After over 12 years and 5,140 performances, the critically-acclaimed musical Rent closes up shop on Broadway tonight. In a little while I imagine.

If I had my way, I’d be up in New York right now to take in the final performance. In lieu of that, I’ll have to wait for a screening of the final performance at the end of the month. Looking at next year’s tour schedule, it doesn’t look like they’ll be visiting D.C. or Baltimore; Philly appears to be the closest stop.

I consider myself something of a minor Renthead. Though I can’t count how many times I’ve listened to the cast and movie albums (Is “lots and lots and lots” a number?), I’ve only seen it staged three times. Only once, my first time, was on Broadway; the others were at the Warner Theatre here in D.C. I hoped to see it on Broadway one last time before closing. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

At left is what I’ve always referred to as my first exposure to Rent: a Newsweek cover from 1996. I was a subscriber at the time.

I’m saddened that it’s leaving the New York theatre world, but if current trends are any indication, it’ll be revived eventually.

West Side Story will be revived on Broadway next March, with previews running sometime in February. The show will not only enjoy a pre-Broadway run at the National Theatre here in D.C. for a month beginning in mid-December, but will also be somewhat tweaked for authenticity. According to Playbill:

The production “will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs,” according to the July 16 announcement.

West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals of all time, so I find this a bit exciting. I always wanted to take part in a production, but the opportunity to do so never arose. Given the median age of the main characters — or at least my perception of it — I’m probably past it. That and I think I lack the appropriate body type. At best, I suspect I could either be a stagehand or a strangely ethnic Officer Krupke.