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Jonathan Larson

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Also known as Jonathan David Larson

American composer and playwright (1960–1996)

Person · Open Library

Works
11

Top works

  • Cavalier
  • Seasons of Love (from Rent) (Sheet Music)
  • Rent Songbook
  • Seasons of Love (From Rent)
  • Tick, Tick ... BOOM! (Songbook)

via Open Library + Wikidata

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Origin
United States
Active from
1960-02-04
Active to
1996-01-25
broadwaymusicalmusicalsrentsoundtrack

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
150,982
Total plays
4,976,649

Tags

musicalBroadwaySoundtrackmusicalsRent

Jonathan Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer from New York City who created musicals including Rent (1996) and tick, tick...BOOM! (1990). These musicals seriously tackle issues such as multiculturalism, addiction, sexual orientation and HIV. Rent was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won four Tony Awards. The scores of his shows reveal that he was an apt composer and lyricist. One tick, tick...BOOM! song called "Sunday" is an homage to Stephen Sondheim

via Last.fm · Jonathan Larson

Quotes

  • One of these days I'll find a way / I'll rise above the throng / They'll be amazed at what they see / One of these days someone will say / I knew it all along / One of these days, that's what will be
  • There is no god, or love, just time / Saying "Do what you will. Nothing's real today" / We are fleeting numbers, and images / Like the liquid crystal digital readout / Floating on the sea of grey.
  • Come to your senses, defenses are not the way to go / And you know, or at least you knew / Everything's strange, you've changed and I don't know what to do / To get through
  • In one week I'll be thirty. Three-zero. Older than my Dad was when I was born. Older than Napoleon was when he ... did something that was probably extremely impressive at the time – I'm not a historian. I'm a composer. Sorry, a "promising young composer." I should have kids of my own by now, a career, but instead I've been "promising" for so long I'm afraid I'm starting to break the fucking promise.
  • 6 AM. The sky glows. Somewhere a bird chirps. I want to shoot it.
  • Break of day, the dawn is here / Johnny's up and pacing / Compromise or persevere? / His mind is racing / Johnny has no guide / Johnny wants to hide / Can he make his mark, if he gives up his spark? / Johnny can't decide

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Born
Jonathan David Larson , ( 1960-02-04 ) February 4, 1960, Mount Vernon, New York , U.S.
Died
January 25, 1996 (1996-01-25) (aged 35), New York City , U.S.
Occupation
Composer lyricist playwright
Education
Adelphi University ( BFA )
Years active
1982–1996
Notable works
Rent (1996) Tick, Tick... Boom! (2001) Superbia (not officially published)

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 4 more facts
date of death
1996-01-25
date of birth
1960-02-04
name in native language
Jonathan Larson
Commons category
Jonathan Larson
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~13 min read

Article

Jonathan David Larson (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright, most famous for writing the musicals Rent and Tick, Tick... Boom!, which explored the social issues of multiculturalism, substance use disorder, and homophobia.

Larson had worked on both musicals throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s. After several years of workshopping, Rent began an off-Broadway run in early 1996, though Larson died from an aortic dissection the day before its first preview performance. The show went on to enjoy critical and commercial success, and transferred to Broadway that April, becoming one of the longest-running Broadway productions. Larson posthumously received three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rent was also adapted into a 2005 film. Tick, Tick... Boom! received an off-Broadway production in 2001, and was also adapted into a 2021 film.

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