Rent (Hardcover)

by Jonathan Larson (Author) "How do you document real life, when real life's getting more like fiction each day" Mark, the filmmaker narrator of Rent, asks at the start..." (more)
Key Phrases: background photo, New York, Jonathan Larson, East Village (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
This is by far the must-get theater book of the year. With dazzling punk graphics that will quickly win book industry awards, the volume contains the entire libretto of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical about love and loyalty among starving AIDS-stricken artists in New York's East Village. But editors Evelyn McDonnell and Katherine Silberger wisely understand that the story of the show's creation is as compelling as the musical itself--so more than half of this volume is devoted to an oral history of the composer/lyricist/librettist Jonathan Larson, who came to New York hoping to revolutionize musical theater--then died of an aortic aneurysm the night of the show's final preview. It's an event book for an event musical.

Review
"Rent is the breakthrough musical for the 90's." -- -- Newsweek

"The most exuberant and original American musical to come along this decade." -- -- Time

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment; 1 edition (May 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688154379
• ISBN-13: 978-0688154370
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Opera > Songbooks
  #27 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Opera
  #29 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > Broadway & Musicals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Book to the Perfect Show!, May 3, 2000

By	T. Young - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jonathon Larson's musical creation RENT is awesome. It is truly a tragedy that he passed away before the play had it's big opening on Broadway. This book takes you through Jonathon Larson's hard life while he was writing RENT. It follows through the procedures of casting, rehearsing, and the actual productions. It comes with a complete Libretto with on-stage pictures that are truly wonderfully photographed and put together on the page. There are also many cast and crew comments about the show: rehearsals, casting, the production; about the tragic death of Jonathan Larson; and about the man himself.

I have been a (I guess you'd call it a RENThead for a while now and I'm proud of it. I love the beauty of the music, the acting, the very UNshallow storyline, and ultimately, the experience. I absolutely love Jonathan Larson's exquisite creation and I KNOW you will too! Enjoy!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for any sort of RENThead., August 12, 2005

By	Tobias - See all my reviews

Let me preface this by saying I am probably biased, as I have seen RENT 10 times (a small number when compared to some fans.)

I found this book to be extremely entertaining and enlightening. You never realize just how much work goes into creating something that you aren't really involved in. This book takes you backstage and behind the scenes for an expansive history of how RENT was conceived, designed, and brought to life on stage.

It also contains the full RENT script and song lyrics. Throughout the book are high-quality, color photographs of just about everything, including shots from the original broadway cast performing the show.

I would definitely reccomend this book - it is definitely worth the rather cheap price - for anyone. Whether you've seen the show once or thirty times, this book is perfect.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a RENT fan, November 29, 1999

By	Carrie (Toledo, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderful book. If you are a fan of books or a fan of RENT, this is a great buy. Glancing through the pages you will remember your experience of seeing the musical. It is easily relived by leafing through this book. A definite must have for the RENT fan. This is a book well worth the money.