Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Simon & Schuster (2006), Edition: 1st Simon & Schuster Pbk. Ed, 320 pages
Description
Actor Rapp recounts his life-changing experience in the original cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent. Rapp had a special feeling about Jonathan Larson's rock musical from his first audition, so he was thrilled when he landed a starring role. When Rent opened to thunderous acclaim off Broadway, the cast members knew that something extraordinary had taken shape. But even as friends and family were celebrating the show's success, they were also mourning Larson's sudden death. When Anthony's mom began to lose her battle with cancer, he struggled to balance the demands of life in the theatre with his responsibility to his family. Here, Anthony recounts the show's magnificent success and his overwhelming loss. He also shares his first experiences discovering his gayness, the tension it created with his mother, and his struggle into adulthood to gain her acceptance.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member laur04
Overall, I enjoyed this memoir. I'm a big fan of the musical Rent and wanted to have more insight into the play. Anthony Rapp was the first person to play Mark, the main character, in the musical Rent. He was also in the movie version of Rent.
This memior is exactly what it says in the title. A
This book was overall a tragic one. Rapp is constantly reminding the reader of his mother's declining health. Towards the end of the book, Rapp's mother dies of cancer. I was literally crying because of the way Rapp described her death and all the events leading up to it. Though most people would say they were sad and upset over someone's death, Rapp describes additional feelings. These feelings include guilt at not having enough time with her, anger because she was given such a short life, devastation at the loss of his mother, and even relief that she is finally gone.
Rapp's writing was very powerful and contained a lot of challenging vocabulary (that's where I got most of my vocabulary words for my list). Though the language can be vulgar at some times, I think that was necessary to the story.
I only wish that Rapp had included more about the actual show. Though I absolutely thought the death of Rapp's mother was tragic and important to the story, sometimes I thought he dragged it out a little too much.
My favorite part of the book was learning about the premier of Rent. Jonathan Larson, the writer of Rent, died suddenly the day before opening night. Through the first act, the actors just sang through the songs without getting up. But at the last song of the first act, Rapp got up and starting dancing and singing, which made the other actors do the same. I feel like this was the main point of the memoir. Even though Larson had died, they still put on their best act for him in the end. I thought Rapp described that moment very well, especially since the play's plot was similar to Larson's death.
Without You is the perfect title for this memoir. Rapp writes about his feelings honestly and truthfully. Many deaths occur in this book, but the main message in the play and this book is "No Day But Today". Without You is also the name of one of the songs in Rent. Those characters deal with the same types of feelings that Rapp writes about in his life. Both plots deal with feelings of loss and living in the moment.
This memior is exactly what it says in the title. A
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memoir of love, loss, and the musical Rent. Rapp writes about his experiences of all of these things.This book was overall a tragic one. Rapp is constantly reminding the reader of his mother's declining health. Towards the end of the book, Rapp's mother dies of cancer. I was literally crying because of the way Rapp described her death and all the events leading up to it. Though most people would say they were sad and upset over someone's death, Rapp describes additional feelings. These feelings include guilt at not having enough time with her, anger because she was given such a short life, devastation at the loss of his mother, and even relief that she is finally gone.
Rapp's writing was very powerful and contained a lot of challenging vocabulary (that's where I got most of my vocabulary words for my list). Though the language can be vulgar at some times, I think that was necessary to the story.
I only wish that Rapp had included more about the actual show. Though I absolutely thought the death of Rapp's mother was tragic and important to the story, sometimes I thought he dragged it out a little too much.
My favorite part of the book was learning about the premier of Rent. Jonathan Larson, the writer of Rent, died suddenly the day before opening night. Through the first act, the actors just sang through the songs without getting up. But at the last song of the first act, Rapp got up and starting dancing and singing, which made the other actors do the same. I feel like this was the main point of the memoir. Even though Larson had died, they still put on their best act for him in the end. I thought Rapp described that moment very well, especially since the play's plot was similar to Larson's death.
Without You is the perfect title for this memoir. Rapp writes about his feelings honestly and truthfully. Many deaths occur in this book, but the main message in the play and this book is "No Day But Today". Without You is also the name of one of the songs in Rent. Those characters deal with the same types of feelings that Rapp writes about in his life. Both plots deal with feelings of loss and living in the moment.
