Annotations
1. Brantley, Ben. "Rock Opera A La 'Boheme' And 'Hair'" The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Feb. 1996. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/14/theater/theater-review-rock-opera-a-la-boheme-and-hair.html?pagewanted=all
This article from the New York Times reviews Rent shortly after it's initial opening on Broadway in 1996. The critic correlates the themes of life and death that are present in the play, to Jonathan Larson's death death days before the opening night, as well as touching on the major theme of cutting one's self from emotion due to fear of life, death, and the unknown. The author then goes on to commend the play for the emotion put forth by the music and performances from the cast, despite what he believes to be weak plot points scattered throughout the play. This review is a relevant source for my wikipedia article because it is a window into the reception of the play in it's early days and the impact it made on Broadway at the time. Because the article was published as a theatre review from a well known news source, it is considered a reliable secondary source.
2. Connors, Kimberly. "Queer Culture Collection." Queer Culture Collection. 23 Nov. 2015. Web. http://sites.psu.edu/245spring2015/2015/11/23/rent/
This "op-ed" type piece on Rent summarizes what, in the author's opinion, makes the play so powerful. Connors opens with the significance of the AIDS epidemic, then compares the aspect of the fear and sickness to each of the characters/couples in the play. Examples such as Roger and Mimi bonding at their mutual discovery of the other's status, Collins and Angel's connection despite their status, and the characters who are not HIV positive acting as a support system. This article is relevant as a source for my wikipedia article due to the way Connors draws the parallels between the characters and aspects of the real life AIDS epidemic, as well as the conflicts between death, life, and love, both inside and out of the queer community. This article can be considered a reliable secondary source as it is a reliable opinion piece published by a reliable institution (Penn State University)
3. Nogee, Rori. "Rent: Reinventing the Musical Genre Through the Limitations of Representation" Web. 8 Apr. 2016. https://www2.cortland.edu/dotAsset/123958.pdf
This article is one of the few I have found that focuses on the queer impact of Rent. Nogee mentions how Rent did not shy away from the then-taboo topic of homosexuality, and how this immersion with mainstream culture helped to make people of color, homosexuals, and alternative lifestyles more "consumable" for the average audience. Nogee even goes on to mention how the play subverted the notion that AIDS was only for deviant homosexual men, and that heterosexuals were safe. This article will be a relevant source for my wikipedia article because it covers many of the ways and reasons Rent was significant in the queer community, as well as the light it shone on the AIDS epidemic - not only for glowing praise of bringing it to the public eye, but the criticisms it brings forth about the depiction of AIDS. Because the article cites multiple primary sources and is from a reliable educational institution based website, it can be considered a reliable secondary source.