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.
Voice Mail #3
Jonathan Larson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mark, it's the Wicked Witch of the West
Your mother
Happy New Year from Scarsdale
We're all impressed that the riot footage
Made the nightly news
Even your father says mazeltov
Honey - call him
Alexi Darling
Mark Cohen
Alexi Darling from Buzzline
Mark
Oh, that show's so sleazy.
Alexi Darling
Your footage fromt he riots: A-One
Feature segment- network- deal time
I'm sending you a contract
Ker-ching ker-ching
Marky give us a call 970-4301
Or at home try 863-6754
Or - my cellphone at 919-763-0090
Or - you can e-mail me
At darling alexi newscom dot net
Or - you can page me at --
"Voice Mail #3" by Jonathan Larson is an astounding musical work that showcases the social struggles concerning the young generation. The lyrics of the song incorporate the voice messages left by Mark's mother and Alexi Darling, his acquaintance from Buzzline. In the beginning, Mrs. Cohen calls on New Year's Eve, wishing her son a happy new year from their hometown Scarsdale. She reveals that even his father is proud of him for earning a spot on the news with footage of riots.
The message reflects Mrs. Cohen's love and care for her son while also showing that she is impressed with her son's work. Moreover, it reveals the Jewish identity of the Cohens, which adds to the musical's cultural diversity. The next message is from Alexi Darling, who congratulates Mark on his work with riots and offers him an awe-inspiring offer to display his talent to the world. The contract sent by her assures Mark’s talent as a feature segment on the network. This message portrays the capitalist and media-centric character of the world where success is guaranteed to those who are lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Additionally, the audio message provides multiple contacts, including phone numbers, email addresses as well as the page. It describes the emerging digital world where the ways of communication are no longer limited to landlines. Through “Voice Mail #3,” Jonathan Larson highlights both the struggle and the promise of the world today.
Line by Line Meaning
Mrs. Cohen
Mark's mother is calling him.
Mark, it's the Wicked Witch of the West
Mark's mother is jokingly calling herself the Wicked Witch of the West.
Your mother
Mrs. Cohen is calling Mark once again.
Happy New Year from Scarsdale
Mrs. Cohen is wishing Mark a happy new year from Scarsdale, a suburb in New York.
We're all impressed that the riot footage
Mrs. Cohen is impressed that Mark's footage of the riots made the nightly news.
Made the nightly news
Mark's footage of the riots was featured on the nightly news.
Even your father says mazeltov
Mark's father is congratulating him for his success.
Honey - call him
Mrs. Cohen wants Mark to call his father.
Love Mom
Mrs. Cohen loves Mark.
Alexi Darling
Alexi Darling is calling Mark from Buzzline, a news organization.
Mark Cohen
Mark is answering the phone call from Alexi Darling.
Alexi Darling from Buzzline
Alexi Darling is introducing herself and her organization.
Oh, that show's so sleazy.
Mark is expressing his disdain for Buzzline's sleazeiness.
Your footage fromt he riots: A-One
Alexi Darling praises Mark's footage of the riots.
Feature segment- network- deal time
Alexi Darling is offering Mark a deal to air his footage on a feature segment of the network.
I'm sending you a contract
Alexi Darling is going to send Mark a formal contract for the deal.
Ker-ching ker-ching
Alexi Darling is making a cash register noise to signal how lucrative the deal is.
Marky give us a call 970-4301
Alexi Darling gives Mark her phone number.
Or at home try 863-6754
Alexi Darling gives Mark an alternative phone number to call her at home.
Or - my cellphone at 919-763-0090
Alexi Darling gives Mark her cellphone number to contact her directly.
Or - you can e-mail me
Alexi Darling gives Mark her email address as another way to contact her.
At darling alexi newscom dot net
Alexi Darling gives Mark her email address.
Or - you can page me at --
Alexi Darling gives Mark yet another way to contact her - by paging her.
Contributed by Tyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.