Pittsburgh Arts, Regional Theatre, New Work, Producing, Copyright, Labor Unions,
New Products, Coping Skills, J-O-Bs...
Theatre industry news, University & School of Drama Announcements, plus occasional course support for
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni.
CMU School of Drama
Friday, February 28, 2025
Celebrating Jonathan Larson, Creator of ‘Rent,’ in a New Show Off Broadway
The New York Times: In his Tony-winning musical, “Rent,” Jonathan Larson asked: “How do you measure a year in the life?”
The question took on an even heavier weight, with striking resonance, after Larson died unexpectedly at the age of 35 in 1996, hours before the show’s first preview.
The research for the Jonathan Larson Project sounds like a musical theatre puzzle and that sounds fantastic! It sounds like such a fascinating and rewarding kind of research. In addition, I love that this project was started out of curiosity, appreciation, and esteem for the life and work of Jonathan Larson. I think to a lot of theatre makers, he is something of a mystery and I think exploring that mystery through song and celebration is a wonderful way to honor the person behind the mystery. I’m really excited to follow the evolution of the Jonathan Larson Project and I hope I might get to see a production of it one day. I also hope that this project continues to evolve, especially if there is discovery of more of Larson’s work, as I think the adaptability of art and artists is often closely tied to his work and the stories he told.
I love the Jonathan Larson Project. This was one of the albums that got me through high school. I had no idea it hadn't gone to broadway! I thought I missed my chance but yet here we are! It’s on my bucket list to see Jonathan’s archives in the Library of Congress, in the hopes of one day producing Suburbia. Larson’s story has been one that’s fascinated me my whole life, but I can’t help but wonder if by focusing on the deceased composer, we’re missing the new Larsons, struggling artists trying to make their mark before their time is up. Is there a balance between honoring the past while also empowering the future generations in their memory? Could there be ads in the playbill about upcoming readings of new composers, information on how to get involved in your communities, donations to unions, etc, to take the messages from Larson’s life to create action.
2 comments:
The research for the Jonathan Larson Project sounds like a musical theatre puzzle and that sounds fantastic! It sounds like such a fascinating and rewarding kind of research. In addition, I love that this project was started out of curiosity, appreciation, and esteem for the life and work of Jonathan Larson. I think to a lot of theatre makers, he is something of a mystery and I think exploring that mystery through song and celebration is a wonderful way to honor the person behind the mystery. I’m really excited to follow the evolution of the Jonathan Larson Project and I hope I might get to see a production of it one day. I also hope that this project continues to evolve, especially if there is discovery of more of Larson’s work, as I think the adaptability of art and artists is often closely tied to his work and the stories he told.
I love the Jonathan Larson Project. This was one of the albums that got me through high school. I had no idea it hadn't gone to broadway! I thought I missed my chance but yet here we are! It’s on my bucket list to see Jonathan’s archives in the Library of Congress, in the hopes of one day producing Suburbia. Larson’s story has been one that’s fascinated me my whole life, but I can’t help but wonder if by focusing on the deceased composer, we’re missing the new Larsons, struggling artists trying to make their mark before their time is up. Is there a balance between honoring the past while also empowering the future generations in their memory? Could there be ads in the playbill about upcoming readings of new composers, information on how to get involved in your communities, donations to unions, etc, to take the messages from Larson’s life to create action.
Post a Comment