by Jose Franco
goupstate.com
February 2, 2001

You can't escape homelessness and you can't escape AIDS.

But there is always hope and love.

That's the message of the 1996 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock opera, "Rent."

"The uplifting musical is about being young in New York, being brave and being scared, being in love and being in trouble - having hope for today and faith in tomorrow," the show promises.

And boy does it deliver.

Even people who have never seen the play, know the music.

"Seasons of Love," which is sung by the entire cast, is one of the most popular contemporary Broadway tunes.

The rock opera centers on young artists in New York who are struggling to make their mark on the world. Playwright Jonathan Larson was inspired by Puccini's "La Boheme."

Larson's lyrics say it all, "There's only us. There's only this. Living and dying in America at the end of the millennium."

Linda Winer of Newsday called the musical "the first original breakthrough rock musical since 'Hair.' "

"Rent" reinvented Broadway, according to Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. Jeremy Gerard of Variety said, the show has "the most powerful theater songs the contemporary theater has produced."

Jacqueline B. Arnold, who portrays Joanne, a lesbian lawyer in the musical, says the "Rent" cast members are the "children of 'Hair.' "

"Every walk of life is represented on some form on the stage," Arnold said, during a tour stop in Austin, Texas.

And despite having mature themes, Arnold said the show is accessible and universal to all audiences and ages.

"It's a groovy musical," she said. "Our characters are living this bohemian lifestyle and breaking away from the norm."

Arnold said the spirit of Larson, who died of an aortic aneurysm on Jan. 25, 1996, is present with the group when they go onstage.

His positive spirit lives through them.

"Rent is the story of 15 individuals who have become friends at some point, and it's about their struggle through everyday life in their world," she said. "It's an overall theme of living life for what it is. You can't second-guess yesterday and can't predict tomorrow."

Here's a look at Larson's neighbors (and characters) in the East Village of New York City:

Roger: An HIV-positive rock musician numb from the suicide of his HIV-positive girlfriend.

Mimi: An HIV-positive junkie who falls in love with Roger.

Mark: Roger's roommate and an aspiring documentary filmmaker, who was left by Maureen.

Maureen: Sexy performance artist and incorrigible flirt, who is now with Joanne.

Joanne: A lesbian lawyer.

Tom Collins: An HIV-positive, computer age philosophy teacher who falls in love with Angel.

Angel Schunard: An aging HIV-positive drag queen/street musician

Benny: Yuppie landlord of Roger and Mark.