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LibraryThing member jesshoover
Without You: a memoir of love, loss, and the musical Rent
I have a bit of a problem: I become very easily obsessed with things; the musical Rent, for example. It started out as just a love for the music, but by the time I had listened to the soundtrack non-stop for a couple months and had seen the
The book was called Without You: a memoir of love, loss, and the musical Rent. If it was possible, it exceeded my expectations by miles. The book was about Anthony’s life and struggles; it was really sad! I was crying as I read most of the book! It surprised me how well it was written to make you connect to what he was saying. For example, Anthony got to be very close friends with Jonathan Larson, the man that wrote Rent. When Jonathan died unexpectedly the night after final dress rehearsal for the off-Broadway production of his show, Anthony explained his emotions so completely that it had me bawling even though I didn’t even know the man! It was so sad, he never got to see his show reach Broadway or see it win the Pulitzer Prize, four Tony’s, including one for “Best Musical,” and many others. Anthony described how they continued with opening night but instead made it a memorial service for Jonathan and opened only for his friends and family. He described how hard it was to go through the score with so many lyrics that he and the other actors could relate to Jonathan’s death. But in the end, he said that the show was very cathartic for all of them. Belting their hearts out every night really helped them deal with what had happened. You might think that was the only sad part of the book. Not even close. During all of this emotion, on top of everything else, Anthony’s mother was dying of cancer. I don’t really need to go into details to tell you that Anthony was close to his mother and the way that he described his feelings for all of it had me bawling yet again!
Despite all the crying, I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ve always loved the behind-the-scenes sort of thing; I mean, I always watch all the special features on dvds and if there’s ever an actor or singer that I really like I’ll go on Youtube and find a bunch of interviews with them! That being said, I love Anthony Rapp, I think he’s an amazing singer and actor and I really enjoyed reading about his experience in Rent and how it went from just a workshop to off-Broadway to Broadway and all over the world and finally to the film. Another thing that I enjoyed was Anthony’s writing style. He could make you really connect and feel what he was feeling. But, my favorite aspect of his writing was that he included a lot of lyrics when describing Rent. I don’t know why, exactly, but I love reading and writing down lyrics of songs and when I saw that he did it as well it made me connect to him somehow. And every time I saw a little snippet of a song from the musical that I loved so much, I would sing it in my head as I read it, which in turn made the whole song get stuck in my head and I would have to go listen to it later!
Even though I knew that I would like this book just for the fact that it was written by one of my favorite musical theater actors, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t really read that many non-fiction books, especially autobiographies. I’m not sure what I was expecting, since it was written by someone famous. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Anthony Rapp, famous and idolized as he may be, is just a normal person who has gone through an incredible amount of normal and emotional stuff. He described how nervous he was for his audition for Rent and how hard it was to make a living while working at Starbucks in between acting jobs. He was just a normal guy just barely paying the bills before Rent made it big. It makes me hope that I could do that one day. As hard as it sounds, I really want to try that life. To have to suffer for your work, if it’s something you really enjoy, seems like it would be worthwhile.
I have a bit of a problem: I become very easily obsessed with things; the musical Rent, for example. It started out as just a love for the music, but by the time I had listened to the soundtrack non-stop for a couple months and had seen the
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Broadway Touring Production with two of the original Broadway cast members, it had become a complete obsession. I wanted to know everything I could about this wonderful musical. So, when I heard that Anthony Rapp, who played film-maker Mark Cohen in both the Original Broadway Cast and in the touring production that I saw, had wrote a book, I knew I had to have it!The book was called Without You: a memoir of love, loss, and the musical Rent. If it was possible, it exceeded my expectations by miles. The book was about Anthony’s life and struggles; it was really sad! I was crying as I read most of the book! It surprised me how well it was written to make you connect to what he was saying. For example, Anthony got to be very close friends with Jonathan Larson, the man that wrote Rent. When Jonathan died unexpectedly the night after final dress rehearsal for the off-Broadway production of his show, Anthony explained his emotions so completely that it had me bawling even though I didn’t even know the man! It was so sad, he never got to see his show reach Broadway or see it win the Pulitzer Prize, four Tony’s, including one for “Best Musical,” and many others. Anthony described how they continued with opening night but instead made it a memorial service for Jonathan and opened only for his friends and family. He described how hard it was to go through the score with so many lyrics that he and the other actors could relate to Jonathan’s death. But in the end, he said that the show was very cathartic for all of them. Belting their hearts out every night really helped them deal with what had happened. You might think that was the only sad part of the book. Not even close. During all of this emotion, on top of everything else, Anthony’s mother was dying of cancer. I don’t really need to go into details to tell you that Anthony was close to his mother and the way that he described his feelings for all of it had me bawling yet again!
