jonathan larson died the night of the FIRST SHOWING of rent. this means that the musical wasn’t completely finished. sure, it was done, but the first showing was to see how people would react. see what would happen. see what changes needed to happen. the musical we know and love today would have had some changes if jonathan didn’t die. solos we’ve memorized would have been deleted or changed completely. la vie bohem could have been shorter or even longer. however, i think the musical is perfect as it is. it all worked out in the end. it’s so good, that it was never meant to change. jonathan larson passed away before he could see what an impact rent made on the world. the tony-award winning musical is his legacy.










