Thank you, Jonathan Larson.

Confession: I get all choked up every single time I hear this:

:: le link ::

Especially when I've just listened to the whole show, watched the movie, or the last Broadway performance.

It gets me every time, without fail. I usually start crying when Angel dies, and I don't stop until the very end.

RENT is, without a doubt, my favorite musical. There's just something about it that speaks to my soul. Heart-wrenching melodies. Real, raw characters. The absolutely perfectly casted OBC. The lyrics. Oh, goodness, the lyrics. Can't we just all marvel at the genius that is the script and libretto of RENT? All of the masterfully crafted songs tell the story of truth, love, and living without regrets. What a beautiful message. RENT changed me. In a way I can't even find the words to explain. Perhaps it's that the message RENT gives - to live without regrets - is something I want to do. I connect with those characters on some emotional level. (A testament to Jonathan Larson's talent, no doubt.) I feel as though I know them. I do. Perfectly embodied by the OBC, they brought life to Larson's masterpiece. My only wish is that I could have seen it live before it closed. Tragically, Larson was never able to see his work performed either. He died in the early morning hours of the day RENT opened off-Broadway. Perhaps that is why RENT is so touching. RENT is essentially his own eulogy - representing everything important to him. His life lives on through his musical legacy, and for that I am thankful. 

My life would not be the same without it.

If you've never seen RENT or listened to it, please, do yourself a favor and get acquainted with it. It will change your life.