- Twice on Broadway
- Twice in San Francisco
- Once in Seattle
- Once in San Jose
I wasn't even supposed to see RENT the first time I did. I was taking my mom to New York on her first visit there, and I wanted us to see something on Broadway. The Lion King had been open a while, and I figured we would see that. But even at that time, I could not get any good seats even though I tried to buy the tickets two months in advance. So, somewhat reluctantly, I decided to take a chance and buy tickets to RENT. I kept seeing the show's posters at the Borders Books in Palo Alto, and it seemed cool.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the show! So many things happening on stage, so many people singing at the same time. Grungy urban imagery... Loud music... hobos... drag queens in Santa suits... and the lyrics! Holy God, the lyrics.
It's hard for me to explain just how much the show's songs resonated with me. They just seemed to make perfect sense. The show evoked the whole range of what makes us human, the whole range of emotions, in its two-and-some-odd hours.
Love.
I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love. Now I now you can rent it. A new lease you are, my love, on life. All my life I've longed to discover something as true as this is...
Laughter.
I lowered myself beneath her and held my mouth to her swollen udder..
Restlessness.
You wanna play? Let's run away. We won't be back before it's Christmas day. Take me out tonight.
Hope and regret.
Find the one song before the virus takes hold. Glory. Like a sunset. One song to redeem this empty life...
Lust.
To sodomy. It's between God and me. To S&M. La vie bohème...
Instant connection.
An angel? Indeed. An angel of the first degree...
Seizing the moment.
There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret or life is to miss. No other road. No other way. No day but today...
Friendship.
It's time now to sing out though the story never ends. Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends. Remember the love...
Fear and uncertainty.
Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?
Daydreaming.
Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Our labors would reap financial gains...
Loss.
The moon glows. The river flows. But I die without you...
Love.
I should tell you. I should tell you. I have always loved you. You can see it in my eyes...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Man, I love RENT! The lives of the characters are so far removed from my own, and yet I feel like the music was written specifically for me. I get every single emotion, I can relate, I am moved.
No day but today...