Rent opened at Broadway's
Nederlander Theatre on April 29,
1996 following a successful run
at off-Broadway's New York
Theatre Workshop. Rent is
also the recipient of the 1996
Tony Award for Best Musical and
the Pulitzer Prize for drama.
Mark, a filmmaker and the show's
narrator, is spending a cold
Christmas Eve in the Lower East
Side industrial loft he shares
with his roommate Roger, a
musician. They receive several
phone calls -- the first is from
Mark's mother consoling him over
the loss of his girlfriend
Maureen, a performance artist,
to Joanne, a Harvard Law School
graduate. The second is from
their friend Tom Collins who is
detained by muggers. The last is
from their landlord Benny
demanding the rent. The power
blows and so do Roger and Mark's
tops.
Outside, Collins is reeling from
the mugging. He is comforted by
Angel, a street musician, who
offers him a helping hand --
both HIV+, Angel and Collins
head out for a night on the town
and a life support meeting.
Mark, a filmmaker and the show's narrator, is spending a cold Christmas Eve
in the Lower East Side industrial loft he shares with his roommate Roger, a
musician. They receive several phone calls (TUNE UP/VOICE MAIL #1). The
first is from Mark's mother consoling him over the loss of his girlfriend
Maureen, a performance artist, to JoAnne, a Harvard Law School graduate. The
second is from their friend Tom Collins who is detained by muggers. The last
is from their landlord Benny demanding the rent. The power blows and so do
Roger and Mark's tops (RENT).
Outside, Collins is reeling from the mugging. He is comforted by Angel, a
street musician, who offers him a helping hand (YOU OKAY HONEY?). Both HIV+,
Angel and Collins head out for a night on the town and a life support
meeting.
In response to a call for help, Mark sets out for the lot where Maureen is
performing a protest against Benny's eviction of the homeless from a nearby
lot. He urges Roger to come along but he refuses. As Mark reports, Roger has
not left the apartment in six months. He is still reeling from the suicide
of his girlfriend, who slashed her wrists upon learning that she had AIDS.
Roger tries to write a song but the only melody he finds is "Musetta's
Waltz" from Puccini's La Bohème (ONE SONG GLORY).
Mimi, an S&M dancer who lives below Mark and Roger, knocks with a request:
LIGHT MY CANDLE. The attraction between she and Roger is immediate, but
Roger shies away and shows her the door. Mimi knocks again. She has lost her
stash. Roger helps her look and Mimi eventually finds it- in Roger's back
pocket.
As Joanne wrangles with the sound equipment for Maureen's performance, her
parents leave her VOICE MAIL #2, pleading with her to come to her mother's
confirmation hearings in Washington. Collins arrives at the loft with a bag
full of goodies. This includes Angel, transvested into Angel Dumott Shunard
and gloriously arrayed in his Christmas finest- wig, glitter, and platform
pumps. In TODAY 4 U, Angel explains how he earned $1,000: a wealthy woman
hired him to play the drums until her neighbor's yappy Akita barked itself
to death.
Benny enters with a proposal (YOU'LL SEE): if Mark and Roger stop Maureen's
protest, he will forgo the rent. He entices them with plans for Cyber Arts,
a state-of-the-art, multimedia studio that will realize all of their dreams.
Unsuccessful, Benny leaves. Mark, Collins and Angel try to coax Roger into
coming to the life support meeting with them but he refuses.
Mark finally reaches the lot where Maureen will perform her protest. He
encounters Joanne, still struggling with the sound equipment and the many
demands Maureen makes upon her. Mark offers help. Though they dreaded
meeting, they have a lot in common (TANGO: MAUREEN). Once he finishes, Mark
joins Angel and Collins at the LIFE SUPPORT meeting.
In her apartment, Mimi dresses and appeals to an imaginary Roger to take her
OUT TONIGHT. She barges into his apartment and continues her appeal to Roger
himself but after a passionate kiss he vehemently rejects her. They fight,
her words blending with the affirmation of the support group that emphasizes
the importance of living the moment (ANOTHER DAY). A young man from the
support group asks quietly "Will I lose my dignity/Will someone care?" (WILL
I?). His thoughts and fears are echoed by each member of the community. The
thoughts are Roger's too, and he decides to go outside.
After the meeting, Mark, Angel and Collins roam the lot and rescue a
homeless woman from the taunts and nightsticks of the neighborhood cops (ON
THE STREET). Discouraged by life in New York, the three dream of opening up
a restaurant in SANTA FE. Alone at last, Angel and Collins finally express
their love for each other (I'LL COVER YOU). Joanne, meanwhile has her hands
full juggling work, parents, and the ever-demanding Maureen...all over the
phone(WE'RE OKAY).
