Jonathan Larson based Rent very loosely on Puccini's La Boheme. Here's a short synopsis of the opera.
A plot summary of La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini
Another plot summary of La Boheme
Some basic parallels between the characters of Rent & La Boheme.
Comparisons between characters from Rent and La Boheme.
"Bohemians of the Moment," discussing the parallels between Rent & La Boheme:
- Sullivan, John. “Bohemians of the Moment.” American Theatre, July/August 1996, 3. Print.
"Analysis of the Bohemian Motif in La Boheme and Rent" focusing on elements of bohemian lifestyle.
Information on the Bohemian culture of La Boheme: "Theorizing the Cultural Roots of the Bohemian Artist."
- Gluck, Mary. “Theorizing the Cultural Roots of the Bohemian Artist.” Modernism/Modernity, Sept 2000, 351-78. Print.
Baldwin-Wallace College ran Rent & La Boheme in rep in January 2011. Good article that compares the two texts. A fun video of their set change at BW.
Youtube playlist of John Copley's 1982 staging of La Boheme at the Royal Opera House in London. The production is broken up over a number of shorter videos - all the links are at the bottom of the page.
Follow along with this copy of the libretto - in both English & Italian.
