RENT STRIKES

from page 87

Larson recalled. "He played by ear, and
he loved playing.
"In high school, they called him 'the
piano man' because he loved Billy Joel's
music. He had his own theme song and
was always pounding away at the [key-
board]. He wasn't out playing baseball
or rooting for the Mets.
"[Music] was his life, and the first
time I was aware that he wrote pieces
for shows was when he was in college."
Later, as Jonathan became more
intense about working on Rent, he
shared segments with his parents.
"Both my wife and I offered com-
ments as, I'm sure, his friends did, but
it was to a very minor extent," Larson
recalled.
"I don't think I can take credit for a
single line, but my wife can take credit
for the change of one word. It was the
use of the name of a real person, and
she convinced him to change it."
Larson believes the entire show is a
reflection of his son. He finds bits and
pieces of him in various characters.
Mark Cohen, the narrator, comes clos-
est.
"I can't pretend I'm a typical mem-
ber of the audience," Larson said. "I
like the whole thing except for one
number that is louder than I personally
like, but it's appropriate to the show

Seller's Market

ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER

Special to The Jewish News

B

roadway producer Jeffrey
Seller is smiling a lot these
days. And why not? Seller,
who is from Oak Park, will
finally be bringing Rent, his Tony
Award-winning musical, home.
"What's been great about bringing
Rent to Detroit is that I have enabled
my family, and the people who are
important to them, to see the show,"
says Seller, who graduated from Oak
Park High School, religious school at
Temple Israel and the University of
Michigan.
"For opening night, my parents
[Caroline and Mark Seller] are bring-
ing about 50 or 60 people, my aunt
is bringing 50 and my cousins are
bringing about 25 — altogether, my
family should have about 200 people
in the audience."
Sales for Rent are strong, and
Seller is delighted with the response.
"We are selling tons of tickets and are
right on schedule for our income

On different days, I'm moved by differ-
ent numbers.
"I'm not an opera buff, but I enjoy
the schmaltzy operas. I think Puccini's
music is beautiful, and I think
Jonathan's music is beautiful."
Although the Larsons have a Jewish
heritage, they are not observant. Al Lar-
son did not have a bar mitzvah, and
neither did his son.
"My mother worked on The Daily
Forward when it was first started," Lar-
son said. "I grew up in the Depression,
and religion was not part of my life. I
had other concerns in the '30s, includ-
ing Adolf Hitler.
"I don't find solace in [religion]. If I
start to think about it, I get very angry
at the fact that Jonathan is not here,
and I have difficulty with the concept
of a benevolent higher being."
Larson also has difficulty standing in
to accept the awards that recognize his
son's talents; these include a 1996 Tony
Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer
Prize. He feels Jonathan should be
enjoying his personal and professional
success and almost can hear what he
calls his son's "wonderful, happy voice."
"He would have been so proud and
utterly delighted that his prediction —
that he was going to create a show that
would bring the younger generation

into the theater —
was right," the play-
wright's dad
explained. "There
have been so many
letters from young
and older people
whose lives have been
changed by the show.
"The day he died,
we flew to New York.
That was supposed to
be the first preview
day. They cancelled
[the preview], but the
cast wanted to do
The entire "Rent" cast of characters exuberantly celebrates
something for his
its status as outsiders.
family and friends.
"They put up
hit, more of a tribute, than I ever
tables on stage and started to do a sing-
anticipated.
through of the show By the end of the
"I'm inordinately proud that both
first act, they couldn't sit still anymore.
my children became very good people,
They got up and started bouncing
and I think Jonathan's being a good
around.
person comes through in this show." ❑
"When it ended, nobody moved.
Finally, a voice said, 'Thank you,
Rent runs April 8-May 31 at the
Jonathan Larson,' and that broke the
Fisher Theatre. Performances are at
ice.
8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 7:30
"[At the time], I couldn't have told
p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. Saturdays
you one song they sang, but I said to
and Sundays and 1 p.m. Thursday;
someone that I hoped this show
April 9. $24-$60. (313) 871 1132.
would become a big hit and a tribute
to Jonathan, and it's become a bigger

After arduous rewrites by Larson
projections. As I had hoped, the peo-
and a lot of support from Seller, Rent
ple of Detroit are showing a great
premiered at the 150-seat New York .
enthusiasm for the show," he says.
Theater
workshop on Feb. 13, 1996.
Two national touring compa-
Opening
to rave reviews, the play
in
Boston;
nies have performed Rent
quickly moved to the Nederlander
St. Paul; Washington, D.C.; Chicago;
Theater on Broadway, where it still
Los Angeles; Dallas; Houston and
plays to sold-out crowds.
Tempe, Ariz. The show will begin
For the past two years, Rent has
previews on April 17 in London,
kept
Seller busy. But not too busy to
England, and will open in Sydney,
scout around search-
Australia, on Nov. 4.
ing for more Tony
"For the next few
Award
hopefuls. This
months, I will be
summer,
the indus-
spending a lot of time
trious producer will
on planes traveling
be bringing two
back and forth," says
exciting new musi-
Seller.
cals to the New York
Ever since Rent hit
stage.
the New York stage,
The first, which
Seller's life has been a
begins
previews June
whirlwind. His suc-
De La
11,
is
called
cess story began in
Guarda. It is a show
1990, when he first
that incorporates
met Jonathan Larson,
movement, rock-style
who wrote the
music and beautiful
acclaimed musical.
imagery.
Impressed with Lar-
"It grabbed my
son's talent, Seller
attention
at the
took a chance and
International Theatre
made a commitment Jeffrey Seller: Enjoying the
Festival in London
to produce his play.
success of "Rent."

-

last summer," Sellers recalls. "It was
from Buenos Aires and was the
hottest thing at the festival. It's non-
verbal theater and is unlike any other
show. The audience stands; there are
no seats."
Seller says a special space is being
created for the 65-minute produc-
tion. It's going to be performed in a
50-foot-high lobby in the old Union
Square Bank Building, which is
being converted to an Off-Broadway
venue, says Seller. "It's an incredible
site."
His second production to hit New
York over the summer is a musical
called The Wild Party, written by his
good friend Andrew Lippa, also a for-
mer Oak Parker.
"I expect to do a workshop of the
play at the Manhattan Theater Club
in July or August," says Seller, who
attended middle school, high school
and college with Lippa. "Andrew and
I are great friends, and the play is ter-
rific." ❑

Alice Burdick Schweiger originally
profiled Jeffrey Seller for "The Jewish
News" in May 1997.

3/27
1998

93