I am so thankful for the difference Rent has made in my life. This is my Rent story.
Rent was a part of my life before I had even discovered it. My parents bought me, their Broadway obsessed daughter, a copy of the RENT: The Final Performance for my eleventh birthday. They obviously didn't know what it was about. I looked at the back cover, and the first thing I saw was the La Vie Boheme photo, which contains a girl in a bright pink bra. Obviously not eleven year old material. I put it in, but stopped watching when the "Ho ho ho- Benny! Shit- Dudes I'm on my way- Great, f**k!" part came on, the language freaking me out a bit. I didn't know that that show would change my life forever.
The next time I attempted to watch it, I was super confused. I couldn't tell what they were singing, thus getting totally lost in the plot. Not to mention that weird Santa character, who I thought was an actual girl. (What was she doing? Flashing people her odd green underwear and banging on tables with drumsticks.) I then brought it to a sleep over, to see if my friend could understand it any better than me. Now, I have a small mole on the side of my face, right under my ear. It's about a shade lighter than my skin. I used to be extremely self conscious about it. I asked my friend what she thought, and she said, "I like it. It's what makes you unique. It makes you, you." What she said changed my view on myself, and even though Rent didn't have a whole lot to do with it, it was still playing in the background. So in a way, it was there for me during a pivotal moment in my childhood.
When I was older, I rewatched it. And fell in love. I truly changed. More like, the show changed me. I strive to be a bohemian, to love everyone, not to judge, and give as much as I can. My nails have been painted Angel's shade of blue ever since June to remind me to have her generosity, empathy, forgiveness, and love. I may or may not have become a vegetarian just to have something in common with Collins. I like to live on the wild side, like Maureen, and I am now an anarchist. It's funny, whenever I study for a test, I think, "Study like Joanne. Be smart like Joanne." And now, more than ever, I live not by YOLO, but by NDBT. No Day But Today. When I get older, I think I want that tattooed on my ankle. I think I owe to Jonathon Larson, he's giving me so much.
Anyone who's seen Rent, and understood it properly, has probably had it impact their lives. It's just too much of a fabulous show to have it not make a difference. I can confidently say it molded my personality and view on the world, not to mention other people. Last summer, I drove cross country with my grandparents, and watched Rent in every state we were in. I watched that show, the movie version and filmed Broadway one, more than any other movie I've seen. I love it so much. I have shown my friends it, and I like to think that it has changed their lives as well. I hope it did. And I hope, years in the future, it will continue to change lives for the better. It's our jobs, us RENTheads, to keep lighting candles, covering people, showing people the way to glory, writing songs, making films, mooing, and dancing on tables in restaurants. And if you ever find Jesse L. Martin hurt in an alleyway, I call dibs.
Lots of love to all of you. Happy Thanksgiving!