When did ReNt become a classic? — Page 3

Belated thanks Foster. :)

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Plus it was mentioned everywhere on TV. I was really young then, but now when I watch shows like THE COSBY SHOW and others (I don't remember exactly the others), they talk about seeing RENT. Does that type of stuff make it a classic in time? Maybe.

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Also, when talking to people who know (and could care less) nothing about theatre and Broadway, they always hear Broadway and say something like "Oh right like that RENT show".
But again, I think it depends on what people consider a classic to be.

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The whole very immature comment about "would Rent have been such a hit if Larson hadn't died" really annoys me.

when i watched it in the 90s i knew nothing about the author or that he had died and the material moved me so much i was shaking.

So many of my friends here in the UK who saw the original shaftsbury production or the touring production also fell in love with it without ever knowing anything about Larson

It would be impossible for a show to have a 12 year run if something in the material did not resonate with people.

In all my life of embracing musical theatre i cant think of another show that spoke to a generation like Rent did.

You also have to remember that the critic at the New York Times watched the show before Larson died and told him how much he loved it and that he was going to write a strong review (as he did).Sure Larsons Death got people talking about the show, but mainly people in the industry, people outside of Broadway would have taken no interest in that story, and Rent was attracting people who were not theatre goers...people who never new the story of Larson's fate.

Rent is a show which has survived because it's stayed relevant and moving.Idiotic people can call it dated but those people need to take a look around them and ask themselves "has anything really changed since Rent opened?"...I know im still loosing friends to Aids, i know poverty is still all around us, i know that more and more people are selling out and existing other than living.

Rent would have been a smash hit if Larson would have died or not, it may have taken a little longer for people to catch on, but with that message and that kind of writing there were always going to catch on, hell the NY times did, and that was on its dress run.

Dont get me wrong Rent has its flaws, but thats what i love about it, its not polished and shined like most 'off the rack" like most shows, its kinda like peering through the windows of these characters lives and getting to see what happens from time to time.

Rent is a show which didn't want to preach, it didn't want to be perfect, it wanted to let the world know that things aren't perfect, things are flawed, life is flawed...but still should be celebrated no matter what your color, religion, sexuality etc every day.

I also feel that people who were past their youth when Rent Opened probably missed the point, hell they had probably become a part of the very thing Rent was screaming about, but for everyone who wanted to find answers and see that in ****ty times when life is dragging you down there is always hope

and to me thats the best word to describe Rent...Hope

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Updated On: 2/11/08 at 10:38 AM

For me.. I considered RENT somewhat a classic in 2000. The show was definitly dated by that point.

"Or if it costs 20 bucks a week to keep it open. Look at the opera ghost resonating 20 years and going strong. Re-so-nate."

If that was the case, who would need to sell tickets when they had LOTTO. The reason they are closing the show is because it's not doing well financially.

MisterMatt- I completely agree with everything you said. It is apparently trendy to dislike "ReNt"

Go ahead and tear the show apart, it can be done. But I think that could be said for most shows that are currently on Broadway.

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"I also feel that people who were past their youth when Rent Opened probably missed the point, hell they had probably become a part of the very thing Rent was screaming about,..."

To imply that someone would probably "miss the point" of RENT just because they are older is an incredibly ignorant point of view. I am an older (much older) RENT fan and have met many older people who feel the same way. Older people are very capable of understanding so called "young ideas." Although I have lived more years and may have learned more than most younger people, it is that very knowledge that makes RENT so special to me. I have had more years to experience the emotions that a show like RENT brings out, making it that much more relevant. Please don't write off older people just because of their age. Try to judge each person as an individual. You just may find out that there are a lot of really cool "older people."

I saw it for the first time at 40, and saw it for the 10th time at 50...Age has nothing to do with it....