After doing an interview with The New York Times, Jonathan Larson went home, made a cup of tea and died of an aortic aneurysm.
The 35-year-old "Rent" songwriter died the night before the opening performance of his rock opera.
The "Rent" two-DVD set — released in stores today — includes a special features DVD, which has a nearly two-hour documentary, "No Day But Today," detailing the life of Larson, a goofy Jewish man with thick eyebrows and dark, frizzy hair.
The first of five sections, "Days of Inspiration," is about Larson's childhood and the start of his musical career. In the second, "Leap of Faith," Larson moves to New York to work at a diner and write music. Larson spent most of the late '80s and early '90s on a Casio keyboard in his one-room New York apartment nearly broke, but happy doing what he loved most.
The third section, "Another Day," continues the "Rent" journey, leading up to the dress rehearsal. "Without You" takes the viewer through the shock of Larson's sudden death and gives new meaning to "Rent" — a living tribute to Larson's life.
"Over the Moon," the final part of the film, details the making of the 2005 movie.
In addition to the documentary, the special features DVD includes previews, public service announcements, an alternate ending and four deleted scenes and songs, which will explain a couple key events left out of the final cut. There is also an option of watching the movie with director and cast commentary.
The detailed and emotional documentary will give much more meaning and understanding to the production, especially for someone who hasn't seen "Rent" onstage.
