Aug

The Night I Finally Got To See RENT

The amazing Adam Pascal (in blue, just coming out of the door) who plays Roger

Those of you who have read my interview on Andy Hayes’ website will know that I had a terrible few years before this trip. One of the things that got me through some of those hard times was the soundtrack to the musical RENT.

I first discovered RENT when flicking through the movie channels and I caught the film adaptation; immediately I was hooked and bought the soundtrack. I listened to it at home, in my car, it was on my iPod, it was everywhere! As soon as the songs from RENT came on my mood was bolstered, sometimes I could even manage a smile through my tears.

I was thrilled when I found out that they were relaunching the stage version in London and was desperate to go and see it but when the time came round I couldn’t due to medical reasons, I just didn’t feel well enough.

When I decided to do this trip I thought come hell or high water I would go and see it in its native home of Broadway when we went to New York. However, after arriving in the U.S. I found it had just closed down on Broadway, and with it my dreams of seeing the proper stage version were dashed. To say I was disappointed to not be able to see the show that had come to mean so much to me is an understatement. But I found a DVD in L.A. of the closing night that had been filmed. It was a small consolation but I was pleased to be able to watch it in its’ proper, un-adapted for film, version.

The day after I arrived in St. Louis I found out that not only had they decided to do a nationwide tour but that the two original leading male cast members were part of the touring production. I went into a mini meltdown with excitement! I was determined to stick around in St. Louis until it came to town as St. Louis was the only town on our itinerary where RENT would be playing.

A nerve wracking two weeks later, on the St. Louis opening night I finally got to see RENT, it was one of the happiest moments of the trip for me and well worth the wait.

Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, the two original leading men, have said they are too old now to play the 20-somethings they depict in the show and so after this tour they will not be resuming their roles should RENT perform again. I was so pleased, so happy, so ecstatic to have been there that night and it was made all the better because I was able to see Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp performing.

These are the pictures from that wonderful night that meant so much to me.