The story of Rent is a theatrical legend, but one that has not been properly told: the story of Jonathan Larson, the young composer working in a diner when Rent became his big off-Broadway break; the composer who was mentored by Sondheim but struggling to break through; and the young man who tragically died the night of its final dress rehearsal. Seasons of Love: Why Rent Matters is an ode to the small Off-Broadway musical that swiftly moved uptown without its composer and broke box office records and won every award in the book.

Alongside that legendary romantic story is a musical that changed musical theatre. The importance of Rent is often overlooked, sometimes reduced to parody and pulled apart for its narrative in ways other classics have not been. Emily Garside has serious questions to ask about why Rent is taken less seriously than other musicals of its caliber. It may have had a "romantic" and "media friendly" subplot, but musicals do not win the Pulitzer Prize for column inches. Rent is a robust work, and one whose history and significance should be recorded.

Seasons of Love concludes with a celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rent, which falls in 2021. Garside considers that as we look to older works for inspiration, and to fill our theatres, we may well be returning to Larson's work as a reflection of our times.

About the Author

As a journalist and academic with experience in history, theatre, and film studies, Emily Garside has a wide range of experience in cultural analysis. Garside's PhD reflects on the use of theatre as a cultural response to HIV/AIDS. She has worked for the National Theatre as a consultant on their 2017 production of Angels in America. Her book on that play is due in 2021 (McFarland). She teaches at University of Wolverhampton and Bishopsgate Institute, and is also a facilitator for the National Theatre and Sherman Theatre.

Book Information
ISBN 9781493064618
Author Emily Garside
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Applause
Publisher Globe Pequot Press
Weight(grams) 662g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 163mm * 30mm