The scene changes to St. Mark's Place where vendors hawk their wares to the
bohemians of the East Village (CHRISTMAS BELLS). Angel buys a new coat for
Collins. Mark finds Roger who spots Mimi looking for drugs. Roger apologizes
and asks her to dinner. Just as the snow begins to fall, Maureen finally
appears on her motorcycle to perform her protest, OVER THE MOON.
Following the protest, all convene at the Life Café, including Benny who
announces that Bohemia is dead. Thus ensues a makeshift mock-wake that
quickly segues into a celebration of LA VIE BOHEME. During the song, Benny
confronts Mimi and threatens to reveal their past affair to Roger. Beepers
go off to remind the revelers to take their AZT. Roger and Mimi each
discover that the other is HIV+. Frightened, excited, they vow to be
together (I SHOULD TELL YOU).
Joanne has been sent back to the lot by Maureen several times to check on
the equipment. She finally rebels, telling Maureen that their relationship
is over and announcing a riot in the lot: Benny has padlocked the building
and called the cops but the homeless are standing their ground. And mooing.
The artists rejoice, the riot continues, and Roger and Mimi share a small,
lovely kiss.
ACT II
The second act begins with the company posing the question, "How do you
measure a year in the life?" (SEASONS OF LOVE). It is one week later, New
Year's Eve, and Mark, Roger, Mimi, Maureen, Joanne, Angel and Collins are
having a breaking-back-into-the-building party (HAPPY NEW YEAR). Once
inside, Mark listens to one more phone message from his mother in Scarsdale
as well as one from Alexi Darling, a tabloid TV producer salivating over his
footage of the riot (VOICE MAIL #3). Benny crashes the party, angering Roger
and alienating Roger from Mimi. Dejected, Mimi wanders outside and into the
welcoming arms of her drug dealer.
Mark fastforwards to Valentine's Day. Roger and Mimi are still together.
Angel and Collins could be anywhere. Maureen and Joanne are still rehearsing
another show, but it is not going well (TAKE ME OR LEAVE ME).
The company reprises SEASONS OF LOVE and time marches forward again, to
spring. Roger and Mimi have a fight and Roger walks out. Alone, Mimi
reflects on what life would be like without Roger (WITHOUT YOU). At the same
time, Collins nurses a sick Angel; Maureen and Joanne reconcile; as do Mimi
and Roger.
At the end of the summer, Alexi is still courting Mark for her TV show
(VOICE MAIL #4). Roger and Mimi, unsatisfied by love's complications, break
up, as do Maureen and Joanne Angel dies (CONTACT). At a memorial service,
his friends remember his spirit. Collins remembers his love (I'LL COVER YOU:
REPRISE).
Outside the church, Mark phones Alexi to accept the job. Mark ponders how
life has changed since last year as he recalls the joys of that one night
last Christmas (HALLOWEEN). As the mourners leave the church, Mimi confirms
that Roger has sold his guitar and is leaving town. Roger confirms that Mimi
is now with Benny. A fight erupts among Roger, Mimi, Maureen, Benny, and
Joanne Collins interrupts them with the sorrowful reality that the family is
breaking up. Joanne and Maureen reunite. Mimi and Benny leave.
Mark tries to convince Roger to stay in New York and face his pain and the
fact that Mimi is very sick. Roger attacks Mark, accusing him of hiding from
his feelings. Mimi enters, having overheard the entire angry exchange, and
bids Roger farewell (GOODBYE, LOVE). Roger leaves town. Mimi turns to Mark
for help. Benny offers one helping hand to Mimi and extends the other to
Collins to help him pay Angel's funeral expenses. Mimi refuses the help and
flees. Collins accepts and he and Benny go out for a drink.
Mark considers the events and faces the last year, as does Roger, who is on
his way to Santa Fe. Roger begins to discover his own song and Mark turns
down the television job to finish his own film (WHAT YOU OWN).
Roger's mom, Mark's mom, Mimi's mom, and JoAnne's father all wonder where
their children are (VOICE MAIL #5). Back at the loft, Mark tells us again
it's Christmas and he now has a rough version of his film, which he's going
to show tonight. Roger has returned, has written his song, but cannot find
Mimi. Collins enters with money he has gotten from an ATM rewired to give
money to anyone with a special code. The password? Angel.
Maureen and Joanne suddenly arrive holding Mimi, whom they found collapsed
and near death in the park. Roger begs her not to die and sings for her the
song it has taken him all year to write, YOUR EYES. Mimi dies as Roger wails
her name over a blast of Puccini's music. Suddenly Mimi awakens, it seems
that a guardian Angel was watching over her.
The company joins in a reprise of the affirmation that love is all and that
there is "no day but today"
