Rent's Rave Review

          There is a story written and due to it's content, has won many awards.  This story became a very popular play on Broadway.  The storyline of this play is taken from a dramatic opera "La Boheme", written by an Italian playwright in eighteen ninety five.  The story has been modernized to depict current issues. Such as Aids, drug addiction, and the very painful ridicule that overshadows those who are bi-sexual and homosexual.  This dramatic musical is simply titled RENT,  a musical named for the underlying financial issues these seven friends must confront along with their personal issues they share with one another.                                     They're story begins in the winter in New York, where it is very cold, the snow is falling and the wind is howling through the old windows of an old warehouse converted into an apartment building.  Roger, a musician who is HIV positive and still trying to overcome the loss of his girlfriend to suicide.  She committed suicide after learning she was HIV positive.  And Mark an amateur film maker, who actually narrates the story, meet up in the apartment to discuss there inability to pay their rent.  From outside, phones their friend Collin who is homosexual and HIV positive.  After phoning for his friends to throw down the keys, so he can enter the apartment, he is confronted  by muggers who assault him and steal his wallet.  From across the road a street musician,  Angel, who also is homosexual and HIV positive comes to Collins side to help him.  Collin is so struck by Angels beauty he believes God has sent him an angel from Heaven.  The two form a relationship that lasts throughout the entirety of the story.
        After the landlord of the apartment shuts off the electricity for non payment of rent, Mimi a exotic dancer who is also HIV positive.  Knocks on Rogers apartment door to ask him for a lighter or matches to light a candle.  After only a moment Mimi realizes she is attracted to Roger,  but Roger is not ready to begin a relationship.  Until later at the Life Cafe when Mimi and Roger admit to one another that the reasoning behind their watch alarms sounding off  at the same time was they shared the same schedule for their AZT.  Mimi has a nasty drug habit that causes conflict in her relationship with Roger.  And also a past relationship with the landlord Benny also causes conflict later in the relationship.
         Mark the amateur filmmaker who previously shared a relationship with Maureen, a musician, who has since realized her sexual preference is not once believed.  Now shares a relationship with an attorney she meant during her relationship with Mark.  Maureen uses her musical talents to protest against their landlord Benny in various concerts around the area of the apartments owned by Benny.  Maureen is very demanding and creates a lot of stress on her relationships.  Throughout the story Mark and Maureen remain friends even though in the past suffered there own set of conflicts. 
        Benny a wealthy slumlord owns many businesses and apartment buildings.  His actions against those who are unable to pay there rent is harsh and comes swiftly.  For example when he shut off the electricity when the temperatures were below freezing. And the occupants of the building lite burning barrels inside the building to stay warm.  Candles were also used to omit light at night, while the power was temporarily off in the building.  Although Benny, rough around the edges, in the end has a change of heart and restores electricity to his occupants and provides much more to the seven friends, much more than they ever expected.
        At the end of the story tears fall, as the events of the seven friend come to a conclusion.  The conclusion is one that can be foreseen through the events of the story but this does not make it any less sad for the audience.  The events of this story are very realistic for our times.  And the story is one to educate the audience and teach compassion towards humans living with circumstances the majority of us do not understand, therefore we do not except.