Transposing Puccini's 100-year-old opera La Bohème into modern day Bohemia (19th century Paris's Left Bank becomes late 20th century New York's East Village where the scourge of tuberculosis becomes the plague of AIDS) Rent celebrates life among the young, sick, and unconventional. While Broadway shows are hardly the place for authentic portrayals of the latest marginalized hipsters, composer Jonathan Larson (who died at age 36, days before his musical opened) managed to sculpt vivid characters and scenes that bring Avenue A as close as it will ever come to 42nd Street. And by telling a socially relevant story of living without the guarantee of a future (renting, that is), Larson does his own little bit to define an X'ed generation. At worst, Rent is the Hair of the 90s.
For the majority of us who won't be seeing Rent any time soon, the Original Cast Recording is more than just an after-show souvenir. Well-packaged with a complete libretto, the two-CD set is a worthwhile album separate of live performance. Full of songs that are funny and catchy, inspiring and touching, smart and hip and not overly sentimental, Rent mixes show-tune pop with elements of rock, R&B, dance, gospel, and tango to make one of the best albums of the year--certainly the best rock opera in decades. La vie bohème, indeed. --Roni Sarig
I got it Thursday of last week and have listened to it about five times and each time i hear something different. This has got to be one of the greatest things ive ever listened to. And when the film opens in the Uk ill be the first in line to watch, maybe its the only way I'l ever get to see it.
I recommend anyone to buy this album even if you havent seen the show as the story of rent is told in the songs as there are littleactually words spoken in the play! Plus the album come with the kyrics of the whole show!!!!!
Buy this!! Watch this!!
Even if you don't get to watch the show, buy the CD, the songs alone will tell the story of the troubled lives of the charactors. They are catchy and classy, not at all cheesy, go on buy it, you won't regret it.
