To-Do #92 - Say goodbye, love.

There are so many memories connected with this show and the experiences it gave to me. I have signed the wall. I have only seen RENT on Broadway one time. I have no idea how many times I have seen RENT on tour. I have only sat in "normal" seats 4 times, and out of those times, I paid for the seats just once... My first Roger was Christian Mena. I was secretly (well not so secretly) in love with Cary Sheilds. I met Anthony Rapp as I was first getting into the show and had no idea who he was and acted like I did. I met Anthony Rapp again after seeing him in concert and acted like a complete fan-girl. I cry every time I see Angel look back at Mark during the eulogy. I have slept on a sidewalk overnight to make sure I was at the closing of a touring cast. I have held a birthday party for my sister in a rush line for another closing of a touring cast. I saw the movie twice, the night that it came out, with my sister. I bought the DVD the day it came out. I have not watched it a single time. I actually let people know in a rush line that I will not discuss the movie. I think my heart actually stopped when I heard that Adam and Anthony would be in the touring cast next year. Didn't yours?

So this is my way to say goodbye to Jonathan's Masterwork. The Nederlander will go dark on Sept 7, 2008. But the amazing thing is, Jonathan Larson's legacy will live in all the RENT-heads out there. He changed my life. This show changed my life. I am who I am today because of RENT, because of the show, because of the rush lines, because of the friends I have made in those rush lines.

There are so many perfect memories of my friends during the years. My first rush line and the animal crackers. The girl who made me take a picture with some random guy (who turned out to be Anthony). Being annoyed by Sandy before I even knew who she was. The fight in the bar in Durham. CB extreme - flaming you in person. FDR or JFK? -- ALWAYS FDR! Superior Beds. Superior slabs of concrete. My dearest Ken, Lani and Brian. Living on a Prayer. Oz and every memory attached to that friendship. My frustration with Eeyore, You know who you are. The closing shows and that amazing extended Seasons of Love. Constantine jumping on stage at the end. Darryl and that inspiring conversation that truly changed my life. Falling asleep while eating Calamari. The Lizard Lounge. Rushing on college campuses, always an experience. Two star quality, One star price. Having the amazing honor of seeing the plaque. Rushing with my sister - she is my one true love and I will be forever grateful for all the crazy, beautiful, insane and sometimes death-defying memories attached to her because of this show!

So I say it now, because I will not be in New York to say it in person. Goodbye, love. The Nederlander is the end of an era, but through the amazing passion that Larson shared with us, we all know how to spend our minutes. I live my life with no regret, and it is because of this show.

Thank you Jonathan.





ETA
My Brother makes a valid point. I left him out of here! How can I leave my brother out of so many RENT memories. I have rushed with him many times -- my favorite was when I flew up to Baltimore to see the show at The Lyric Theatre - he drove up from DC just so I could see Cary Shields before his last show. Now that is a cool brother! Sorry Adam!