We hear that the final Broadway performance of RENT on September 7 will be broadcast live in select movie theaters. This is an absolutely brilliant move. For one, I am sure that there is a large audience out there who'd love to see the final performance, including myself. And if we can't necessarily get into that final performance in person, seeing a live film could provide a pretty cool second-hand experience. And considering how important RENT is to many of us, myself included, I really like the idea that perhaps hundreds of thousands will be a part of that final performance.
I, for one, will never forget the first time I listened to the RENT score. I was at a shopping mall and heard a quick glimpse of the CD. Its trendy album cover made it look too rock-pop oriented for my taste at the time. But the humor of the first few tracks, even before I worked my way to the title song, immediately drew me in. For the next few months, I listened to that damn two CD-set just about every damn day. And that score has remained ingrained in my memory ever since.