Despite all the crying, I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ve always loved the behind-the-scenes sort of thing; I mean, I always watch all the special features on dvds and if there’s ever an actor or singer that I really like I’ll go on Youtube and find a bunch of interviews with them! That being said, I love Anthony Rapp, I think he’s an amazing singer and actor and I really enjoyed reading about his experience in Rent and how it went from just a workshop to off-Broadway to Broadway and all over the world and finally to the film. Another thing that I enjoyed was Anthony’s writing style. He could make you really connect and feel what he was feeling. But, my favorite aspect of his writing was that he included a lot of lyrics when describing Rent. I don’t know why, exactly, but I love reading and writing down lyrics of songs and when I saw that he did it as well it made me connect to him somehow. And every time I saw a little snippet of a song from the musical that I loved so much, I would sing it in my head as I read it, which in turn made the whole song get stuck in my head and I would have to go listen to it later!
Even though I knew that I would like this book just for the fact that it was written by one of my favorite musical theater actors, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I don’t really read that many non-fiction books, especially autobiographies. I’m not sure what I was expecting, since it was written by someone famous. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Anthony Rapp, famous and idolized as he may be, is just a normal person who has gone through an incredible amount of normal and emotional stuff. He described how nervous he was for his audition for Rent and how hard it was to make a living while working at Starbucks in between acting jobs. He was just a normal guy just barely paying the bills before Rent made it big. It makes me hope that I could do that one day. As hard as it sounds, I really want to try that life. To have to suffer for your work, if it’s something you really enjoy, seems like it would be worthwhile.
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LibraryThing member ChishioTennyo
I just finished Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical RENT by Anthony Rapp. Anyone who knows me will testify that I'm a devout RENThead. And as much as I love Jesse, both on Law & Order and his role as Collins in RENT, and as much as I think Adam Pascal is a total hottie, I've always
The title was aptly chosen. Besides being one of the most mournful songs of RENT, Without You is also the theme of the book in general, the parts of Anthony's life he's choosing to show the world. The book begins with Anthony being late to his audition for RENT because he was at a friend's memorial -- the first real loss of his life. Then, the night the play previewed, Jonathan Larson (the writer, and Anthony's friend)died. Throughout the book, Anthony is dealing with the impending death of his mother from cancer, the inability to communicate adequately with any of his family members, and watching the original members of the cast of RENT -- his adopted family, in a way -- all leave the show to pursue other venues. Also, a little more abstractly, he deals with his own problems with adult loving relationships, his bout of self-destructive behavior after his mother's death, his need to not be alone while all this was happening, not for a single night.
The whole book was very touching, very real, and most of all -- it was totally unglamorized. Anthony was NOT afraid to show the times he messed up, the times he was uncertain, the times he let people down. This is the story of a normal man, living his personal life as best as he can. His status as a Broadway A-Lister is never mentioned -- in fact, once the show becomes a hit, he avoids mentioning it or his own popularity at all, prefering to focus on his internal and personal life, retreating the book from the stage where it began.
I'm now actually kind of upset that I missed the chance to go to the NYC Borders for his book signing. I wish I could sit and chat with him, even for ten minutes, get to know this really amazing man.
