The Creation Of Rent - original West End cast

[@mariajorba5117]

I love the fact that almost the whole Original cast already acted in the Motion Picture too, it's magical. I cry every time I see 'em together

[@fridayblues216]

So glad that Johnathan was able to leave the world his masterpiece before he passed. So incredibly tragic that such a great talent left the world so soon…. Such a great loss..

[@annemchurchwell]

He was in fact a mix between Mark and Roger.

[@lilith8960]

It’s so unfortunate he didn’t get to see the success of Rent but it has impacted my life ever since I saw it and I’m now thirty 🥺 I was a teen when I first saw it and played Mimi when I auditioned for Maureen in highschool

[@belindamelissa4909]

I was living in London at the end of the millennium and saw this production at the Shaftesbury 11 times, including closing night. That last time, I applauded so long and loud that I bruised my hands. The crowd stood outside the theatre afterwards singing 'Seasons of Love' and I remember cast members waving at us from upstairs 🥰🥰🥰

[@leglessdean]

Hi Belinda. I was in the show for the final year, and remember the last night with huge fondness. I’d never seen an audience like it, and the atmosphere at stage door was incredible. Good times, and glad you remember it too! X

[@marybishop6105]

I caught your reference there “end of the millennium”. Love this musical it shaped me in high school.

[@belindamelissa4909]

@@leglessdean believe it or not I remember you, you were ‘honest living’ guy! You had tears in your eyes during ‘Will I?’. The cast was crying and the audience was crying and it was just beautiful. Thank you 😊

[@ricklaschner553]

Im so jealous, wish I was there...

[@HF-xj3td]

I saw rent in london about 25 times. I used to queue early for the £20 seats or whatever they were (£10?) It was an amazing production and extra good when Richard Roe played Angel. Think I saw the last ever show there in fact

[@aredublo]

Still my favorite musical on so many levels because Jonathan's work spoke to my generation. Was grateful to see it at the Niederlander Theater Off Broadway in 1997 with my best friend. We flew in from Toronto and had the whole NYC experience with Lunch at the Tavern on The Green, Dinner at Sardi's.

[@gloriouslyimperfect]

Nederlander isn’t an off Broadway house it’s a Broadway house.

[@ricklaschner553]

Me too....

[@lyra732]

41:21 when she looked up and said, 'thank you Jonathan' 🥹

[@lindseyscruggs8303]

I first saw it on Broadway in 1998 on a high school theatre trip. We saw 10 shows over the course of 10 days. This one was the first and probably my favorite of all 10. The following year I went to visit NYU because I desperately wanted to go to college there. Didn't get into NYU but randomly ran into a friend of mine from home and, together, we won the pre-show rent lottery. It made me tear up a little bit when they mentioned how Jonathan Larson wanted to create a show that represented his generation. My generation. He didn't just kind of succeed at that, he knocked it out of the park.

[@caitlinbelforti870]

The chemisty between Jesse and Wilson is unmatched.

[@YaYa-ke1zr]

I’ve always wondered how Jonathan would have continued to change the world. If only. Rent was only the beginning…

[@ktwashere5637]

I saw this production in its second week in London - my Mum was visiting from Australia and she loved theatre so we would see a show every night. We saw this without knowing what it was about. My God. Magnificent. And the young actress who played Mimi wiped the floor with anyone else I've ever seen do the part.

[@jordanschooley7836]

Thanks for posting this. Had to shake my head at the critics they interviewed... No story resolution? It was a year in the life of these people - does that critic live a life whose story arcs start and end on Christmas? No character resolution? Would the play have been better with the deaths of Roger, Mimi and Tom? Rent is a story of resilience in the face of loss, hardship and discrimination. The resolution comes from the fact that these characters survive to fight another day, and hopefully, another year (in the life.) As the Variety columnist says Rent is rough around the edges. But that's part of its charm, and regardless, it was a remarkable first effort by Jonathan Larson. Just imagine what he could have accomplished if he had lived.

