Rent pretty much defined a huge chunk of my college life. I remember when the musical came out, watching the performance on the Tony awards, reading all of the articles I could (thanks to that new thing called the internet...yes, I'm old), and going to see if four or five times in two years. I loved how Rent took such a serious issue and reminded us all to live each day to it's fullest because there are no guarantees. I loved how Rent brought different lifestyles into the spotlight and made you realize that "Love is love is love is love!"
When I heard Rent was touring for it's 20th anniversary (again, seriously, where did those twenty years go) I knew I just had to go. The production was at the Shubert Theater, now known as the Boch Center. This was a perfect theater for Rent to be performed in. The Shubert is an older theater, small and intimate, and a little edgier than other theaters in Boston. Other than the super "cozy" balcony seats, it's a really nice space and I couldn't find a bad seat in the house.
The performance was full of energy and life and was just as I had remembered. Given our current political situation, it was also very telling that a lot of the issues that were so relevant in the late 90s are also an issue now~ lack of affordable housing, the opioid crisis, lack of healthcare, LGBTQ rights. Maybe Rent needs to keep touring, keep educating, keep proving that no matter our differences we are all the same on the inside!
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