The Story of Rent Is Theatrical Legend by Now. Even those who don't know Rent likely know something or someone influenced by it; whether it's their favorite composer, actor, or musical, someone's life was altered by the musical. If it sounds a bit romantic, it's probably because it is. Rent is romanticized because the story we start with-Jonathan Larson's rise and the tragedy of his death. Larson became the touchstone of what being a young musical theater artist could entail. And as with many a tragedy, his death cemented the legend. But as argued in this book, you don't get to be "the musical that defined a generation" with just a headline-grabbing story. A good story sells tickets, but it doesn't win a Pulitzer Prize. More importantly, perhaps, a good story didn't sell over a decade's worth of tickets on Broadway. What sustained Rent was the power of the musical itself.