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loved Anthony Rapp. There's something so approachable about him. So reading his autobiography was interesting. The title was aptly chosen. Besides being one of the most mournful songs of RENT, Without You is also the theme of the book in general, the parts of Anthony's life he's choosing to show the world. The book begins with Anthony being late to his audition for RENT because he was at a friend's memorial -- the first real loss of his life. Then, the night the play previewed, Jonathan Larson (the writer, and Anthony's friend)died. Throughout the book, Anthony is dealing with the impending death of his mother from cancer, the inability to communicate adequately with any of his family members, and watching the original members of the cast of RENT -- his adopted family, in a way -- all leave the show to pursue other venues. Also, a little more abstractly, he deals with his own problems with adult loving relationships, his bout of self-destructive behavior after his mother's death, his need to not be alone while all this was happening, not for a single night.
The whole book was very touching, very real, and most of all -- it was totally unglamorized. Anthony was NOT afraid to show the times he messed up, the times he was uncertain, the times he let people down. This is the story of a normal man, living his personal life as best as he can. His status as a Broadway A-Lister is never mentioned -- in fact, once the show becomes a hit, he avoids mentioning it or his own popularity at all, prefering to focus on his internal and personal life, retreating the book from the stage where it began.
I'm now actually kind of upset that I missed the chance to go to the NYC Borders for his book signing. I wish I could sit and chat with him, even for ten minutes, get to know this really amazing man.
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LibraryThing member gillis.sarah
As someone who is a huge fan of 'Rent', I though I knew a lot of what there was to know about the first productions of Rent. I knew I was wrong once I read this book. Anthony Rapp tells this story in such a compelling way, weaving the subject matter of 'Rent' with the loss of Jonathan Larson and
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the death of his mother. It's a beautifully told story that made me cry a lot Show Less
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
Without You is all about Anthony Rapp, the gay star from both the original off Broadway production, the Broadway production and, finally, the movie version of Rent. It is all about him. It is all about him being gay. It is all about his many breakups with his gay boyfriends. Oh yeah, his mother
Primarily, though, it is about Anthony Rapp. Maybe it should have even been called Without Anyone Else, or maybe, Me. Or maybe Anthony Rapp, the Gay Star of Rent. Personally, I could not care less about his being gay. That’s his lifestyle choice. I just hated having it constantly thrown in my face.
I think by now, you get the idea. Yeah, this is an autobiography, but there are only two things he really talks about in the book. (No, I’m not going to say it again). OK, three, if you count rent. Even when he does talk about his Mother, other relatives or personal relations, it is always in terms of about how they see him.
What a major egotistical boor!
Yes, I finished the book, though. I kept looking for some redeeming feature; I never did find it. The only real revelation was the short piece about how his parents almost became the victim of some roadside serial killers. Even that episode gets egocentrically twisted so he becomes the reason his parents were not killed.
If you are into Rent, you may want to read this as he was one of the originals of the production. If you are into narcissistic self aggrandizing autobiographies, you will love this one. If you want a biography with some substance, look elsewhere.
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dies.Primarily, though, it is about Anthony Rapp. Maybe it should have even been called Without Anyone Else, or maybe, Me. Or maybe Anthony Rapp, the Gay Star of Rent. Personally, I could not care less about his being gay. That’s his lifestyle choice. I just hated having it constantly thrown in my face.
I think by now, you get the idea. Yeah, this is an autobiography, but there are only two things he really talks about in the book. (No, I’m not going to say it again). OK, three, if you count rent. Even when he does talk about his Mother, other relatives or personal relations, it is always in terms of about how they see him.
What a major egotistical boor!
Yes, I finished the book, though. I kept looking for some redeeming feature; I never did find it. The only real revelation was the short piece about how his parents almost became the victim of some roadside serial killers. Even that episode gets egocentrically twisted so he becomes the reason his parents were not killed.
If you are into Rent, you may want to read this as he was one of the originals of the production. If you are into narcissistic self aggrandizing autobiographies, you will love this one. If you want a biography with some substance, look elsewhere.
Show Less
LibraryThing member unsaltysaltines
This was a great book that I think all people would like, not just Rentheads. The experiences Anthony Rapp describes involve more than just his time with RENT.
LibraryThing member bookworm12
I loved the first half of this book. Anyone who is a fan of RENT would enjoy reading about the birth of the musical. I could’ve done without the author’s first sexual experiences in the middle, but I could certainly identify with some of the grief he experienced when he lost his mother.
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All-in-all I’d only recommend it if you are a big fan of RENT. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-01-17
Physical description
320 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0743269772 / 9780743269773