Monday, March 12, 2007

RENT

Seasons of Love
from RENT

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
Measure a year

Last May, my sister Sheila was kind enough to take my 14-year old daughter 'A' to see the Broadway show RENT. Little did she know, she was turning my daughter into a “RENT-head.”

For some reason, RENT really speaks to adolescent girls and gay-adolescent boys. I’m not really sure why, but I’m guessing it has something to do with the show’s rebellious spirit, and the fact that the characters are trying to find themselves in a world that doesn’t seem to understand them. I do know that 'A' is obsessed with this show, and the rest of the family is paying the price.

'A' constantly wants us to watch the RENT DVD, and she seems perplexed that the rest of the family doesn’t share her enthusiasm for the show. The soundtrack regularly blares from her upstairs bedroom and she constantly plays it on her Ipod when she’s doing her homework. She even has the “Seasons of Love” song set as her ring tone on her cell phone.

Our 12-year-old daughter 'C' doesn't share her sister’s RENT passion. In fact, she calls her sister a geek for liking it. She says that she's sick of living in a house surrounded by the show’s omnipresent soundtrack and shakes her head in disgust whenever she hears its music playing.


The other morning I drove 'C' to school. When I turned the key in the ignition we heard:

"FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED MINUTES”

'C' screamed from the backseat For the love of God, turn that stupid song off.” A few minutes later I inadvertently started humming the same tune. 'C' sighed, patted my baldhead and said, “You poor…poor man.”

I must admit, the soundtrack is now ingrained in my brain. Just yesterday, I was getting ready for work and I started singing the show’s title song:

How we gonna pay, how we gonna pay, how we gonna paylast years rent?”

“I know,” answered 'C', “We can sell 'A's “CDs and DVDs.”

'A' will be 15 next month. You’ll never guess where she wants to go on her birthday…

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe we can sell all of "C"'s penguin stuff instead.

Anonymous said...

could be worse...could be Cats

Bobby said...

AMEN TO THAT!!!

Anonymous said...

I agree, at least the music from RENT is tolerable--in moderation.

CATS...Sorry, but I would have to accidently delete that soundtrack from her ITunes music library! Too many bad "Memories" (pardon the pun) of EVERY singer in the world performing that song on EVERY variety show known to man!!! Ugghhh!!!!

Anonymous said...

Funny you mention this. I was just spinning the soundtrack myself. Though not a gay male or angst ridden teenager, I find that I can related to the characters's feelings of being outsiders, and being of more popular arrangement, I enjoy the music too. Sadly, I guess, I can't listen to the soundtrack without welling up periodically. Just one of those things.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree with the above. There are certain songs that make you want to cry. I was just watching something online the other day on the RENT movie site, and the cast was talking about RENT songs. Even they said that some of the songs are heartbreakers, like "Will I" and "Your Eyes".

Anonymous said...

I happen to know that you enjoy RENT too mister!!! You watched the movie twice with me, and I get song requests when I play the CD! Watch out DERAILED fans, he's a RENT-head in the making!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank god the guy who wrote RENT is dead so the will never be a sequel.

Anonymous said...

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You are an evil person!!!!!