Obie Awards for Outstanding Book, Music, and
Lyrics (Larson), Outstanding Direction (Michael
Greif), and Outstanding Ensemble Performance
also speak toRent’s success.
Impact Jonathan Larson set out to write aHair
(pr. 1967) for the 1990’s. His rock opera was in-
tended to be a response to the HIV/AIDS crisis and a
celebration of the lives of those lost at a young age.
He wanted to “reclaim Broadway from stagnation
and empty spectacle...tobring musical theater to
the MTV generation.” By all critical accounts he suc-
ceeded, offering a generational anthem of sorts and
bringing a new energy to the Great White Way. Many
creditRentwith revitalizing musical theater as an art
form.New York Timestheater writer Peter Marks re-
marked that Larson “rekindled faith in the Ameri-
can musical when many in the theater business, par-
ticularly younger people, believed it had reached an
artistic dead end.”
Rentalso brought to the public eye issues of sexu-
ality, poverty, and homelessness and heightened
awareness of the AIDS crisis. Critics argue that
Larson gave warmth and emotion to difficult and
controversial personae, particularly with a little-
known disease and non-normative sexual identi-
ties.
Subsequent Events Rent’s enormous popularity
resulted in a cult following. Fans of the rock opera
camped outside the Nederlander Theatre for the
chance to win one of the thirty-four seats in the first
two rows. Seats were offered for $20, asRent’s pro-
ducers wanted to ensure that the musical was afford-
able for all. Fans who camped out multiple times
were dubbed “Rent Heads,” some seeing the show
dozens of times.
Shortly afterRent’s Broadway debut, novelist Sa-
rah Schulman threatened a plagiarism suit against
the Larson estate, claiming that Larson had lifted
entire portions of her bookPeople in Trouble(1990).
Schulman also did not appreciate what she viewed as
the commodification of the gay culture portrayed in
the musical, as well as the placement of straight allies
as saviors in the homosexual cause. However, no
claim was filed and no legal action taken.
Rent has enjoyed numerous tours across the
United States and Canada, as well as several interna-
tional tours, including Australia, the United King-
dom, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain,
Japan, and South Korea. In 2005,Rentbecame a ma-
jor motion picture from Revolution Studios and Co-
lumbia Pictures, starring many members of the orig-
inal Broadway cast.Further Reading
Larson, Jonathan.Rent. New York: Rob Weisbach
Books/William Morrow, 1997. Compendium of
photographs, stories, and libretto. Follows Lar-
son’s andRent’s journey through the stories of
those who knew Larson and those involved in the
musical’s production, including cast and family
members.
Rapp, Anthony.Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss,
and the Musical “Rent.” New York: Simon &
Schuster, 2006. A fascinating backstage account
of the production ofRentfrom an original cast
member.
Schulman, Sarah.Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS, and the
Marketing of Gay America. Durham, N.C.: Duke
University Press, 1998. Schulman’s provocative
take onRentand her argument for Larson’s tak-
ing her plot and characters. Also offers a different
perspective on the musical and its impact.
Meredith HolladaySee also AIDS epidemic; Alternative rock; Art
movements; Broadway musicals; Homosexuality and
gay rights; Music; Race relations; Religion and spiri-
tuality in the United States; Shepard, Matthew; The-
ater in the United States; Transgender community. Republican Revolution
Definition A shift that gave Republicans control
of both the House and Senate for the first time
since 1952
Date November, 1994The “Republican Revolution” was significant for many
reasons, not the least of which was the fact that it was first
time since Ronald Reagan left office that political candi-
dates ran on pure conservatism. The event was inadver-
tently significant for President Bill Clinton, in that his re-
election in 1996 signaled the demise of the revolution and
resulted in the Senate refusing to remove him from office af-
ter his impeachment in 1998.In the weeks leading up to the elections of Novem-
ber, 1994, polls showed that political change was im-
minent in the legislature of the United States. Yet,716 Republican Revolution The Nineties in America