Anthony Rapp

If you enjoyed the musical RENT you will probably enjoy parts of this book.

I really loved the parts of the book about RENT and learning about how the show came together and some backstage information about the production and how they all reacted to Jonathan Larson's death and the show's wild success.

A huge section of the book is about Anthony Rapp dealing with the death of his mother and that will either work for you or it won't. It didn't work for me other than gaining some insight into how stressful his life was during the early days of the show.

Another big component of the book revolves around Rapp's romantic life which is filled with drama. Again, many people might enjoy that, but I didn't. I have very low tolerance for people who thrive on relationships that are nothing but arguments and making up again and Rapp is definately one of those people!

So, Rent parts good, personal life parts not so good. Overall an OK book but nothing special.

… (más)

[review written 2011]

So today I finished Without You by Anthony Rapp. I got this in New York as a rather large fan of the musical RENT but after reading it within a day (and even taking it with me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art) I realized it was much, much more than just a memoir of my favorite musical. It deals with Anthony’s mother’s battle with cancer, his relationships with friends and family, and of course with the musical as well. I loved the book as soon as I got it, and I’m grateful since it was a spur-of-the-moment purchase. It was inspiring and gave me chills, and Anthony Rapp’s writing style is powerful and flows really well, unlike this sentence.… (más)