These musicals seriously tackle issues such as multiculturalism, addiction, sexual orientation and HIV. Rent was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won four Tony Awards. The scores of his shows reveal that he was an apt composer and lyricist.
One tick, tick...BOOM! song called "Sunday" is an homage to Stephen Sondheim, who supported Larson. It stays close to the melody and lyrics of Sondheim's own song of the same title but turning it from a manifesto about art into a waiter's lament.
Among the many awards he received during and after his lifetime were: the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (for Rent), the Richard Rodgers Production Award, the Richard Rodgers Development Grant, the Stephen Sondheim Award, the Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Foundation's Commendation Award, the Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score of a Musical for Rent, the Drama Desks for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Book, and Best Lyrics (also for Rent), the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (again for Rent), the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical in the Off-Broadway category (another for Rent), and three Obie Awards for Outstanding Book, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Music (yet again for Rent).
Among his many creative works are Rent, tick, tick...BOOM!, Sacrimoralimmorality (1981)with David Armstrong (retitled Saved for the one-week run on 42nd Street), Superbia, the music for J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, numerous individual numbers, music for Sesame Street, music for the children's book cassettes of An American Tail and Land Before Time, music for Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner, and four songs for the children's video Away We Go! (which he also conceived and directed).
Larson died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed aortic dissection (aortic aneurysm), believed to have been caused by Marfan syndrome, on January 25th, 1996. It was ten days before his 36th birthday, and the night before Rent's first preview off-Broadway.
After his death, Larson's family and friends started the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation.
In 2005, a film version of his most popular production Rent was released, directed by Christopher Columbus.
In September of 2008, Rent closed after 12 successful years on broadway. One of the final shows and the finale were filmed for a limited engagement film, "Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway." The DVD and Blu-Ray disc were released was in February 2009.
Currently original cast members Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, and Gwen Stewart are performing on the farewell broadway tour of the show.
Life Support
Jonathan Larson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
LOOK -- I FIND SOME OF WHAT YOU TEACH SUSPECT
BECAUSE I’M USED TO RELYING ON INTELLECT
BUT I TRY TO OPEN UP TO WHAT I DON’T KNOW
GORDON & ROGER:
BECAUSE REASON SAYS I SHOULD HAVE DIED THREE YEARS AGO
ALL:
THERE'S ONLY US, THERE'S ONLY THIS... FORGET... REGRET...
NO OTHER ROAD
NO OTHER WAY
NO DAY BUT TODAY
The song "Life Support" from the Broadway musical "Rent" is a poignant and powerful moment in the show, where the characters reflect on their own mortality and the fragility of life. Gordon, a former philosophy professor, speaks about his own struggles with accepting the idea of life as an experience rather than a series of logical conclusions. He admits that he finds some of the lessons he's learned suspect because he's always relied on his intellect. However, he's trying to open up to what he doesn't know and to learn to live in the present moment.
Roger, a musician and one of the main characters of the show, joins in and sings with Gordon, acknowledging that reason says he should have died three years ago, referencing his HIV positive status. The song then evolves into an ensemble piece as the rest of the characters join in, singing about the importance of living in the present moment and letting go of regrets and fears about the future. The final lines of the song, "No other road, no other way, no day but today," repeat and emphasize the idea that life is precious and that we should strive to make the most of each moment we have.
Overall, "Life Support" is a powerful song that reminds us of the importance of living in the present moment, cherishing the time we have, and letting go of our fears and regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
LOOK -- I FIND SOME OF WHAT YOU TEACH SUSPECT
I have doubts about some of the things you teach.
BECAUSE I’M USED TO RELYING ON INTELLECT
I usually only trust things that make sense to me intellectually.
BUT I TRY TO OPEN UP TO WHAT I DON’T KNOW
Despite my doubts, I'm willing to consider new ideas and perspectives.
BECAUSE REASON SAYS I SHOULD HAVE DIED THREE YEARS AGO
I'm aware that my life expectancy is much lower than it should be because of my illness.
THERE'S ONLY US, THERE'S ONLY THIS... FORGET... REGRET...
We only have each other and the present moment, so we shouldn't dwell on the past or worry about the future.
NO OTHER ROAD
There are no other options or paths available to us.
NO OTHER WAY
We have to make the most of what we have and the time we have left.
NO DAY BUT TODAY
We have to live in the moment and make the most of today because that's all we have.
Contributed by Mia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.