Spotlight on Jonathan Larson

Jonathan Larson, the playwright and composer of "Rent," lived in poverty and waited tables in Manhattan during his seven-year struggle to bring the musical to the stage, only to die of an aortic dissection the day before the show was to preview off-Broadway. "Rent" opens this week at the GCP's Vam York Theater.
Early on, Larson attracted the attention of Stephen Sondheim, who advised him to continue composing. During the 1980s, he wrote "Saved - An Immoral Musical on the Moral Majority" and "Superbia," both of which won awards. In 1991, he wrote a rock monologue that eventually became "tick...tick...BOOM!", which contained an homage to his mentor, Sondheim, and was widely produced after Larson's death.
"Rent" is based on the Puccini opera, "La Boheme," and also draws on many aspects of Larson's own life. The setting is moved from 19th century Paris to the East Village in New York City in the 1990s; the power bill woes and Mark's relationship with Maureen are Larson's experiences. Tuberculosis is replaced by HIV. The musical realized his ambition to make musical theatre more socially and personally relevant to young people.
"Rent" opened at the Nederlander Theater on Broadway in April 1996 and ran until September 2008 -- the ninth longest run in Broadway history. The show was made into a movie musical in 2005. Larson was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards (including Best Musical), three Drama Desk Awards and three Obie Awards.
"Rent," along with Larson's own story, reminds us we have "no day but today" to live and to love those around us.

[sources: "Jonathan Larson" (Wikipedia); "Rent" (Wikipedia); "Jonathan Larson" (PBS)]