[@liduck52]

The problem was that they were comparing RENT to other musicals. And RENT isn't like other musicals. Maybe they would have liked it better if there was a wedding at the end or something.

[@otterzrkuhl]

Rent isn’t a story at all. It’s just a series of sequences with no coherent plot. That’s what the critic is trying to say.

[@darth_kal-el]

@@otterzrkuhl amazing. Every word of what you just said is wrong.

[@otterzrkuhl]

Cory Weston amazing. You provided no evidence to the contrary.

[@otterzrkuhl]

Cory Weston what an original reference. With brains like that, I’m sure you can prove your point. If you have one.

[@JacobGers-lr9kl]

i had no clue this documentary even existed. Thanks for uploading!

[@dbehr1996.]

Jesse and Anthony were the only ones jamming out fully during the La Vie Bourne segment and I was all for it lol

[@vickycarden1511]

Thank you for sharing this. Rent is still my favorite muscial. I went to the same high school as Jesse L. Martin.

[@elanakilkenny2714]

Thank you for posting this, I was lucky enough to see the original cast perform in NYC a few times at a pivotal time in my own life. This show meant so much to me that I traveled with my best friend at the time to London to see some of the original cast perform. The experience of seeing rent both in my hometown of NYC and abroad is seared into a memory and heart as a galvanizing, electric and deeply inspiring and moving experience.

[@coll4455]

❤

[@tarad1760]

Thank you for sharing this, Rent means so many things to so many people.

[@hiddeninthesnowwe]

omg, they're all so young and adorable

[@ieshamills]

Just wanted to state how handsome Jesse L. Martin is. Like really handsome. lol

[@fatzlong6051]

Rent is my FAVORITE MOVIE EVER. HAVE WATCHED OVER 30 TIMES

[@ROSTAFA]

The critics that say there were flaws, name me 1 theater piece without flaws? Not 1 work of art is flawless.

[@chandlersampson]

Thank you Jonathan ❤

[@shannonfranks10]

Oh I’m so happy to find this. You are all brilliant.

[@sarahfinley6606]

OMG! I saw this twice in London with the original cast, including on Jesse and Adam's last day. Sitting on the line, sitting in the second row, in the middle, even getting spittle on me from Benny, was all one of my most cherished memories. Though the best part was getting a hug and kiss from Krysten was the absolute best. I was so smitten! TYJL!

[@johnodwyer8902]

Currently being performed at the unique Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. The production is respectful to the original score, with the most unbelievable choreography and first class cast. Has there been a better performance of " Seasons of Love" ? I doubt it, go along and decide for yourself.

[@mr.balloffur]

I must correct.... Rent's success was NOT because of Jonathan's tragic death, it would have been a success either way.

[@Ben-ff5rl]

I disagree

[@andy_bomb4639]

I'm a teenage boy who first saw Rent in the form of the movie in 2021. It holds the fuck up XD

[@Dfk429S9fo3]

Watch the video of the final performance on Broadway.

[@otterzrkuhl]

No it does not. Harmful Stereotypes, romanticizing poverty, and emotionally abusive partners have no place in the modern world.

[@Bill.R.124]

He died of an aortic dissection not a rare heart condition. He'd gone to the emergency department three times and been misdiagnosed. Normally people with dissections are older, with preexisting hypertension. So sad.

[@ElizaHamilton1780]

Wrong re: rare heart condition. He was misdiagnosed because that aortic dissection wasn’t spotted until the autopsy. Nobody knew he had Marfan’s syndrome until after he died. And at the time, nobody knew much about Marfan’s syndrome. That’s changed somewhat in the years since his death. But do go on and keep mansplaining to us all about what you know about Jonathan Larson.

[@anitabuis-mikyska7739]

He did die of an aortic dissection, but it was brought in by undiagnosed Marfan Syndrome. His parents did win malpractice suits against the 2 ER docs that failed to further test him as his dissection should have been caught instead of them saying “flu,” “food poisoning,” and “stress.”

[@anitabuis-mikyska7739]

@@ElizaHamilton1780 I am a medical professional and Marfan is a connective tissue disorder that causes systemic issues. It is not necessarily a heart condition.

