Jonathan Larson kept all of his rejection letters 鈥渁s fuel,鈥� according to his sister, Julie. Yet the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation finds its fuel in its power to 鈥淪ay 鈥榊es鈥� To Artists鈥濃攖he theme of the September 16 American Theatre Wing Gala.
The night honored Larson's legacy and family and all of the vital 鈥測eses鈥� they have given through since 1997. The Grants have been administered by The Wing since 2008, and are only one piece of the Wing鈥檚 102-year record of supporting artists in the American theatre.
Today鈥檚 musical theatre writers weren鈥檛 just inspired by Larson鈥檚 work鈥攁 number of them proclaimed their Renthead status from the stage at Cipriani 42nd Street鈥攖hey were directly impacted by the support and funds they received as recipients of the Jonathan Larson Grant. Dear Evan Hansen鈥檚 Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Strange Loop鈥檚 Michael R. Jackson, Bella: An American Tall Tale鈥檚 Kirsten Childs, and more are all past recipients of the grant that paid their rent so they could write.
Larson knew the importance of these grants, as he applied for many during his lifetime. In fact, in a highlight of the evening, Wing Chairman David Henry Hwang read from Larson鈥檚 application for the Kleban Prize:
My goal as a lyricist-composer is to take the best aspects of traditional American Musicals and combine them with current themes, aesthetics, and music. I believe theatre should (and could) again be a source of Pop Music, which would attract a new audience.
I'm 29 and support myself primarily by waiting tables. Although it's a grind, I generally have found time for my real work. But lately, the more ruthless I am with myself, the longer it takes to complete a song -yet the results are better and better. 鈥� And as costs rise, everything gets harder and harder to do. 鈥� I'm [currently] contributing to National Lampoon's TRICENTENIAL REVUE , as well as continuing my work on SUPERBIA. 鈥� [And] I'm working on an updated version of the LA BOHEME story- set in the East Village.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Larson
He didn鈥檛 win that prize, but the theatre community benefited鈥攁nd continues to鈥攆rom his persistence. The gala was proof.
After an opening rendition of 鈥淐ome to Your Senses鈥� from Larson鈥檚 tick, tick鈥� BOOM! sung by Krysta Rodriguez, the evening featured performances of songs by Larson Grant recipients, beginning with Benj Pasek. Norm Lewis wowed with his rendition of 鈥淧art of a Painting鈥� from Pasek and Paul鈥檚 song cycle EDGES. Tony Award winner Nikki M. James then took the stage. It seems her fate to forge a path in musical theatre was sealed back in the sixth grade, when she wrote a 28-page paper on Larson. James stood in for 2014 Larson Grant recipient Shaina Taub and sang her song 鈥淟ighten Up鈥� from Old Hats.
Childs, one of the earliest recipients of the Larson Grant in 1999, thanked the Larson family 鈥渇or giving hope, validation, and much needed cash鈥� to writers like herself. She then introduced Once On This Island alum Hailey Kilgore singing 鈥淧retty鈥� from her The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. A 2006 Larson Grant recipient, Joe Iconis took the stage to introduce a song from his upcoming musical Love in Hate Nation, which bows at Two River Theater in New Jersey鈥攏otably where Be More Chill got its start. The 1962-set musical follows two girls who fall in love in a juvenile hall. The cast鈥擲ydney Farley, Amina Faye, Jasmine Forsberg, Lauren Marcus, Kelly McIntyre, Lena Skeele, Emerson Mae Smith, and Tatiana Wechsler鈥攈it the stage for a performance of 鈥淩evolution Song.鈥�
Jackson, whose A Strange Loop wrapped up a critically acclaimed and soldout run this summer, thanked the Larson family for validating him back in 2017 with a grant before introducing Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, who sang 鈥淢emory Song鈥� from the high concept meta-musical. Dixon then introduced the cast of The Jonathan Larson Project; Lauren Marcus, Nick Blaemire, Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez, and Jason Tam sang 鈥淭he Truth Is a Lies from the song cycle assembled by Jennifer Ashley Tepper, which showcased the unheard songs of Larson. Of course, the final performance had to be 鈥淪eason of Love,鈥� led by original Rent cast members Fredi Walker and Daphne Rubin-Vega.
READ: Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Jonathan Larson Project Cast Album
Through it all, Julie Larson glowed with pride at her brother鈥檚 legacy, albeit one that feels separate from the man she knew. 鈥淗onestly, we didn鈥檛 know Jonathan Larson,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e was Jonny to his family and Jon to his friends. 鈥� We saw him struggling one moment and sure he would change musical theatre the next. We watched him receive many many almosts and mountains of rejections.鈥�
Thanks to The American Theatre Wing and the Jonathan Larson Foundation, for many artists those mountains have been reduced to molehills and the theatre community is richer for all the times they say 鈥測es鈥� to artists.
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