Song is set after Maureen's performance piece. The cast is commencing in the Life Cafe.
Some of what's happening:
Benny gloats that Bohemia is dead, and Mark and others reject his pronouncement. Rodger discovers that Mimi is also suffering from AIDS.
This song drops so many names, and makes TONS of references:
Maya Angelou : Famous Poet
Sontag : Probably Susan Sontag, cinema critic, author, playwright
Sondheim : Composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Ginsburg: Allen Ginsberg, beat generation poet.
Dylan: Bob Dylan. Folk-rock songwriter and performer.
Cunningham: Merce Cunningham, modern choreographer.
Cage: John Cage, avant-garde musician.
Lenny Bruce: Controversial comedian who was reportedly the first person jailed for swearing in public in the US
Langston Hughes: African-american playwright, poet.
Uta: Uta Hagen; noted stage actress and teacher of Stanislavski's Method of acting.
Pablo Neruda: Poet, 1971 Nobel Prize recipient for literature.
Gertrude Stein: Lesbian poet, novelist
Antonioni: Probably Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian filmmaker.
Bertolucci: Probably Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian filmmaker.
Kurosawa: Probably Akira Kurosawa, Japanese film director.
Carmina Burana: A musical based on poems contained in a 13th Century German manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Benediktbeuern, in Bavaria.
Vaclav Havel: President of the Czech Republic.
8BC: once a nightclub in the East Village
ACT UP: AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power.
Song is set after Maureen's performance piece. The cast is commencing in the Life Cafe. Some of what's happening: Benny gloats that Bohemia is dead, and Mark and others reject his pronouncement. Rodger discovers that Mimi is also suffering from AIDS.
This song drops so many names, and makes TONS of references: Maya Angelou : Famous Poet Sontag : Probably Susan Sontag, cinema critic, author, playwright Sondheim : Composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Ginsburg: Allen Ginsberg, beat generation poet. Dylan: Bob Dylan. Folk-rock songwriter and performer. Cunningham: Merce Cunningham, modern choreographer. Cage: John Cage, avant-garde musician. Lenny Bruce: Controversial comedian who was reportedly the first person jailed for swearing in public in the US Langston Hughes: African-american playwright, poet. Uta: Uta Hagen; noted stage actress and teacher of Stanislavski's Method of acting. Pablo Neruda: Poet, 1971 Nobel Prize recipient for literature. Gertrude Stein: Lesbian poet, novelist Antonioni: Probably Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian filmmaker. Bertolucci: Probably Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian filmmaker. Kurosawa: Probably Akira Kurosawa, Japanese film director. Carmina Burana: A musical based on poems contained in a 13th Century German manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Benediktbeuern, in Bavaria. Vaclav Havel: President of the Czech Republic. 8BC: once a nightclub in the East Village ACT UP: AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power.
One of my favorite RENT songs!