebrities clap themselves on the back for mediocre work, that is broadcast on the tiny screens of everyday people. A rock musical, nonetheless a rock musical that challenges zeitgeist consensus, was virtually unheard of in the ‘80s. Unfortunately, its innovative nature ended up being the reason it ultimately was rejected by producers who ironically called it “too arty for Broadway.”

 Jonathan’s unabashed radicalization is what eventually made RENT so fresh and significant in the grand scheme. In “La Vie Boheme,” the Act 1 Finale number of the show, the entire ensemble climbs onto a long table and starts dancing and singing about everything from Bob Dylan and Stephen Sondheim to artistic expression and anarchy. One line that is particularly empowering goes “to people living with- not dying from- disease,” because even now, the diseased are viewed as pitiful and worthless. Their lives are considered meaningless because they are shorter. Anthony Rapp, who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the show, explains that this counter narrative illuminates and humanizes those who are terminally ill. It stresses that despite your illness, both you and the time you have on the earth are not any less valuable- you are not defined by disease. This idea becomes crucial when paired with RENT’s humanization of a demographic that both people in power during the AIDS crisis and generally rich, white, Broadway goers have preferred to not acknowledge: Queer people of colour, drug addicts and those working in the sex industry are people too, and should not be limited by, or inferior due to their identities, choices and professions. Having stigmatized demographics present in round, wholistic characters that are adored by a privileged audience means that there were more people showing up to crowd Jesse Helms’ door to demand adequate healthcare for queer black men, for example, who they have learned to look in the eyes and love as unique, valuable people. 

Furthermore, both RENT and Tick Tick Boom, Jonathan’s autobiographical rock monologue that most may recognize as the masterpiece of a film starring Andrew Garfield, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda, explore the idea of love and highlight love’s vitality. Both shows recognize a tradeoff between love and fear. In RENT, the lyrical motif of  “Give in to love, or live in fear” is recited by multiple characters throughout the show in different contexts. For the life support group, the phrase meant that instead of ruminating over death, one should live every moment to the fullest. For Mark’s roommate, Roger, it’s a push to embrace the future with open arms instead of lamenting on past tribulations. In Tick Tick Boom, choosing love over fear means choosing the road less traveled on and sticking to it. Throughout, we see Jonathan’s character repeatedly question his dedication to the arts, but he ultimately vows to devote fully to his craft, even if it solely be to empower the voices of his friends. He argues that your time is valuable, but it is not altruistic. 

Jonathan’s work has taught a new generation of artists to create and innovate by drawing them back to the theatre. At an opera gathering, he sheepishly explained that while he loved Puccini and Sondheim, he also loved The Kooks and the Sex Pistols. RENT was the result. He bridged the gap between the land of the theatre and of the vibrant rock scene in New York, reviving the dying, lacklustre theatre industry. After he saw RENT on Broadway when he was seventeen, Lin Manuel Miranda fell in love with the theater. Lin says the first few musicals that he wrote were akin to knockoff Jonathan Larson musicals, which he slowly but surely morphed into his own unique compositional and lyrical style. He went on to reinvent the modern musical with the all-around masterpiece of Hamilton, among other excellent work like In The Heights, and recently, the animated movie Encanto, that comprehensively represents the Latinx community and the immigrant family. Jonathan still influences Lin’s writing today. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the madrigal-seque gossip number from Encanto, was largely inspired by RENT’s “Christmas Bells.” 

Two generations later, we continue to be moved by Jonathan’s work.“Gee, now I want to write a musical,” are many of our first thoughts after watching Tick Tick Boom, or after reading the lyrics of “La Vie Bohème” for the first time. For once, we don’t feel distanced from creation. Rather we see ourselves as artists, as visionaries and as leaders. Jonathan Larson tells us to love the beauty and vigilance of the artform as opposed to the satisfaction of the success. He shows us that in order to truly love, we must continue to listen, to learn, but most importantly, to act. So, fear or love, baby? Don’t say the answer. Actions speak louder than words.