[@otterzrkuhl]

@@ElizaHamilton1780 you don’t have to be an ass just because someone made a small mistake.

[@katielawrence5420]

I love Anthony Rapp, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Adam Pascal, Krysten Cummings, Jacqui Debois, Jessica Tezier, Robert J. Solomon, Leon Maurice-Jones, Josh Cohen, Claire Coates and Bonny Lockhart.

[@HF-xj3td]

The london Angel understudy Richard Roe was also outstanding

[@5rodan5]

6:00 Seasons of Love 💕. Hearing Gwen Stewart lead this song, Heaven

[@lashaunlamar8346]

The best musical of all life times

[@coll4455]

Thank you for sharing this ❤

[@San64]

I saw this in London - not long after nit had opened. During the interval, I was having a drink in the foyer and over heard an American lady say " Well, if I'd have known it was gonna to be about gays, I wouldn't have come". Everytime I went to see this the audiences have ben spectacular. I was so sad I couldn't get tickets for the last night. Still love this. Also love AR in Star Trek: Discovery. If you've not seen Anthony's acting chops...watch ST.

[@valogden]

It always amazes me when people walk into a Broadway musical nor knowing a song or even a hint about what the shows about. I will listen to the soundtrack if I don't know about the show. One that surprised me was Dear Evan Hansen. People were walking out of the theater because they didn't know it was about suicide. I just shake my head.

[@NateButlerFresnoCA]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@LaurenaLaCroix]

HSgraduation, 1985,& Rent, is my generation, & still need a place to live. depicts today problem, where can I afford to live a man's life's work

[@HansonFan73]

Thank you for posting this!! 😍🎉

[@Shae29]

13:54 jeffery’s words really made me sad and when the narrator began speaking again, it scared me😂

[@djdollase]

I happened to see this production in London. My wife and I saw a matinee in the middle of the week. We were one of the few people there. It was mostly old ladies from the hinterlands and us. I think it was kinda far into the run so that may have been part of the reason it was sparsely attended. Plus it was a midweek matinee. I also think it may have been a bit too “New York” for most of the English audience. But whatever the reason the place was pretty dead and it was a chance to really see the mettle the performers had. And they really brought it, despite it echoing around in a mostly empty theater….

[@import26]

Outside of the USA, this show has mostly flopped badly

[@kiayawilliams5714]

Cheers to the Broadway cast, the west end cast and the poor hungover phone operators

[@lilith8960]

10:50 Rare heart condition 😢 I guess it is since an aortic dissection is essentially a tear that allowed blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall. But I thought he also was suspected of having a genetic condition of Marfan Syndrome which his estate (mom and sister) donated to the cause that is an inherited disorder that affects connective tissue and it does affect the heart (which I guess makes sense since aortic aneurysm is officially cause of death) and blood vessels (which I believe is what happened with Larson) as well as eyes and bones. R.I.P Jonathan Larson Rent was something that touched my heart as a teenager when I played it in highschool ❤ always part of my life and how I started getting into theatre

[@mr.balloffur]

They didn't suspect Marfan Syndrome until after his death. Had they suspected it before, they probably would've caught the aortic dissection since that's a common ailment with people with that genetic disorder. Regardless, he was misdiagnosed at both hospitals that also contributed to his death.

[@blueskye6372]

Thank you for video.🌈❤⭐🙏🎶

[@laputan_]

parts 1 and 2 are excellent, part 3 re: how will it do in london is kinda irrelevant.

[@sounsure9108]

Ok so the young man in the thumb nail, Jessie L Martian he plays joe west on Netflix’s flash sometimes they let him sing.

[@karmen181]

It’s a show in the states and actually the straw of that show also sings .. he was originally on a show called glee ..

[@katielawrence5420]

I love Margherita Taylor.

[@ElizaHamilton1780]

Well, I’m curious. So what did Broadway look like in the years just before RENT? I know about the big boys in the yard, like Phantom, Les Miz, Miss Saigon.... So how different was RENT, compared to the rest of the competition? From what I remember from my copy of the RENT bible, the audition process was unique because everyone was told to sing a pop song. So is this part of the audition process more mainstream now?

