Name: Without You
ISBN: 9780743269773

Anthony Rapp

The story of the actor who portrayed Mark Cohen in "Rent" covers such topics as his Broadway successes, his grief at the death of the production's creator, and his struggles with his mother's life-threatening illness.

A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent

Without You

Olivia Mitchell

A beautiful memoir with moments of happiness and grief. This book is not only for fans of Rent but for anyone who wants to read about a unique perspective on life. Anthony writes in a stunning way, which is raw and emotive and teaches important life lessons without being too direct. A brilliant read.

jess

[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.

Tameka Young

I don't normally read too many nonfiction books, but this memoir reads like a novel. It is poignant, touching, and engaging. In addition to giving an inside look at the meteoric rise of the show from it's start as a workshop to becoming one of the longest running musicals on Broadway, it also journeys us through the tragic and untimely death of the show's creator Jonathan Larson, and the long and heartbreaking illness and eventual passing of Anthony's mother Mary. I cried during so many moments in this book. Especially the portions dealing with Jonathan's death. It seems like such a tragic waste of immense talent, especially since he never lived to see the show become one of the longest running Broadway shows ever. It makes me want to cry again just thinking about it.

Definitely recommend reading this with a box of tissues handy!

** spoiler alert **
           Though I am not generally a fan or manuscripts, I am extremely glad I decided to overlook that and read this book. It was honest, emotional, sad and hopeful at the same time. I enjoyed the historical information about Rent and seeing how the show was adapted from its origins to become the musical that I loved so much when I saw it. Reading about it brought back a lot of the emotions I felt when I first saw the show. I also found myself in tears while reading about the loss of Jonathan and his mother. While it is true he is not probably the best writer out there, his writing made you feel what he was going through and sympathize with him. Fantastic book.

The personal story of the actor who portrayed Rent's Mark Cohen covers such topics as his Broadway successes, his grief at the death of the production's Pulitzer Prize-winning creator, and his struggles with his mother's life-threatening illness. 25,000 first printing.

Without You A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent

Reviews

Highlights