What are the Similarities between Rent and La Boheme?
The 1996 rock-opera Rent is loosely based on the Puccini opera La Boheme of a century before. Composer and writer Jonathan Larson wished to update the setting and story of the classic opera to modern day, in order to tell a story of the tragedies of bohemian existence in America. While many plot details and themes are changed from the inspirational source, Rent and La Boheme possess many connecting similarities, which enriches performances of the modern musical for fans of the original opera.