Rent by Original Soundtrack (CD, Sep-2005, 2 Discs, Warner Bros. Records Record Label)

The Broadway US Tour was coming to my city and I was going to go see it but didn't know what to expect - so I bought this CD listened to it and read about it a little online on their main website. (Which I think that helped - because once you get there - they just jump into the performance and it may be hard to follow without at least a little background).

First, let me say give it a chance. I say that because the first time I saw it on stage several people in front of me for whatever reason couldn't figure it out/didn't like it and left before the first quarter of the show was through - we weren't even at intermission.

Rent deals with the lives of a group of friends all twenty something and the struggles that all of us have and go through - friendships, heartaches, love, death - basically life and relationships in general. You can easily relate to the characters and feel what they are feeling.

There is a phrase, I believe in the opening song that says "Everything is Rent". Which has much truth to it and it kind of interwoven through the storyline. Roger has AIDS - his girlfriend killed herself when she found out she had it; their relationship turned out to be temporary - rent. Mark's girlfriend leaves him for JoAnn - the girl he thought he would be with Maureen for life - turned out to be temporary - rent. Mimi and Roger fall into love - but in the end of the musical they both have AIDS. Angel dies in the performance from AIDS and crushes his boyfriend's heart.

What I got from this musical is that everything in this life is temporary - life itself is temporary. It's like all we are doing now is renting wherever we are living - renting life - renting time - because someday it will all be gone and we only rented it. That's why we need to live each moment to the max - and be the best we can be each and every single day - no day like today.

It's a great musical and if you can't make it to the live performance - buy this - it contains almost the entire musical on 2 CDs - at a very affordable price. ::Ciao::

RENT: You either like it or dislike it. My first experience was the stage version in Toronto in 1998. I walked away loving the music but not "getting" the story. 8 years later, I bought the film version (after reading about it and the story line) and loved the music and story. In 2006, I revisited the stage version in Kitchener and discovered why I didn't get the story the first time (and neither did some "first-timers" around me). The premise is great but the script is poorly done. You need to read about the story before viewing it. I heard from "first-time" viewers of the DVD that they didn't totally "get it" either.
But this CD is the music ... which is what sells the musical ... over and over and over. J. Larson tapped into a new world of music for a new generation and won. But the script struggled (apparantly it was way worse in the original workshop script version). I think this is also why the CD sells far better than the DVD. The music.