[@gloriouslyimperfect]

What Hamilton has done for rap rent did for rock on Broadway. The two shows are very similar in their popularity and how they impacted Broadway and beyond and how different they were than what’s around them. The audition process and the songs they ask you to sing really are dependent on the show and the type of music that’s being sung in the show and what framework they want to hear your voice in.

[@jordoncarnegie1206]

Broadway at the time was all fluff. I mean...Cats was the most popular show at that time. It was all spectacal shows. No shows had ever and I mean ever spoke truths the way RENT did nor did they incorporate true rock music. Hair had done it...but in a very specific genre. RENT gave permission for pop/rock yo really work. It also gave permission to writers to be able to present raw, "contiversial" material. Lin Manuel was a huge fan and it inspired him to bring r&b /rap into musical theatre.

[@Itstonytime77]

Most shows now are pop music so a lot of shows ask for a pop song when you audition.

[@bbcbbc1717]

The analogy of Hamilton to Rap/diversity is accurate as what rent was to Rock/diversity. There had not been any rock musicals since late 60s (Hair) and early 70s (JC Superstar). The casting was really focused on not typical broadway/musical theatre candidates, rather spun a wide web looking at rock musicians, band members, singer song writers etc. Watch the movie Tick Tick Boom and will give you more insight into Jonathon Larson and what he was going to with this. The producers and cast I believe were true to his vision in honouring the piece; however, wonder what further magic might have happened if Jonathon was able to further fine tune things into previews and first run. Saw the original broadway cast in 97 and the whole thing was a special moment in time.

[@JohnDoe-gk7ok]

I think some of what the critics say is legitimate. For one, the pacing of the show is odd. The entire first act takes place over 24 hours, but then the second act just rushes through an entire year. The first act does a nice job of establishing Benny and his conflicts with the other characters, but then the second act just crams all these subplots involving the other characters. So it isn’t really a cohesive narrative. Also, the main characters aren’t 100% sympathetic. Why can’t Roger and Mark get jobs to pay their rent? What is so bad about Benny removing homeless people off his private property? How was it right for Angel to make money by killing Benny’s dog, for the group to break and enter into a padlocked building, and for Collin’s to steal money from an ATM machine? The morality of the show seems backwards. No day but today? It seemed like Mimi was giving this as a justification for her recklessness, and somehow we are supposed to think Roger is wrong for rejecting that. By the end, they have their friendship and Mimi survives an OD, but what have the characters truly learned? Roger, Collins, and Mark are still unemployed, Mimi Is still a drug addict, Collins is a thief… yeah, something is off here. But when this show came out, none of this mattered. What mattered was that this show took place in the year it was written. For millennials, it was our “Hair”-it spoke to us in ways that Sondheim, Porter, Gershwin, etc., did not. It had a messy set, no curtain, no orchestra pit, a small band onstage…. It encapsulated the cynicism and grittiness of 90s alternative rock. And that’s why we loved it. Sadly, it caught on to the wrong audience and turned into a teenybopper show… but it was really cool when it came out. I saw it twice in 1996.

[@tomikahapner2223]

Broadway musicals never got cheaper or more accessible tho so that dream never got accomplished by RENT.

[@uhuhuh1966]

It did get younger people to go though

[@otterzrkuhl]

I’m guessing no one in this comment section has heard Common People…

[@felipemontoya2077]

Someone here have the video from the 1996 Brodway performance??

[@jordoncarnegie1206]

It's on KZbin

[@anitabuis-mikyska7739]

Broadway or the Preview the night Jonathan died?

[@felipemontoya2077]

The Preview the night Jonathan died

[@jordoncarnegie1206]

@Felipe Montoya that would be video of the the workshop performance. And the answer is no. There are only small clips from what I've seen

[@SteveSoyYo]

I just hated Angel

[@froodyyy]

cause Angel was a transvestite? really there’s nothing to dislike about Angel LOL