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.
Out Tonight
Jonathan Larson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, it's gotta be close to midnight
My body's talking to me
It says, "Time for danger"
It says, "I wanna commit a crime
Wanna be the cause of a fight
I wanna put on a tight skirt
I've had a knack from way back
At breaking the rules once I learn the games
Get up, life's too quick, I know someplace sick
Where this chick'll dance in the flames
We don't need any money
I always get in for free
You can get in too
If you get in with me
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna play? Let's run away
We won't be back before it's New Years Day
Take me out tonight
When I get a wink from the doorman
Do you know how lucky you'll be?
That you're on line with the feline of Avenue B
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna prowl, be my night owl
Well, take my hand, we're gonna howl out tonight
In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels too damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry
So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
But all the scars from the nevers and maybes die
Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You're sweet, wanna hit the streets?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight
Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me out tonight
I'll let you make me out tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
The opening lines of Jonathan Larson's song Out Tonight set the scene for a night of reckless abandon. The singer is drawn to danger, driven by a desire to break the rules and provoke a fight. She's itching to break free from the constraints of her mundane life and don a tight skirt, seeking thrills and adventure. She's a rebel at heart, with a talent for getting into places for free and living life on her own terms.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a restless cityscape, with neon lights and Spanish babies crying in the background. The singer longs to escape from the oppressive familiarity of her surroundings and embrace the unknown. She yearns for a bar so dark that she forgets who she is, a place where the scars of the past are erased.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the time?
Can you tell me the current time?
Well, it's gotta be close to midnight
Based on my intuition, I can sense that it is almost midnight.
My body's talking to me
My instincts are guiding me.
It says, "Time for danger"
My intuition indicates that I should take a risk and engage in dangerous or daring behavior.
It says, "I wanna commit a crime
My instincts are telling me to engage in illegal activity.
Wanna be the cause of a fight
I am looking for conflict and am willing to initiate a confrontation.
I wanna put on a tight skirt
I want to dress provocatively and attract attention.
and flirt with a stranger"
I crave interaction with someone new and exciting.
I've had a knack from way back
I have always had a talent for breaking the rules.
At breaking the rules once I learn the games
I am adept at bending or disregarding the rules once I have become familiar with them.
Get up, life's too quick, I know someplace sick
Life is short, so it's worth it to seize opportunities to do something reckless or wild.
Where this chick'll dance in the flames
There is a place where a woman can live dangerously and revel in the excitement.
We don't need any money
We don't have to spend money to have a good time.
I always get in for free
I have connections that allow me to gain access to places without paying.
You can get in too
I am willing to share my resources and help you join me.
If you get in with me
If you follow me and do what I say, I can show you an exciting experience.
Let's go out tonight
I want to go out and have an adventure.
I have to go out tonight
I feel compelled to go out and have some fun, even if it is potentially dangerous.
You wanna play? Let's run away
If you're up for some fun and excitement, I'm ready to go on the run with you.
We won't be back before it's New Years Day
Our escapades will be so wild and intense that we'll lose track of time and not return until a new year has arrived.
Take me out tonight
I want you to show me a good time and take me out for an adventure.
When I get a wink from the doorman
If I receive a signal from the doorman, it means I can enter the venue without trouble.
Do you know how lucky you'll be?
I am reminding you of the advantages of accompanying me on my adventure.
That you're on line with the feline of Avenue B
You're in line with an impulsive and daring person who represents the wild spirit of this neighborhood.
You wanna prowl, be my night owl
If you're up for chasing excitement and staying up all night, follow me.
Well, take my hand, we're gonna howl out tonight
Take my hand and join me in unleashing our wild and untamed sides tonight.
In the evening I've got to roam
At night, I feel an urge to wander and explore the city.
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
The vibrant and dazzling city environment keeps me awake and alert.
Feels too damn much like home
This environment is where I feel most comfortable and alive, despite its dangers.
When the Spanish babies cry
When I hear the cries of little babies who are part of the Spanish-speaking community, I feel a sense of sadness or melancholy.
So let's find a bar
Let's go find a place where we can indulge in alcohol and revelry.
So dark we forget who we are
The bar we're heading to will be so transformative that we'll lose ourselves and our inhibitions.
But all the scars from the nevers and maybes die
The emotional and psychological wounds we carry from past failures or regrets will disappear in the heat of the moment and the excitement of our adventure.
You're sweet, wanna hit the streets?
You're a kind and appealing person, and I think you'd be up for joining me on a wild adventure through the city.
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Do you want to let loose and express your wildest passions and desires?
Please take me out tonight
I am pleading with you to show me a good time and take me on an adventure through the city.
Don't forsake me out tonight
Please don't abandon me and leave me alone in the city tonight.
I'll let you make me out tonight
I am willing to let you make moves on me and get intimate with me tonight.
Tonight, tonight, tonight
I am emphasizing the importance of living extravagantly and recklessly tonight.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jonathan D. Larson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind