RENT Lost Original Broadway Cast Video Recording (1996)

RENT is a 1996 Broadway musical that proved to be a smash hit with audiences and critics worldwide. It was also controversial with themes of sex, AIDS, homosexuality, and homelessness, all of which are depicted realistically. The musical's director, Jonathan Larson died the night before its premiere. The play has gone on to win many awards, be translated into an array of different languages, and helped save the lives of many depressed people.

There's a slight problem with trying to experience RENT to its fullest for both newcomers and long-time fans. The show has been off Broadway since 2008, and the newer cast members (as the old ones had aged to the point where they couldn't make their roles believable anymore) were seen as inferior. Part of the whole reason why RENT was such a hit aside from its deep emotional story and social themes is the fact that the orignal cast gave powerful vocal and acting performances. While audio recordings exist of all of the musical's songs and a few select songs have video recordings, viewing the musical in its entirety with the original cast is virtually impossible.

The closest fans can really get is the 2005 movie, which still features 2 different cast members than the original Broadway version and omitted several pieces of dialogue and songs. The only DVD recording of the stage production is the 2008 final performance. A few scratchy recordings from the show's opening night can be found on YouTube as well. With the show's thousands of live performances, it's conceivable that somebody more than likely got to record the full show. However, until it surfaces, this remains a piece of lost media.