Day Eighteen: Rent

Today's post, as foretold in the last, is the musical with the best lyrics. And I think it's Rent.

Yes I know it's basically Aids: The Musical, but I really enjoying the lyrics, they're so moving to me! "There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss!"

So I'll give a recap of the show. It takes place in Alphabet City in NYC in the late '80s/early '90s, and the entire first act takes place on Christmas Eve. There's these two guys; Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, and Roger, a musician who wants to have one great hit and has been dealing through withdrawl (from drugs, obviously). Their power gets cut off by their landlord and ex-friend, Benny, who is married to the daughter of the Grey corporation that is taking over the city.

Meanwhile, Roger and Mark's good friend, Collins, gets jumped while heading to the guys' apartment and is left on the streets for dead. But then Angel, a guy on the streets playing the bongos, finds Collins and brings him back to his place to care for him. Collins and Angel (who is later revealed to be a drag queen) are instantly attracted to each other. Roger is trying to write his song, but is interrupted by Mimi, who uses her blown-out candle as an excuse to flirt with Roger. Collins finally arrives at the apartment and introduces the two guys to Angel. 

Benny drops by the apartment, hassling the guys about paying the rent for the apartment. But he offers a deal; if the guys can get Maureen to cancel her protest, he'll let them live in this new studio project, rent-free. The two reject his offer and Benny leaves. Angel and Collins invite Roger and Mark to come to an HIV support group meeting.

Mark's ex-girlfriend, Maureen, who also turned lesbian and dumped Mark to date a lawyer named Johanne, is running a protest that would take place that night at midnight at this lot that was being closed down. Johanne is her stage manager and is working the technology aspect for the protest. Maureen called Mark to go help Johanne, despite Johanne demanding that Maureen doesn't call him for help. 

While fixing the sound equipment, Johanne and Mark lament about Maureen and how her sultry ways drove Mark nuts and drives Johanne crazy now. Mark warns Johanne that Maureen will get worse, to which is proven true later in the scene. Mark leaves and hurries to the support group meeting.

Mimi comes back to the apartment and attempts to seduce Roger. In response, Roger kicks her out and pushes her away. He then confesses aloud to an empty apartment about his fear of dying of AIDS. (He got it from his previous girlfriend, who committed suicide after discovering they both were positive.)

Collins talks about his dream to leave New York City to go open up a restaurant in Santa Fe. Soon after, Collins and Angel confess their love to each other and commit into a relationship. Johanne is still nervous as she finishes preparing for Maureen's show. Roger finds Mimi and apologizes for his behavior. He tries to make it up to her by inviting her to the protest and to have dinner at the Life Cafe afterwards with the gang, to which she agrees. The people on the streets are protesting.

Maureen arrives and gives her performance. At the cafe after the show, Benny makes rude comments about the performance and the group's Bohemian lifestyle. Mark and everyone else in the cafe rejoice to them living in the Bohemian lifestyle. Meanwhile, Mimi confronts Roger for ignoring her during dinner. The two talk and discover the other is HIV-positive, which brings them closer. Johanne returns, explaining that Mark and Roger's building has been padlocked. A riot breaks out on the streets as Mimi and Roger share their first kiss.

Act two takes place over the course of one year. Long story short (I don't feel like recapping the rest of the show) all the couples go through a point where they don't speak to each other, except for Angel and Collins. Angel dies from AIDS. And while Roger and Mimi broke up, Mimi was dating Benny (even though Benny's married.)

After Angel's funeral, Roger leaves for Santa Fe, and Mark works at this new reporting company called Buzzline. Roger comes back and Mark realizes that this isn't what he wanted at all. Mimi disappeared but was found in the park, shivering and dying after being kicked out of her apartment when Benny's wife found out he cheated. Mimi dies, but Roger's song (which he finally wrote!) brings her back to him, and the entire gang celebrate.

My favorite song out of the show (it really moves me, especially the ending of it) is "Goodbye Love," which is showing the group falling apart as Roger leaves for Santa Fe. (The actual song doesn't start until a little after 1 minute.)